By Jim Wylie, Southeastern Pennsylvania Group Conservation Chair, volunteer, and Lisa Anzalone, Southeastern Pennsylvania Group Chair, volunteer
What a great day. We celebrated 250 years of independence and engaged with workshop leaders on topics like public lands, landscaping to attract birds, protecting our streams from plastic pollution, fly fishing, nature journaling, and enjoying all things outdoors. And don't forget the Colonial Soldiers!
Recognizing Everyone That Contributed
Food Donations
Wegmans of King of Prussia - sandwiches and fruit tray donations
Brothers Pizza, Bradford Plaza Shopping Center, West Chester - hoagie tray
Sierra Club Southeastern PA Group - everything else
Plant Donations - West Chester Green Team
Workshop Leaders - volunteers and staff (more below)
Sierra Conservation Campaign’s America 250 Mini Grant Program
The Colonial Soldier Reenactors
Park Permit & Safety Check - The National Park Service and Park Rangers
Sierra Club volunteers - canopy and table setup/cleanup, food organization, photography and planning
And a big thanks to all of our participants. I counted 95 people who stopped at the Welcome Table. It was wonderful to talk with you all.
Messages from our Workshop Leaders
National Parks Conservation Association - Renee Reber with NPCA
NPCA would like to thank everyone who took time out of their day to Celebrate Our National Parks as NPS turns 110! Please visit NPCA’s Day of Action webpage and make sure to sign our petition asking President Trump and Secretary Bergum to protect our parks.
Renee Reber (she/her)
Acting Mid-Atlantic Regional Director
National Parks Conservation Association
C: 717-852-5253 | rreber@npca.org | npca.org
Colonial Soldier Reenactors - Michael Carver & Friends
If you are interested in hiring Michael (and his friends) for an event that you are hosting, learn more at Colonial Brewer.
Nature Journaling - Peggy Hartzell & WildWonder
Had a lot of people who really got excited about Nature Journaling, especially as something to do for daily relaxation and enjoyment of nature. One person happily got back into painting after not doing it for years, painting the Arch and the surrounding landscape. Many folks took an extra little zine to give to their children or grands. One person is planning to keep a nature journal now on an upcoming trip too.
The Wild Wonder Foundation has a great website with free resources. You can download a PDF of the zine here too.
Valley Forge Park Alliance
To keep up with events hosted by the VFPA, go to their Events page. You’ll see info on Trail Walks, the Speaker Series, and Mary Ellen leads Bird Walks on many Tuesday mornings.
Plastic Impacts on Our Streams - Faran Savits with PennEnvironment
Faran led a demonstration of how water samples are analyzed for microscopic plastic content.
Pennsylvanians join international effort tracking plastic pollution
Fly Fishing - Peter Hughes with Valley Forge Trout Unlimited
Peter and other volunteers demonstrated and offered some quick lessons (on dry land) about how to cast with fly fishing equipment and how to tie your own hooks.
Keep up with the Valley Forge chapter of Trout Unlimited.
Making Your Garden More Attractive To Birds - Mary Ellen (VFPA) + Chris Pulgiese (West Chester Green Team)
Thank you for stopping by the Birds workshop to talk about how you can make your gardens more inviting for birds to visit. Think less “landscaping” and more “birdscaping”.
Here’s a short interactive page that will help you assess and improve your garden:
Birdscaping Yard Assessment & Blueprint
Get Outdoors! - Delane Cachia & David Calloway with Sierra Club SPG Outings
Delane and David enjoyed talking with many people who are interested in attending and perhaps leading hikes, bikes, and paddles with the Sierra Club in the greater Philadelphia area.
Learn more about local Sierra Club Outings.
Thanks again for joining what is looking like an annual event with the Sierra Club and our friends in Valley Forge. For more photos, see our slideshow.
Learn more about the local Sierra Club teams (conservation, political endorsements, and outings) at our online Tabling Info page. Want to do more? Volunteer!
And if you are not already a member, please join Sierra Club. It’s only $25/yr to help support volunteers and staff who work on initiatives like this one.
See you soon!
This blog was included as part of the September 2026 Sylvanian newsletter. Please click here to check out more articles from this edition!