The annual maple sugaring program at the Kinter Farm is one of the most popular programs in the Friends of the Parks series. Here Andy Kinter leads the group in a tour of the sugar bush. Andy's dad, Alan, has tapped sugar maple trees here since 1962, a family tradition that the Kinters generously share with us each spring.
This photo comes to us from the website of the Indiana County Center for Economic Operations. Our parks and trails are often touted as contributing to Indiana County's quality of life, an important factor in recruiting and keeping businesses to our area.
The large leaves of the skunk cabbage appear after the plant has bloomed in early spring. At the Blacklick Valley Natural Area, where this photo was taken, several large wetland areas are filled with skunk cabbage leaves by the middle of April. Skunk cabbage is a long-lived plant, some of the roots of skunk cabbage have been recorded to live as long as 200 years.