by Marci Mowery
Think Outside is your guide to outdoor opportunities, nature exploration, and wellness. Discover expert tips, inspiring stories, and new ways to connect with the great outdoors for a healthier, happier life. More information: https://thinkoutsidepodcast.com/
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4/11/2025
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July 15, 2026
<p>“We just help tie in all those ownerships. I think we're the largest landowner in the Laurel Highlands.”</p><p>Our host, Marci Mowery, sits down with Ed Callahan, who is district forester for the Forbes State Forest, spanning Westmoreland, Fayette, and Somerset counties in southwestern Pennsylvania's Laurel Highlands. He arrived in 1999 as assistant district forester and took over the district in 2002; since then, holdings have grown from roughly 58,000 to 64,000 acres.</p><p>The forest sits in three separated blocks (Laurel Mountain, Mount Davis, and the ridge near Quebec Run), each an hour to ninety minutes apart and ecologically distinct, tied together by neighboring state parks, game lands, and private landowners like Seven Springs and Nemacolin Woodlands.</p><p>The district's name honors General John Forbes's French and Indian War road, and sites like the 1770s-era Carroll Cabin and the Wharton Iron Furnace have been restored with grant support from the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation.</p><p>Recreation runs year-round. There’s hiking, mountain biking, hunting, native brook trout fishing, and winter sports including 120 miles of groomed snowmobile trail and dog sledding. At Mount Davis, the state's high point, a 1930s-era observation tower is being fitted with new interpretive signage so visitors who can't climb it still get the view.</p><p>Volunteers are the backbone of the operation: the 22-year-old Laurel Mountain Volunteer Group and a newer Trail Steward Program keep trails assessed and maintained.</p><p></p><p><strong>Key Topics:</strong></p><ul><li>Mount Davis: The High Point and Its Observation Tower (2:37)</li><li>Wild Areas and the Shape of the District's Land (6:20)</li><li>Naming History (9:26)</li><li>Four-Season Recreation (13:44)</li><li>Storm Damage and Stream Remediation Partnerships (16:19)</li><li>Building the Volunteer and Trail Steward Programs (18:42)</li><li>Wolf Rocks and Spruce Flats Bog (24:19)</li><li>Accessibility Improvements and the Pollinator Loop (26:36)</li><li>Roadside Camping Opportunities (32:34)</li></ul><br/><p></p><p><strong>Resources:</strong></p><ul><li>Forbes State Forest: <a href="https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/recreation/where-to-go/state-forests/find-a-forest/forbes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/recreation/where-to-go/state-forests/find-a-forest/forbes</a></li><li>Forbes State Forest Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ForbesStateForest" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/ForbesStateForest</a></li><li>Laurel Highlands Trout Trail: <a href="https://www.laurelhighlandstrouttrail.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.laurelhighlandstrouttrail.org/</a></li><li>Go Laurel Highlands: <a href="https://www.golaurelhighlands.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.golaurelhighlands.com/</a></li><li>DCNR Interactive Map: <a href="https://maps.dcnr.pa.gov/dcnrinteractivemap/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://maps.dcnr.pa.gov/dcnrinteractivemap/</a></li><li>Reserve America--PA Park and Forest Reservations: <a href="https://pennsylvaniastateparks.reserveamerica.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://pennsylvaniastateparks.reserveamerica.com/</a></li></ul><br/><p></p><p>🎧 Listen to the Think Outside Podcast on <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0pUbbLFGpDKdTwLrw1BtS6?si=0d5d715914a2478f" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/think-outside-with-the-pennsylvania-parks/id1808055642" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Apple</a>, or <a href="https://pod.link/1808055642" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">your favorite app</a> while on the go! New episodes drop bi-weekly on Mondays, and you may occasionally find a bonus episode, as well!</p><p>The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation inspires stewardship of YOUR state parks and forests through volunteerism, education, recreation, and philanthropy.</p><p><a href="https://paparksandforests.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Learn more, find events, download outdoor resources, and get involved!</a></p><p>👉 <a href="https://ppff.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/ppff/subscribe.jsp" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter</a></p><p>🎥 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/PAParksAndForests" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Watch outdoor tips and stories on our YouTube channel</a></p><p>📸 <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ThinkOutsidePPFFPodcast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Follow the podcast on Instagram</a></p><p>🎶 <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/4Ucu1BrtjW0Q2EPLTvf5UR" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Podcast music provided by Evan Mongeau</a></p><p>📱 Follow PPFF on:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/pennsylvaniastateparksandforests/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a></li><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/paparksandforests" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Instagram</a></li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/pennsylvania-parks-and-forests-foundation/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/PAParksAndForests" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">YouTube</a></li><li><a href="https://www.meetup.com/ppff-events/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">MeetUp</a></li></ul><br/>
