The artistic and natural beauty of Pennsylvania's state parks will be featured in five vignettes at the Pennsylvania Garden Expo's "Art in the Garden" at the Farm Show complex in Harrisburg, March 9-12.

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' 5,000-square-foot exhibit will include art work by Nancy Mendes, featuring five state parks, including Ricketts Glen in the northeast part of the state, Hickory Run in the Poconos, Black Moshannon in the north central Pennsylvania Wilds region, Presque Isle along the shores of Lake Erie, and Jennings Environmental Education Center in Butler County.

Also highlighted in the exhibit, "Pennsylvania State Parks: The Canvas of the Commonwealth," co-sponsored by the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation, will be the many species of native plants that can be found in the environments at each of the five featured state parks.

Visitors can walk a boardwalk through the exhibit and read about native plants in information provided by the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation, Game Commission, Fish and Boat Commission, Audubon Pennsylvania and the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay.

Children will be able to color in coloring books that feature the five state parks, with Crayons donated by Binney & Smith in Easton.

Online reservations for an overnight stay at a State Park are also available at www.visitPAparks.com .

3/3/2006