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704 Lisburn Road | Suite 102 | Camp Hill, PA 17011 | 717.236.7644
Dear Pam:
Happy Chinese New Year! According to the Chinese calendar, 2022 is the Year of the Tiger.
When reading about the attributes of those born under a Tiger year, one of the items that jumped out at me was that they work tirelessly to realize their dream of changing the world in some way, one step at a time. It reminded me of you, the amazing volunteers who work tirelessly for the betterment of our state parks and forests.
Thank you - Tigers all!
Yours in the Outdoors,
Marci
Marci J. Mowery, President
TRAINING
The ZOOM gatherings continue with our gratitude for the participation of the treasurers in last week's get together. If you missed it, a recording is now located on the Friends Resources page under the "Financial Policies and Forms" accordion.
Two additional sessions remain - 6:30 PM each night. We will record and post the sessions in the event you cannot join us.
Dial by your location +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 646 558 8656 US (New York) +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
2/9: Chairs and Secretaries (taking minutes, building agendas, meeting process) 2/24: Review of financial policies [Small Games of Chance (SGOC), silent auctions, grants, etc.] This may end up being divided into two sessions, as we expect there will be many questions on these topics.
TRAINING TOO
Interest is high in chainsaw training, primarily concentrating on the southeast and southcentral chapters. That being the case, we are exploring the possibility of a training at or near French Creek. One is also in the works at Greenwood Furnace State Park, being arranged by the park itself. Centrally located chapters may be able to find a slot there. Again, we will keep you posted; again, please email Pam if you are interested in participating.
The same goes for Wilderness First Aid training. This is likely to be a more intense course than that required for "front country volunteers." If your work is primarily done in a park where emergency assistance is reasonably readily available, a simple Red Cross First Aid/CPR/AED course (either online, in person, or a combination of the two) would be sufficient. The Red Cross website has a complete, easy to access listing of online courses ($35/person) or blended ($88/person) searchable by location.
If you do work (especially with chainsaws or other heavy equipment) in a more back-country setting, the WFA course will be a next step for you. It is a 16-hour (two-day) course and having the basic First Aid/CPR certification is a prerequisite. So taking that course and having that certificate at the ready would be helpful. The trainer we are working with is in the east; we are inquiring as to his ability/willingness to travel. So, once again, please email Pam to express your interest in being included in these discussions.
We also have had a request for “dealing with difficult people” and/or “diffusing difficult situations”. If either of these are of interest to you, please email Pam to have your name added to our list. This would be a virtual training.
DO
Annual reports are rolling in - thank you!
Sales inventory spreadsheets are lagging a bit, however. If you have any sales OTHER THAN FIREWOOD AND ICE you will need to complete an inventory.
KNOW
This week DCNR welcomed Pennsylvania's first Director of Outdoor Recreation to the ranks. Nathan Reigner, who hails from Montgomery County. Asked about his background, Nathan said, "After graduating from Gettysburg College and living in D.C. for my first professional job, I set the course for my life’s work when I became a member of the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club and began doing volunteer trail work."
"Those experiences opened my eyes to the way natural places are impacted by policy and regulations, budgeting, stewardship, and so much more. I wanted my work to help people have meaningful experiences outdoors."
"After receiving my Ph.D., I was fortunate to work in dozens of national parks across the country and Iceland -- helping them understand their outdoor recreation and its impacts; ran my own small business consulting on recreation management; and most recently was a professor in Penn State’s Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management Department."
A volunteer himself? Sounds like a winner! Learn more about him in the press release from DCNR.
KNOW TOO
We are working on planning for Latino Conservation Week. There will be several on-the-ground events that come out of the planning as well as guide to some things any friends group could do to celebrate this annual event. The dates? From July 16th-24th.
SHARE
The Spanish language version of the health benefits video has now been completed and is posted to our website. As with the other videos, feel free to share far and wide!
RESOURCE REMINDER:
The PPFF website is a great source of information and guidance with forms you can use and information you should know.
You receive this monthly email as a result of your position with a Chapter of the Pennsylvania Parks & Forests Foundation, our board, or interested DCNR staff. PLEASE do not unsubscribe from this email or you will miss important Chapter information. If you are no longer a member of the Chapter's board, please contact Marci or Pam to let us know.
