Annual Members Outing and Retreat

Rick Potts of the National Park Service

Courtesy Joan Wilson

 

By Anne Caffee

For some, it’s their first time camping; others have been staking a tent for years.  From small babies to intrepid folks in their eighties,’ the Sierra Club Pennsylvania Members Outing & Retreat Weekend, held each July at a state park, attracts a diverse group of people, says Pennsylvania Chapter Coordinator Joan Wilson. “For some, it’s their very first Sierra Club outing,” says Wilson, who has been with the Pennsylvania Office since 2003.  “It’s pretty exciting to see.”

The 2006 retreat weekend was held at French Creek State Park (FCSP) in the southeastern part of the state. The 7,475 acre park, located about an hour northwest of Philadelphia, offered more than 35 miles of hiking and biking trails, with opportunities for birding, orienteering on a self-guided course, paddling, boating and fishing on two lakes, Frisbee golf, and a supervised park pool for swimming.  French Creek State Park is also home to Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site, a rural 19th century iron plantation, founded in 1771 and in operation until 1883. Tours are given daily throughout the summer.

Planning the party for approximately 80 members from all over Pennsylvania fell to Wilson, a New Cumberland, Pa. native and former educator with the Susquehanna Watershed Education Program, Kittatiny Group Chair Bob Flatley, his wife, Kittatiny Outings Chair, Kelle Kersten, and Group member Kathy Shellington. Wilson’s task was to scout the park, find the best group camping site, and evaluate the fine details that would impact a large group gathering: number of tables, water access, road conditions, signage, parking, shade tree location, and suitability for group meetings and programming.    

Wilson’s first scouting trip to FCSP was in an early December blizzard. She took copious notes at every campsite she saw - about 18 in all - returning a number of times
to re-visualize the central camp area, looking for areas with ample tree cover for tarps, and latrines and showers within a quick walk.  Wilson already knew the value of personally scouting possible campsites; one area selected for last year’s meeting at Gallitzin State Park was discovered to be rife with poison ivy.  She also had to find local accommodations for members who wanted to come, but not camp.   

Wilson culled the recommendations of park rangers and worked closely with the host Group to create the weekend’s programming. Flatley and his committee plan a slate of activities as varied and appealing as the park itself: a program on the rare salamanders of French Creek, a wild food walk with Peter Wolfe, a special group tour of Hopewell Furnace, plus all of the activities offered by the park itself: paddling, birding and wildlife observation, fishing and swimming, mountain biking (FCSP is one of the only state parks that allow the sport), as well as a hikes and nature crafts for kids.

One of the main initiatives of the Kittatiny group in 2005 was increasing local awareness of sustainable agriculture. So it’s no surprise that one of the outing’s keynote speakers was Brian Moyer, Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) Berks County representative and owner of Green Haven Farm. Moyer spoke on breaking down the “invisible wall” between local farmers and consumers through community-based agriculture.

It’s a topic close to Flatley and Kersten’s hearts. The couple runs a one-acre community supported agriculture (CSA) plot that uses only non-animal “green” manure and compost, producing berries, exotic lettuces, greens and vegetables.  Flatley, a librarian at Kutztown State University, grew up “Sierra”; his dad, Jack served on the state-level ExComm’s wilderness and biodiversity committees.  Kersten is a caseworker at a residential facility for troubled youth. 

Flatley is excited about this year’s choice of French Creek. “It’s fantastic,” he says.  “It’s considered one of the best examples of a rebounding second-growth forest.  You really feel like you’re in the wilderness.”

In the end, Wilson got her reward of three days of wooded bliss, with meaningful connections between Sierrans near and far. “It’s a great time to interact with other members, become informed on important issues, and have fun in the outdoors, all in one weekend.”

For information on the Members Outing and Retreat Weekend, contact us at 717-232-0101 or vial email at: pennsylvania.chapter@sierraclub.org.

Anne Caffee is a Pittsburgh-based freelance writer.