Come meet with Central Pennsylvania Conservancy staff on South Mountain for a moderately-paced, 2.5-mile loop hike this Saturday at 10 am! Learn how public and private organizations work together to preserve local land, and explore some trails and protected lands symbolic of these important partnerships. The loop will take hikers across a CPC-protected trail, paths on state game lands, and a brief stint on the Appalachian Trail. Attendees are encouraged to wear orange or bright colors. The trailhead is located near the Diakon Wilderness Greenhouse on Little Dogwood Run, at the following coordinates: 40.12070855987833, -77.11992567977734 About Cameron Weiser: Cameron Weiser is the Central Pennsylvania Conservancy’s Land Protection Director, and works with the organization’s Land Protection Committee to develop new project, set project priorities, and secure project funding. Over the last four years in his role, Cameron has worked with public and private partners to organize and navigate complex real estate transactions and establish new protected lands for conservation and recreation across central PA. CPC and Diakon Wilderness Easement: The Diakon Youth Services Wilderness Center sits on a 169-acre wooded property, surrounded by PA State Game Lands 305 on three sides and the Appalachian Trail Corridor on its eastern boundary. Little Dogwood Run, a tributary of Conodoguinet Creek, runs through the property. Children navigate a high ropes course, balancing on wooden beams and a suspended canoe, surrounded by trees and blue skies. 140 acres of the Diakon property is forested, offering an undisturbed view of woodland from the adjacent Appalachian Trail and Center Point Knob, a short distance away. The remaining area is the Diakon campus. The mission of the Diakon Wilderness Center is “Nurturing change and growth in youths, families, and communities.” With that mission in mind, the Diakon Wilderness Center facilitates programs that enrich young peoples’ lives including the Center Point Day Program, Wilderness Greenhouse and Native Plant Nursery, and Youthful Offenders Program. The latter program gives students a chance to engage in alternative and outdoor education, connecting them to positive experiences that encourage self-growth. The Greenhouse and Native Plant Nursery offer a variety of forbs, shrubs, and trees native to Pennsylvania. Diakon’s dedicated staff guide students in the care of the nursery stock which are sold seasonally. While the Diakon property is generally not open to the public, each year Diakon hosts an Outdoor Adventure Challenge, a 5km trail run. The Wilderness Greenhouse and Native Plant Nursery also have seasonal public open hours. The conservation easement held by CPC includes a trail easement that provides a section of public access that connects State Game Lands 305 and the Appalachian Trail.