June 30, 2026
<p>“I hope that any time someone finds a new place that they love, that they want to protect and conserve that place.”</p><p>Tory Mather is the author of Scenic Natural Wonders of Pennsylvania and the creator of Tory Talks Trails.</p><p>She came to the project when a leg injury in 2021 gave her the time to write about hikes from her Cleveland years. As her mobility returned, the blog grew. A publisher commissioned her to catalog 84 scenic spots across the state, formatted with practical tips for every kind of visitor.</p><p>The research consumed most of a year. Tory would leave Pittsburgh on Thursday afternoons, drive to wherever her next cluster of sites was, and spend the weekends hiking and taking notes.</p><p>Building a platform to bring more people outdoors creates a responsibility to do so well.</p><p>And so Tory practices Leave No Trace, keeps strict screen time limits to protect her own relationship with hiking, and increasingly uses her platform for conservation stories. A couple of these include land threatened by data center development and volunteer groups doing quiet stewardship.</p><p>The book is an entry point. What she cares about most is what comes next, when a reader visits a place and decides they don't want to lose it.</p><p></p><p><strong>Key Topics:</strong></p><ul><li>From Leg Injury to Book Commission (1:37)</li><li>84 Places for Everybody in Pennsylvania (3:49)</li><li>The Spreadsheet Behind the Book (11:19)</li><li>Tory’s Favorite Place in Pennsylvania (13:24)</li><li>Hiking for Yourself, Not for Your Feed (17:55)</li><li>Leave No Trace and Don't Skip the Poncho (21:52)</li><li>Data Centers, Elk, and What's Coming Next (24:26)</li><li>Getting People Outside and Getting Them to Care (26:33)</li></ul><br/><p></p><p><strong>Resources:</strong></p><ul><li>My Trails Are Many: <a href="https://mytrailsaremany.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://mytrailsaremany.com/</a></li><li>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/torytalkstrails/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/torytalkstrails/</a></li><li>TikTok: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@torytalkstrails?_t=8hxFM2sFpVu&_r=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.tiktok.com/@torytalkstrails?_t=8hxFM2sFpVu&_r=1</a></li><li>YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@torytalkstrails" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/@torytalkstrails</a></li></ul><br/><p></p><p>🎧 Listen to the Think Outside Podcast on <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0pUbbLFGpDKdTwLrw1BtS6?si=0d5d715914a2478f" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/think-outside-with-the-pennsylvania-parks/id1808055642" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Apple</a>, or <a href="https://pod.link/1808055642" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">your favorite app</a> while on the go! New episodes drop bi-weekly on Mondays, and you may occasionally find a bonus episode, as well!</p><p>The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation inspires stewardship of YOUR state parks and forests through volunteerism, education, recreation, and philanthropy.</p><p><a href="https://paparksandforests.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Learn more, find events, download outdoor resources, and get involved!</a></p><p>👉 <a href="https://ppff.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/ppff/subscribe.jsp" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter</a></p><p>🎥 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/PAParksAndForests" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Watch outdoor tips and stories on our YouTube channel</a></p><p>📸 <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ThinkOutsidePPFFPodcast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Follow the podcast on Instagram</a></p><p>🎶 <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/4Ucu1BrtjW0Q2EPLTvf5UR" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Podcast music provided by Evan Mongeau</a></p><p>📱 Follow PPFF on:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/pennsylvaniastateparksandforests/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a></li><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/paparksandforests" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Instagram</a></li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/pennsylvania-parks-and-forests-foundation/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/PAParksAndForests" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">YouTube</a></li><li><a href="https://www.meetup.com/ppff-events/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">MeetUp</a></li></ul><br/>
June 15, 2026
