Members of the public across the state are invited to take part in the PA Parks and Forests Foundation’s “Day in the Life of a State Forest” on April 12.

Participants are encouraged to pack a lunch and a camera, and capture the experience of a day spent in one of Pennsylvania’s 20 state forests. They are also asked to help keep our public lands pristine by taking a long a trash bag and packing out litter found on the trail, trail head or vista.

The second annual “Day in the Life of a State Forest” from PPFF commemorates the work of conservation leader Joseph Rothrock, sometimes known as the father of Pennsylvania forestry.

This year marks the 175th anniversary of his birth on April 9, 1839. Rothrock was appointed the first Commissioner of Forestry in 1895, and promoted the ideas of conservation, recreation and health. By 1900, he helped amass 110,000 acres for the forest system.

Learn more about Pennsylvania’s conservation history on the PPFF website.  A map and information about Pennsylvania’s state forests can be found online.

Photos should be sent to: ppffnewsletter@pa.net before 10:00 a.m. on April 14th to take part in the event. The pictures will then be shared in a special Facebook gallery and other social media platforms; one photo will be selected for publication in PPFF’s summer 2014 newsletter and other publications.

By submitting photos, entrants agree to allow PPFF to post the photo/s to the PPFF website and Facebook page or any other electronic and printed media and allow their photos, names and general location to be published in the newsletter and/or website or any other electronic or printed media, currently and in the future. Entrants retain ownership and all other rights to future use of their photographs.

Planning ahead? Next month, PPFF also hosts a “Day in a Life of a State Park” over Memorial Day weekend.

For more information, visit the PA Parks and Forests Foundation website.

4/7/2014