Mountains of the Heart: Revisiting the Appalachians, Presentation by Scott Weidensaul

The Dauphin County Woodland Owners Association is pleased to host a presentation exploring the history of the Appalachian Mountains given by Scott Weidensaul on Thursday, October 13th, 2016, at the Dauphin County Agricultural Extension office located at 1451 Peters Mountain Rd., Dauphin, Pa.

The 2,000 mile-long Appalachian Mountain system is one of the oldest and most remarkable ranges in the world, stretching from the wildflower-spangled hills of central Alabama to the ice-choked edge of Newfoundland where caribou and even polar bears roam. Join naturalist and author Scott Weidensaul in an exploration of these ancient hills, based on the newly revised and expanded 20th anniversary edition of his award-winning book "Mountains of the Heart: A Natural History of the Appalachians." Weidensaul will examine the conservation challenges and successes that recent decades have brought to these seemingly timeless hills, and what the future may hold for them.

Scott Weidensaul is the author of more than two dozen books on natural history, including the Pulitzer Prize finalist "Living on the Wind," about bird migration, "Return to Wild America," and "The First Frontier: The Forgotten History of Struggle, Savagery and Endurance in Early America." His latest book, "The Peterson Reference Guide to Owls of North America and the Caribbean," has just been published.  Weidensaul is a contributing editor for Audubon and writes for a variety of other publications; he lives in Schuylkill County, and studies the migration of owls, songbirds and hummingbirds from Alaska to Maine.

Anyone interested in forest related topics is encouraged to attend this free program open to the public.  Doors will open at 6:30PM for a social gathering, and the program will begin at 7:00 PM.  Light refreshments will be served. A brief business meeting will precede the program. 

The DCWOA is an organization dedicated to forestry education and service to private landowners in Dauphin County. Emphasis is placed on the ecological aspects of our forests, and the diverse benefits that our forests provide including wildlife habitat, air water filtration, and storm water control. The fact that 59% of the land in Pennsylvania (16.58 million acres) is presently covered with forests and 71% of that land is privately owned makes forestry topics particularly relevant today. 

For more information contact the Penn State Extension – Dauphin County at 717-921-8803 or Andy Brought with DCNR at 717-362-1152.