Thanks for Running with Us!

Thanks to our runners, sponsors, volunteers, and our partner, Community Health Council of Lebanon County, who helped make the 2022 Tower to Town race a success! Proceeds benefit the John E. Wengert Memorial Park. Congratulations to our first-place winners, Daryl Good and Charlene Smith!

Results: Pretzel City Sports More pictures: Facebook

Thanks to our presenting sponsor:

New Conservation Easement in UnionTownship: Minnich Farm

On September 28, the Lebanon Valley Conservancy (TLVC) preserved a 16-acre farm in Union Township, owned by Albert Minnich. The farm, located next to Swatara State Park and a large campground, has been in Albert's family for 100 years. The property has a mature wooded area that provides a home for wildlife like deer and owls. Conserving this property allows for a continuation of lands for recreation, open space, wildlife, and scenic views. 

Albert's farm is important for conservation as it falls within the Kittatinny Ridge. According to Pennsylvania Audobon, the Kittatinny Ridge (also known as the Blue Mountain) winds 185 miles through eastern and central Pennsylvania, to the Maryland line. The Kittatinny Ridge is a Globally Important Bird Area for many species of songbirds, raptors and migratory birds, as well as a vital part of the migratory path for ruby-throated hummingbirds and monarch butterflies. It also provides important forest habitat for mammals, reptiles and amphibians. Rivers and streams throughout the area supply water for people who live and work in the region. 

Albert has many fond memories of living on the farm. He recalls when the area was mostly undeveloped, and he and his friends would walk over the mountain to spend the day at Boxcar Rocks.

Over the last few years, Albert saw the continued development in Union Township and wanted to make sure his family farm would remain undeveloped into the future. As a land trust, TLVC was able to protect this land and provide him with peace of mind that the land would be preserved.

Preserved Properties – TLVC

Board Member Charles (Chuck) Wertz used his genealogical skills to discover that his great-great uncle, Richard Walters, and great-great aunt, Lydia Christina Felty, sold the property to Mr. Minnich’s grandparents, Monroe and Mamie Minnich, on April 13,1926. The farm was originally part of a larger 170-acre farm owned by the Felty family.



Read more about the history here

The Science & Art of Trees

- Jon Schach, TLVC Board President

Trees are my passion. I’ve worked as a commercial arborist for over 25 years. Arboriculture is the practical science of trees and the art of caring for and managing them. Dr. Alex Shigo is considered the godfather of modern arboriculture. In his book, A New Tree Biology, he writes, “Science is knowing. Art is doing…Helping trees is art as well as science. Art is doing the many tasks that are necessary to help trees grow and to help trees when they are in trouble."

The Eastern Deciduous Forest is the dominant ecosystem of the Lebanon Valley. Around here, when land is left undisturbed, trees tend to grow on it. We are rich in trees on our natural lands and also in the developed places where we live and work, often referred to as the urban forest. When we are outside, there is a strong chance trees are in our field of view. But for their ubiquity, many of us are not acquainted with them, we don’t know them by name. Just so much scenery and a reminder of the changing seasons.

An important part of my practice as an arborist focuses on sharing the story of trees with others. Some of my most gratifying work has been to introduce people to the trees around us. When you begin to tease out patterns, shapes, and other morphological distinctions, trees are no longer a blur of wood, sticks, and leaves. They are the slender spearmint-scented twigs of Black Birch, they are the stiff louvered strap-like bark Shagbark hickory adapted to protect the species from wildfires, they are the closed C leaf sinus of Scarlet oak, or the open U sinus of Pin oak. When we know trees by their name and where they grow, we are more likely to advocate for them and the ground where they are rooted.

Save the Date for Extra Give: Nov 18

Please save the date to support the Lebanon Valley Conservancy during Extra Give on November 18! Visit/Bookmark Our Extra Give Page

Tree-Themed Book List

It's finally starting to feel like fall -- what a great time to curl up on the couch with a book! Below is a list of tree-themed books from our executive director, Kara. Consider adding one of these selections to your reading list for this fall or winter! 



Non-Fiction Books

•The Nature of Oaks: The Rich Ecology of Our Most Essential Native Trees by Douglas W. Tallamy

•The Treeline: The Last Forest and the Future of Life on Earth by Ben Rawlence

•Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest by Suzanne Simard

Fiction Selections

•The Overstory: A Novel by Richard Powers



Tree Identification Resources

•Field Guide to Trees: Eastern Region/ North America by the National Audubon Society 

•The Tree Finder: A Manual for the Identification of Trees by Their Leaves by May Theilgaard Watts

We're grateful for the response of donations, memberships, volunteers and sponsors! Your support makes it possible for us to work with landowners to save their land from development and to give back to our community by developing parks and providing educational opportunities. 

Are you a member? Consider joining us and helping with our mission in the Lebanon Valley. Individual memberships are $100, business memberships start at $1,000, and student memberships are FREE! View our membership brochure.

Thanks to Our Newest Members and Renewing Members

for Caring about Our Local Environment!

 Howard and Louise Bixler | Larry & Brenda Bowman

Keith & Barbara Kuhlengel | Lynn and Diane Wenger

Business Sponsors: Jonestown Bank & Trust

South Londonderry Township

Thanks to Our Tower to Town Volunteers!

Lebanon Fire Police, Mt. Gretna Fire Police, Chuck Wertz, Laurie Crawford, Marissa Kovach, Rachel Strauser, Matt Lubold, Vicki Anderson, Kate Lobely, Missy Kunder, Laurie Clement, Bill Clement, Carolyn Wakefield, Conville Family, Molly Stager, Michelle Bote, Marcy Diem, Jessica Kosoff, Carol Hickey, Jon Schach, Ron Birch, Rob Smith, Gray Family, Dan Bost

News Links

• Pennsylvania creates three new state parks in Chesapeake watershed: www.bayjournal.com

• Remarkable Trees of Pennsylvania:: PECPA

• Trestle bridge hike delivers grand views of the Susquehanna River: www.bayjournal.com

• Everything You Need to Know About Clover Lawns: Treehugger.com

• 50+ Insanely Beautiful Places to View Fall Foliage in PA: Uncovering PA

• Amazon Sees Record High Deforestation in First Half of 2022: Yale Environment 360

Activities & Resources

• Oct 22 & 23: Civil War Living History Event - Detachment, US Engineers by Cornwall Iron Furnace

• Oct 22, 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm: Fall on the Farm by Historic Schaefferstown, Inc.

• Fall 2022: Additional State Forest Roads Opening Across the State for Hunting Seasons, Other Outdoor Activities by DCNR

• Local group focused on the natural beauty and enjoyment of Governor Dick: Friends of Governor Dick

• Check the PA Environmental Council Bill Tracker for status on PA conservation efforts

• Enjoy the fall weather and the great outdoors! Additional info at Visit Lebanon Valley and follow our Facebook page for ideas/videos. Visit the park's website prior to venturing out for up-to-date visitor information/guidelines.

October 2022 | www.TLVC.org | 717.273.6400 | DONATE

The Lebanon Valley Conservancy works to protect the cultural, historical and environmental resources

of our region. We are committed to collaborating with our community to ensure equitable access

to all of these resources for the benefit of present and future generations.