Remembering One of PVCA’s Founding Members –
Ed Bellis | 1927 – 2021

Friends –

We have sad news. One of our founding members of PVCA, Ed Bellis, passed away this past Monday. As an organization, we stand on Ed’s shoulders and are thankful for all he has done for, and within, Penns Valley. We invite you to read his full obituary from the April 7th edition of the Centre Daily Times, at https://legcy.co/3fSUq18.

An excerpt relating to PVCA is included here:

“. . . As one of the founding members of the Penns Valley Conservation Association, Ed discovered an endangered species of sedge along Elk Creek in 1994; subsequent finds on Elk and Pine Creeks were the key to honor these tributaries of Penns Creek with Exceptional Value status, hence protection of the watershed from local pollution threats. . . . Memorial contributions may be made to the Penns Valley Conservation Association, https://pennsvalley.net/pvca-donation/ or to PA Trout Unlimited, patrout.org/index.php/donate/.”

Thank you!

---

Annual Streambank Clean Up
Coburn Park
Saturday, April 24

Click here to learn more about this event and register via Eventbrite

Riversongs: A PopUp Summer Music Festival
Elk Creekside at the Millheim Fire Hall Fairgrounds
Saturday, July 17 | 3:00 – 7:00PM

Learn more here!

Spring Membership Meeting
Zoom Webinar
Thursday, March 26 | 7:00 – 8:30PM

Recording now available on our YouTube page

What is PVCA ?

The Penns Valley Conservation Association seeks to foster an engaged community that preserves our rural way of life while protecting our natural environment.  PVCA’s Mission is to serve as a steward for the natural and cultural communities in the Upper Penns Creek watershed, seeking to preserve and honor the agricultural roots of Penns Valley by protecting and conserving its waters, farmlands, forests and rural heritage. PVCA is a 230 household member organization.  We envision an engaged community, where growth is balanced with support for healthy natural systems that foster the local economy. Our valley has dark night skies, clear streams, healthy forests, prosperous farms, and local jobs.

What Next?

If you are interested in PVCA news – here and now – see our Facebook page.

For more in-depth information about our environment, our community, and our organization, continue browsing.

Navigating the PVCA Web site

The web site has three levels, navigated through the Organization and Return menu items:

• Welcome Center – the level you are on, provides highlights and an overview of PVCA function, activities, and results.
• Front Office provides details of our projects and activities.
• Back Office provides working materials and functions for PVCA members responsible for specific areas of activity. Access to this level is restricted.

See Site Map for a structured view of the site with links to areas. It serves as a Quick-Start Guide and a road map of the site’s overall structure.

Or, continue browsing by scrolling down or following the menus, above.

Riversongs: A PopUp Summer Music Festival
Elk Creekside at the Millheim Fire Hall Fairgrounds
Saturday, July 17 | 3:00 – 7:00PM

Outdoors and socially distanced!

Great Music ~ Local Food ~ Beer & Spirits Raffle Drawing ~ 50/50 Raffle ~

Door Prizes Watch for details in the e-blast, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Proceeds benefit the PVCA Education programs in PV schools.

Bike the Watershed
A Self-Guided Tour of a Few of
PVCA’s Watershed Projects

Bring your bike and tour several of PVCA’s Riparian Buffers and witness what impact they are having on the wildlife, the land, and the water quality. Map and information about each site are available below in both Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format.

On this tour, you will see several sites including:

• Manicured to Managed: See how Willow Springs Farm is creating space for native trees and meadow plants.
• Planting for Healing: See the Elder Grove planted by herbalist Sarah DePasquale and the rows of native medicinals and berries.
• Keep the Cows Out: See the stream bank fencing along Pine Creek’s tributaries at four farms along the route.
• Thousands of Trees: PVCA has created a young forest at Cemetery Road. See the colorful flags denoting alders and locusts that have turned this open field into a songbird haven.

Microsoft Word version
Adobe PDF version

You can view and download the GPX file of the route here on Gaia.

To use this folder in Gaia GPS:

1. Open the link above on your computer.
2. Make sure you are logged in, and click “Add to My Folders” in the top left corner of the folder page.
3. Open Gaia GPS on your mobile device, and the folder will sync to your app if you are logged in.
4. If the folder contains any large Map downloads, you should “Resume Download” for the Maps. To do that, select the new Folder from your Folder list in the app, then select Resume Download for Maps listed in the folder.

You can also view and download the GPX file of the route here on Strava.

** Special thanks to Kat Alden and Bill Torretti for biking/mapping the route for us!

PVCA News

• The next monthly PVCA Board Meeting will held Thursday, November 12th beginning at 6:30pm.
  Due to the nature of the COVID-19 outbreak, this meeting will be held with each member attending remotely via the Zoom platform.

PVCA Calendar

Previous Events

The PVCA Newsletter began in 2005. Published seasonally, it has appeared from two to four times a year.

The current Newsletter is displayed here. Issues back to 2016 are available, below. Other PVCA publications are available through the PVCA Community Outreach Committee, which may be accessed through the Organization: Detailed menu,  above.

Previous Newsletters

2020 – Fall/Winter

2020 – Spring/Summer

2019

2018

2017

2016