Penn College Prepares for April 22 Earth Day Observance

Published 04.07.2009

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From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, April 22, Pennsylvania College of Technology's Schneebeli Earth Science Center will observe the worldwide 39th Annual Earth Day by providing tours of the outdoor natural laboratory in and around the Allenwood-area campus.

In what has become an Earth Day tradition, forestry professor Dennis F. Ringling's forest technology students will welcome a group of approximately 70 fifth-grade students and their chaperones from Elimsport Elementary School.

This year, the School of Natural Resources Management also is extending an open invitation to the community to participate in the campus's daylong observance.

The forest technology students will point out various environmental-interest points along the three-mile system of nature trails that wind through the surrounding woodlands. There is a self-interpretive trail guide, as well, for those who choose to walk the trail without a guide.

Among the topics to be addressed by students at the various points: invasive plants and their control; forest disease and insects; soil analysis and its importance; safety in camping; Pennsylvania mammals, fish, reptiles and amphibians; dendrochronology (aging trees by their annual rings); tree measurement; urban forestry/tree climbing; harvesting equipment; and the sawmill.

The Earth Science Center is home to approximately 168 acres of timber, a two-acre pond, a professional-grade sawmill and an extensive trail network, all supporting the forest technology program. Members of the general public interested in visiting the campus on Earth Day and participating in the tour may contact Ringling by calling 570-320-8038, ext. 3539, or by e-mailing .

For more information about majors in the School of Natural Resources Management, visit online or call 570-320-8038. For general information about Penn College, visit on the Web , e-mail or call toll-free 800-367-9222.