Partnership Welcome & Update |
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The South Mountain Partnership works best as a network of people and organizations working toward common goals.
Our common goal? Making the future of our region better.
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What's in this Newsletter
SMP News
- Annual "Power of the Partnership" Celebration
- Climate Action Series
- Update Your Contact Information
Social Media & Partner News Roundup
- Top Social Media Posts
- CLUS Has a New Home
- The Great Outdoors Essay
Trainings, Workshops & Learning Opportunities
- Forest-Climate Working Group Series
- Calendar of Events
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Greetings!
As 2020 ends, I am struck by the critical needs - safe outdoor recreation, a stable and nutritious local food system, clean drinking water, and a steadfast, familiar sense of place and personal identity - that this landscape, our home, provided to us during this year of social and political upheaval. May we never take this landscape for granted, or those organizations and individuals stewarding our land and resources.
While the South Mountain Partnership, members, and partners were not immune to the unprecedented challenges of the year, we are thankful for so much—from launching the Dillsburg Community Heart & Soul® revitalization project with the Pennsylvania Humanities Council, celebrating the 50th Earth Day, debuting the Friends of the South Mountain Partnership with The Foundation for Enhancing Communities, to facilitating the Climate Action Series. The Partnership’s commitment to healthy, resilient landscape resources and communities across Adams, Cumberland, Franklin, and York counties has only been strengthened in these times. These accomplishments, advanced by over thirty-five local committee members, Partners, and Friends have laid the foundation for even more success in the year ahead. Ending the year with gratitude, I hope that you join me in optimism and joy as we look forward.
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As you give thanks this holiday season and wrap up your holiday shopping, please consider supporting the South Mountain Partnership through a donation to our Friends group. The Friends of South Mountain Partnership allows us to accept federally tax deductible donations, initiate a corporate sponsorship program, and fund administrative support for our trademark annual events like the Spring Partnership Meeting, Fall Partnership Meeting, Annual “Power of the Partnership” Celebration, and other events like the Speakers Series and workshops. You can buy yourself a membership or give one as a gift. Learn more here.
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SOUTH MOUNTAIN PARTNERSHIP NEWS |
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Save the Date: Annual "Power of the Partnership" Celebration Coming Soon! |
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January 29, 2021
8:30 am - 10:00 am
Virtual Celebration
Each year, the South Mountain Partnership hosts its Annual “Power of the Partnership” Celebration, with more than 100 people in attendance. At each event, partnership accomplishments from the past year are highlighted, the Mini-Grant Awards are presented, the Spirit of South Mountain awardee is unveiled, and planned work and events for the coming year are reviewed. The location of the Celebration typically rotates among the different counties in the South Mountain region. However, this year, given the pandemic, we will be celebrating virtually. While we won't be able to meet each other face-to-face, there will still be the opportunity to celebrate our successes and look forward to an exciting year ahead. We hope you will be able to join us!
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Communities in the Cumberland Valley and southcentral Pennsylvania: Learn about climate action already happening and how you can take action in your community. What is already being done about the changing climate, how can climate actions be expanded and accelerated, and how can you get involved?
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Update Your SMP Contact Information |
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To better serve you and the programs of the South Mountain Partnership and the Friends of South Mountain Partnership, we are updating our contact information, which now includes the general locations and interests of our partners.
All information will be kept confidential and within our database alone - it will not be shared with anyone else. As always, you will still be able to unsubscribe to our emails and e-newsletter at any time. Thanks for your help!
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Social Media & Partner News Roundup |
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Most Popular Social Media Posts |
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The following are some of the most recent popular posts from our Facebook page,
followed by partner-submitted news we thought you might find useful.
Follow us for the latest news, upcoming events, and more!
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Center for Land Use & Sustainability at Shippensburg University Has a New Home! |
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Did you know that Shippensburg University (SU) is opening the SU Centers for Excellence on 29 East King Street in downtown Shippensburg? This location will be the new home for the Center for Land Use and Sustainability (CLUS). They will keep their Rowland Hall Office (Rooms 201 & 203) campus location for student workers.
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Starting in the Spring 2021, you will be able to formally tour the new space and learn what CLUS has to offer to the community, but in the meantime, you can stop by for a visit on any Tuesday, using the Martin Avenue entrance.
In addition, with the completion of their 2020-2025 Strategic Plan, everyone at CLUS is thrilled to unveil a new logo and color scheme, which they will use to celebrate their past successes and look toward the future. Learn more here.
