As part of this project, numerous educational outreach programs were held – THESE focused on... July 18, 2001 – Ed Perry’s research for the US Fish and Wildlife Service about disturbed habitat and its effect on various species was presented by Mark Henry. July 28, 2001 – PNPS members met at Pine Swamp, recently designated as a Plant Sanctuary by Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and learned to identify sedges and grasses from Joe Isaac. A complete list of plants found at this Natural Heritage Site compiled by grad students Dan Laughlin and Joel MacNeal was supplied to Amy Griffith, District Forester of the Bald Eagle State Forest. (View program photos) August 11, 2001 – Panther Run is one of the most remarkable streams in the UPC watershed. We met with Brian Auman of Landstudies who discussed stream hydrology and the importance of the clear cold water that Panther Run contributes to Penns Creek. Later we drove to the section of the Mid-State Trail which runs along the stream, found its headwaters, and traced it for miles as it traveled through the Bald Eagle State Forest and grew wider. This undisturbed section of the forest provides excellent habitat and high quality water. August 22, 2001 - James McGonigle Jr., Director of Education of the Stroud Water Research Center, presented a slide program to help us understand the need for native vegetation along streams and rivers and the vital connection between healthy streamside and riparian communities and healthy in-stream ecosystems. Bern Sweeney, President of the Stroud Center, recently received the National Award for Excellence for Conservation; click here to view a report of Sweeney's talk at the 2003 Millersville Native Plants in the Landscape conference. August 25, 2001 – Steve Grund, botanist for the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, led a field trip during which we learned how field botanists work, how they gather information and record it, and how the Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory works. October 24, 2001 – Sarah Miller of the Cooperative Wetlands Center at Penn State University taught a "Sedge, Grass and Rush Identification Workshop" in order to help us prepare for our next set of field inventories. We used microscopes to identify sedges and learned to use field guides and reference books to positively identify plant samples. Click here to view Miller's PowerPoint presentation illustrating the correlation between FQAI and water quality at the Upper Penns Creek survey sites. (Program photos) December 4, 2001 – Ann Rhoads, Ph.D., Senior Botanist of the Morris Arboretum, co-author of "The Plants of Pennsylvania", and director of the Pennsylvania Flora Project presented her slide program entitled "Rare Plants and Plant Communities of Pennsylvania" and consulted with our group about the direction of our continuing Growing Greener project. Click here to read Daniel Laughlin's article, which appeared in the First Quarter 2002 issue of PNPS Notes, about Rhoad's presentation. (Program photos) January 23, 2002 – Jean Fike of the Pennsylvania DCNR’s Bureau of Forestry, author of Terrestrial and Palustrine Plant Communities of Pennsylvania presented her slide program on plant communities. Jean also provided information about NatureServe, the international network of Natural Heritage Programs. (Program photos) July 20, 2002 – We visited Ernst Conservation Seeds in Meadville PA., the largest supplier of native grass seed and reclamation seed mixtures in the east and were given a tour by Calvin Ernst which included visiting local natural riparian areas as well as restoration work in progress. (Program photos) September 28, 2002 – Jim MacKenzie of Octoraro Native Plant Nursery showed us the working of his wholesale nursery which specializes in Wetland Restoration, Reforestation, Bioengineering, Natural Landscapes and Erosion Control products. We also visited and were impressed by a nearby stream restoration project which was funded by another Growing Greener Grant.