Perhaps the best fair in all of Western PA is the Somerset Historical Society's Mountain Craft Days, which finished up yesterday, under the threat of looming rain clouds. Fortunately, we didn't need to break out the umbrellas this year (nor did I break out the camera - I forgot it, sadly).
It's set on the SHS's ground outside of the town, and is more or less a showcase of the cream of local artisans selling their wares, combined with demonstrations of how people lived in the 18th Century Appalachians - they have replicas of cabins, cooking & laundry methods, musicians playing period pieces, etc. This year they even had a barn raising, which was fascinating to watch, believe it or not. The food is awesome. Stands serve lots of local German treats, Maple everything and of course, apple cider.
Among the artisan's stands, a relatively new organization called Elk Ridge NatureWorks had a nice little set up, selling native plants to the area and offering literature on biodiversity, invasive species and conservation tips. They even had a few samples of bee and bat boxes for use in one's yard.
I took a card and have been browsing their website this morning. They offer "ecotours" of the area, basically informative get aways and hikes, which sound like fun:
Natural history and local lore is the emphasis during these ecotours that involve hiking, snowshoeing or cross-country skiing. You provide your own recreational equipment. If you need to rent, we'll assist you in locating an outfitter. Groups are limited to 6 participants so that we can move softly through forest and stream. This increases the likelihood of seeing and hearing more wildlife, and minimizes any negative impacts to the environment.
In a sense, it's a bit out of place in this area. I'm not saying that no one cares about the environment up here, but there are certainly less of us who are serious about conservation; most of the outdoorsy stuff is hunting/sporting based in the area, which can be invasive at times.
I think this sort of business can be a huge success if it's marketed to people in the cities, professionals or academics that want to get away and have some peace while actually learning about the areas in which they recreate or keeping their kids busy playing with bugs and crawfish, the way it's supposed to be.
This is just one change I've seen in Western PA/MD recently. I got our alumni mag the other day. The front cover was consumed by a pic of the earth in a giant pair of human hands, with "Caring for the Earth" emblazoned above it. Our new pres is supposedly stepping up environmentally friendly measures at the university, and promoting FSU as a green school.
Now this might be incredibly egotistical of me, but I wrote a column last fall about how FSU, with its declining enrollment and relative obscurity, could be a sort of leader in on campus conservation, in method and education. The Sierra Student Coalition on campus apparently hung the article in their office and went right after some of the suggestions I had made in the piece (most of which were already on their to do list) - turning off the auto flush toilets, cutting light use, converting the mown grounds to wildlife habitat, etc. Last spring, the new pres signed a pledge to reduce FSU's emissions, and this fall he's in the mag discussing his plans for a green university. I might be totally off base here, but could it be that someone listened to me?
Regardless, props to Elk Ridge and FSU's new pres! This is exactly what we need in this area; more education and more opportunities. I hope they can set an example for other rural areas that have so much to cherish and preserve.
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