<p>“We're building a quilt. I call it a quilt of state forest land.”</p><p>Our host, Marci Mowery, chats with Rick Hartlieb, who is the district forester for the William Penn Forest District, covering nine counties across southeastern Pennsylvania. When he arrived in 2008, the district managed 902 acres. Today, that figure stands near 3,000, the result of patient land acquisition that Rick describes as building a "quilt" of public forest in one of the Commonwealth's most urbanized regions.</p><p>The district's existing holdings are ecologically distinct and historically layered.</p><p>Goat Hill Wild Plant Sanctuary, on the Mason-Dixon line in Chester County, protects a serpentine barren ecosystem with globally rare plants and lepidopterous insects found nowhere else.</p><p>Little Tinicum Island, Pennsylvania's only tidal state forest land, shifts between 80 and 200 acres with the tide, carrying history from its role as one of the Delaware River's earliest colonial ports, where ships staged offshore before passengers were permitted ashore, through a World War II dredging operation that reshaped its shoreline.</p><p>Newer acquisitions, such as the Wertz Tract, Gibraltar Hill, Buck Hollow, and Mullan Hollow along the Horseshoe Trail, continue expanding what the district can offer.</p><p>Sustaining these places requires year-round vigilance. Rick's team treats 220 ash trees across five sites on a three-year rotation, the only living ash remaining in the surrounding counties. Hemlock woolly adelgid, beech leaf disease, stiltgrass, and development pressure fill the rest of the calendar.</p><p>The Highlands Conservation Act has funded roughly half of the district's acquisitions. Volunteer groups, cycling clubs, and a friends organization at Goat Hill take care of much of the rest.</p><p>What animates Rick most is a legacy question. That is, how to set up forest land close enough for a King of Prussia resident to reach in thirty minutes, built to outlast any single manager who comes after.</p><p></p><p><strong>Key Topics:</strong></p><ul><li>Goat Hill Wild Plant Sanctuary and the Serpentine Barren (3:28)</li><li>Little Tinicum Island: Tides, History, and Big Ships (6:21)</li><li>The Wertz and Gibraltar Hill Tracts (10:12)</li><li>History in the Landscape: James Wilson and the Lenape (16:16)</li><li>Managing Invasive Species and Tree Disease (18:31)</li><li>Accessible Trails and the Upcoming Delmont Tract (23:49)</li><li>Community Partners, Volunteers, and the Green Gym (26:20)</li><li>The Future of the District (27:59)</li><li>What Rick Hopes Visitors Know About This Work (31:36)</li><li>Best Places to Visit in the William Penn Forest District (37:14)</li></ul><br/><p></p><p><strong>Resources:</strong></p><ul><li>William Penn Forest District: <a href="https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/recreation/where-to-go/state-forests/find-a-forest/william-penn" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/recreation/where-to-go/state-forests/find-a-forest/william-penn</a></li><li>William Penn State Forest Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WilliamPennSF" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/WilliamPennSF</a></li><li>Spanish Language Map: <a href="https://elibrary.dcnr.pa.gov/GetDocument?docId=3849450&DocName=FD17%20William%20Penn%20Public%20Use%20Recreation%20Guide%20Spanish%202021.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://elibrary.dcnr.pa.gov/GetDocument?docId=3849450&DocName=FD17%20William%20Penn%20Public%20Use%20Recreation%20Guide%20Spanish%202021.pdf</a></li><li>Friends of the State Line Serpentine Barrens: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/p/Friends-of-the-State-Line-Serpentine-Barrens-100064575826052/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/p/Friends-of-the-State-Line-Serpentine-Barrens-100064575826052/</a></li><li>View from the Hopewell Fire Tower: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8DiQYlVa1o" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8DiQYlVa1o</a></li></ul><br/><p></p><p>🎧 Listen to the Think Outside Podcast on <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0pUbbLFGpDKdTwLrw1BtS6?si=0d5d715914a2478f" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/think-outside-with-the-pennsylvania-parks/id1808055642" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Apple</a>, or <a href="https://pod.link/1808055642" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">your favorite app</a> while on the go! New episodes drop bi-weekly on Mondays, and you may occasionally find a bonus episode, as well!</p><p>The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation inspires stewardship of YOUR state parks and forests through volunteerism, education, recreation, and philanthropy.</p><p><a href="https://paparksandforests.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Learn more, find events, download outdoor resources, and get involved!</a></p><p>👉 <a href="https://ppff.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/ppff/subscribe.jsp" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter</a></p><p>🎥 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/PAParksAndForests" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Watch outdoor tips and stories on our YouTube channel</a></p><p>📸 <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ThinkOutsidePPFFPodcast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Follow the podcast on Instagram</a></p><p>🎶 <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/4Ucu1BrtjW0Q2EPLTvf5UR" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Podcast music provided by Evan Mongeau</a></p><p>📱 Follow PPFF on:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/pennsylvaniastateparksandforests/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a></li><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/paparksandforests" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Instagram</a></li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/pennsylvania-parks-and-forests-foundation/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/PAParksAndForests" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">YouTube</a></li><li><a href="https://www.meetup.com/ppff-events/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">MeetUp</a></li></ul><br/>
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Think Outside is your guide to outdoor opportunities, nature exploration, and wellness. Discover expert tips, inspiring stories, and new ways to connect with the great outdoors for a healthier, happier life.
More information: https://thinkoutsidepodcast.com/
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