Join us on June 2nd for a guided hike through the recently protected Tuckahoe Conservation Acquisition! Co-led by our Board President Anna Yelk and Messiah University's Dr. David Foster, this 4-mile afternoon hike will take participants past vernal pools and blooming mountain laurel. During the hike, we will discuss rare plant and tree populations found on the property and share information about the edible and medicinal uses of plants. In 2024, the 904-acre tract property was acquired and protected by Central Pennsylvania Conservancy with major support from PA DCNR, Cumberland County, York County, and private donors. It will be transferred to DCNR's Bureau of Forestry in Michaux State Forest this year for long-term management public access. The property includes the headwaters of Dogwood Run, provides critical habitat for wildlife such as forest interior dwelling bird species, amphibians and reptiles, provides migratory corridors for many native species, and provides a core conserved forested area within South Mountain. About our Co-Lead: Dr. David Foster "My life-long interests focus on understanding the world around us and human interfaces with that environment; particularly how we can improve those relationships. Explorations in this pursuit have led me all over the world, into a variety of research projects, and to a great appreciation for the role of indigenous peoples’ ecological knowledge. It has also led me to pursue work in aquaponics and use of plant biostimulants derived from processing biowaste with earthworms." Learn more about Dr. David Foster here. About our Co-Lead: Anna Yelk Anna Yelk is Central Pennsylvania Conservancy's Board President. She retired from Central Pennsylvania Conservancy where she was Executive Director from 2012 - 2022. She served as a development consultant for the Harrisburg, PA-based, Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC)/Enterprising Environmental Solutions, Inc. (EESI) from 2005 to 2008. Anna holds an M.A. from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA), Economic and Social Development, and a certificate in the Management of Nonprofit Organizations (1998). She received her B.A. from the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University (1995).