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The Great Outdoors Is Yours Essay: A Motivational Prescription to Enjoy a Healthy Lifestyle |
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As a 20 year resident of Franklin County, a high school graduate from a small northwest PA town, and former small college athlete in central Pennsylvania, and now a 'semi-retired' Health & Physical Education teacher, I have a "perspective" to share about walking, jogging, and hiking the great outdoor paths and trails of south central Pennsylvania. Given the many trail locations and access points to any number of 'park and walk' sites, I boldly recommend our residents and guests, of all ages, get their daily walks for any and all of the following reasons:
- View God's natural wonder and handiwork in living color in all seasons.
- Safely enjoy the #1 doctor's recommended good health practice.
- Take a stand to combat the COVID-19 threat to your health.
- Share some social time with healthy, like-minded friends and family.
- Be a role model for our neighborhoods and communities - share the path.
Sometimes the biggest stumbling block we face when engaging in healthy physical activity is complacency. We've developed daily schedules and routines into habitual practice, day in and day out. Research points out that half the time we simply function on auto-pilot without so much as giving a thought to doing something different. So to insert something different into your daily routine you must overcome that complacency. When you conquer complacent thinking with any new behavior you stimulate dormant energy levels and find sometimes it's easier to act your way into a new way of thinking than think your way into a new way of acting. Just grab a friend, or pet, and go. More people are successfully engaging healthy lifestyles by claiming 'the great outdoors' as theirs, and combining good intentions with deliberate actions. Will you get outdoors today?!
This essay was submitted by Jake Jacobs, an adjunct professor at Penn State Mont Alto and McDaniel College in Westminster, MD.
Do you have a story or essay you would like to share with everyone in the South Mountain Partnership? If so, please send a brief summary of your idea to Katie Hess at khess@appalachiantrail.org and you might just see your story in an upcoming e-newsletter and/or our website!
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SHARE YOUR NEWS AND EVENTS WITH THE SOUTH MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY! |
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Share with the region through the Around South Mountain e-newsletter and the SMP website.
Send us your free events, trainings, work days, celebrations, challenges, and other updates. Type "For Newsletter" in the subject line of your email. Include your event date, time, location, title, and short description. We will include on our website calendar.
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Trainings, Workshops & Learning Opportunities |
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Due to the COVID-19 and recommendations from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), please visit individual partner organization's websites to confirm event details prior to the event. Stay healthy! |
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Forest-Climate Working Group Learning Exchange Series |
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The Forest Carbon and Climate Program (FCCP) is partnering with the Forest-Climate Working Group (FCWG) to offer a curated Learning Exchange Series on forest carbon and climate issues to group members and the public.
The FCWG represents a diverse group of forest interests including landowners, industry, conservationists, academia and carbon market interests and has worked together for more than eight years to leverage the full potential of U.S. forests and forest products to provide climate change solutions. This group seeks to engage their members in learning experiences to grow internal knowledge and capacity in the group, bring into new ideas and expertise, and inform current and upcoming discussions on policy and strategy around the topic of forest carbon management. Each webinar is free and runs from 3-4 pm.
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January 6
Forest-Climate Working Group (FCWG) Learning Exchange Series: Regional Scale Forest Product Markets and Effects on Forest Carbon Sequestration
The forest industry, from the procurement of fibers to the manufacturing and utilization of final products, has a major role in forest carbon dynamics. We examine the full set of carbon dynamics associated with forest product markets and discuss an ongoing assessment of carbon pools within procurement landscapes of the expanding US wood pellet industry. Learn more here.
January 13
Planning Project Grant Webinar
Join the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office to learn more about the Keystone Historic Preservation Grant program that supports projects that identify, preserve, promote, and protect historic properties and revitalize communities.Topics include: eligible activities including land use and community planning and development documents and National Register nominations and program requirements. More info here.
January 21
Construction Project Grant Webinar
Join the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office to learn more about the Keystone Historic Preservation Grant program that supports projects that identify, preserve, promote, and protect historic properties and revitalize communities. Topics include: eligible activities, requirements, and more. More info here.
January 29
Annual "Power of the Partnership" Celebration
Join us for the 10th annual celebration of the Partnership's accomplishments and to preview what's to come in 2021. Learn more about the Partnership and our work, find out how you can get involved, and meet a diverse group of people and organizations that are making a difference. More info here.
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