The PA Parks and Forests Foundation and Caledonia State Park in Adams and Franklin counties will hold a meeting on April 23 from 6-8 pm, at Caledonia State Park to discuss the formation of a friends group for the park.

A friends group is a group of motivated citizens in the local community that understand and appreciate the value of a state park or forest. The goals of a friends group are unique to each park or forest. This meeting will serve as an opportunity to identify potential projects and assess the interest in forming a group at this park.

Founded in 1903, Caledonia is the second oldest state park in the Commonwealth. Several Civilian Conservation Corps structures still stand and are in use today. The park is popular with bird watchers, hikers along the Appalachian Trail, and trout fishermen.

Caledonia State Park will be hosting two main events this year: the Annual Arts & Crafts Fair and the Lincoln Highway Jubilee. Friends group members would help to maintain bird feeders, assist with the Arts & Crafts Fair, and staff the blacksmith shop on weekends between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Other volunteer opportunities will be discussed at the April 23 meeting.

Currently, there are 38 friends groups across the Commonwealth serving under the non-profit arm of the PA Parks and Forests Foundation.

In 2014, these hard-working volunteers raised over $350,000, hosted 112 special events (ranging from music and heritage festivals to children's fishing and Easter Egg hunts), and volunteered over 38,000 hours on the trails, campgrounds, picnic areas and other outdoor spaces of their state parks and forests.

The mission of PPFF is to promote and support the natural and cultural resources of Pennsylvania's state parks and forests through leadership in recreation, education, conservation and volunteerism.

Contact Phil Schmidt at Caledonia State Park with any questions or for more information: 717-352-216.

4/20/2015