Vince Verbeke

The Conservancy would like to send a huge THANK YOU to all the volunteers who came to help on Mt. Nittany during the annual Day of Caring.

Over 20 total volunteers from the following companies donated their time and efforts on the 3rd.

• Keller Williams Advantage
• Wells Fargo
• Columbia Gas
• HRG, Inc.
• Earth and Mineral Science (EMS) PSU
• Ohio Logistics

Work accomplished included:

• Multiple trail widening efforts were accomplished
• Many leaners removed on total trail system
• 10 big waterbars and a bench installed on Blue between 1 and 10

Columbia Gas

Earth and Mineral Science (EMS) PSU & Keller Williams Advantage

HRG, Inc.

Keller Williams Advantage

Keller Williams Advantage

Hans Huber from Keller Williams Advantage

Volunteers from the Alpha Phi Omega Co Ed Service Fraternity and the Gamma Sigma Sigma Service Sorority came to help on the Mountain.

Work accomplished included:

• Cleared 2 big leaner’s on Blue Trail between Stations 1 and 10.
• Installed 3 water bars in same area.
• Widened some of White trail between Stations 10 and 2.

Alpha Phi Omega Co Ed Service Fraternity

Gamma Sigma Sigma Service Sorority

Huge Shout-Out to the Young Professionals of State College for there work on the Mountain. It was a hot, muggy last day of June for a work party. But as you can see below, team work was the order of the day.

State College Young Professionals volunteer on the Mountain June 30, 2013

This is what was accomplished:

• Removed three downed trees obstructing the White trail from Station #2 to Station #10.
• Repositioned a large log that had broken loose at the Lynch Overlook and put rock stoppers in front of it and 3 other big logs that needed reinforcement.
• Replaced 10-12 water bars that had washed out or deteriorated due to heavy rains.

If you see or know a member of the group, please extend another Thank You to them for us!

State College Young Professions were a strong and effective group.

A work party led by Bob Andronici took AccuWeather volunteers on a trail widening project between Stations 6, 7 and 8 on the back side of the Mountain.

The AccuWeather group joined us in our ongoing efforts to maintain trails on the Mountain in part to honor the memory of their late friend and co-worker Ken Reeves. Ken was a Past President and Director Emeritus of the Mount Nittany Conservancy board.

Left to Right: Lee Ann Candor, Jim Candor, Bob Larson, Bernie Rayno, Steve Smith

MNC Board member Bob Andronici explaining the work plan

Bob and Lee Ann were glad for the warm November day.

Bernie and Steve clearing brush away from the overgrown trail.

Jim and Lee Ann working hard.

Bob had to break out the bow saw for this small oak.

Steve using “More Power”.

Left to Right: Bob Larson, Jim Candor, and Lee Ann Candor.

Left to Right: Bernie Rayno and Steve Smith.

Lion Ambassadors and the Paws Of Friendship worked on our trails this past Sunday, November 4, 2012. Led by MNC board members Bob Andronici and Vince Verbeke, the day’s objective was to travel the entire length of the Blue Trail loop (4.8 miles) and the White Trail loop (3.7 miles) and remove any downed trees across trails or other “widow maker” trees that were leaning dangerously over the trails. Aided by Blake Gall who cleared the far end of the Blue Trail, the groups were able to remove over 30 trees from the trails.

The “Blue Team” led by Bob who went up the Blue Trail from Station 1 to Station 10 and then came back along the front side of Mt. Nittany from Station 10 to Station 11 and then to Station 2 had the most work to accomplish. This was where Sandy’s winds did the most damage.

A BIG THANK YOU to both groups for coming to volunteer!

November 4 Work Crew.

Paws Of Friendship.

Lion Ambassadors.

The “Blue Team” led by Bob Andronici.

L’ambs Stopped to Water and Apply Fertilizer to Lynch Plantings.

L’ambs Stopped to Water and Apply Fertilizer to Lynch Plantings.

Over the past year the Mount Nittany Conservancy has been working , along with a number of volunteer groups, to control erosion at the Mike Lynch Overlook. To recap:

• Lynch Erosion – Sept 16, 2011
• Lion Ambassadors closes trail, starts new stepping system and creates new access trail
• Penn State Wrestling Team installed last of the stepping system

Over the past few weeks, in a bit of whirlwind, input was sought and received on replanting the closed portion of trail at the Overlook while we could still put plants in the ground this Fall. Success was achieved this past weekend as native shrubs were established. The Conservancy would like to thank:

Jim Sellmer, Penn State Assistant Professor of Ornamental Horticulture. Jim provided us with a list of native shrubs and herbaceous species that could be used on Mt. Nittany. He also gave us the name of the Octoraro Native Plant Nursery as a good source for small container plants.

Jim MacKenzie from the Octoraro Native Plant Nursery of Kirkwood, PA. Once we contacted Jim, he was happy to work with us. In his email he said, “As proud and loyal Penn Stater’s my partner and I are willing to donate the woody plants for this project.” Since they also had a truck coming to the area last week, an order could be shipped and planted this Fall. Jim also gave us the name of the North Creek Nurseries, Inc. for the herbaceous species that we wanted to establish.

Claudia West from North Creek Nurseries, Inc. of Landenburg, PA. Claudia came right on board with the project. Through North Creek we now have an order of herbaceous plants set for May 2013 planting.

Steve Bogash, Penn State Regional Horticulture Educator. Steve was able to give us valuable tips on how to establish the shrubs from Octoraro. He also recommended that we enclose the area with plastic netting to prevent deer damage. Steve told us that Kenncove Farm Fencing Supplies sold a better grade of plastic fencing.

Kenncove Farm Fencing Supplies of Blairsville, PA. When contacted, they quickly shipped an order of 6 feet Plastic Net fencing to be in State College in time for the work weekend.

Penn State Alpha Phi Omega – Alpha Beta Chapter. Even though this co-ed service fraternity had just helped out on the Mountain the previous weekend, on just days’ notice they sent 5 members to help plant the shrubs and enclose the area with fencing.

Blake Gall, MNC board member. Blake was the delivery man par excellence. From his home on the Oak Hall side of Mt. Nittany and with his four-wheel ATV and trailer, Blake made several trips to bring up the shrubs, tools, and water we needed to make the project happen. He will continue to bring up water to the work zone to help establish the shrubs.

Laurie Verbeke. As “Volunteer of the Day” Laurie was our resident expert for plant placement and planting of the 28 of the 30 shrubs provided by the Octoraro Native Plant Nursery that we were able to squeeze into the designated area.

October 20 Work Crew.

Volunteer Leadership. Laurie Verbeke shows Vince the proper way to prepare a shrub.

Downhill View. Water jugs with small pinholes will allow slow and steady moisture to reach the shrubs.

Uphill View. You have a clear view of black netting enclosure.

Thanks Again to Alpha Phi Omega!

Three varieties of shrubs were provided by the Octoraro Native Plant Nursery.

• Witch-hazel
• Spicebush
• American cranberrybush viburnum

North Creek Nurseries, Inc. will be sending us four herbaceous species in the Spring.

• Eastern woodfern
• Christmas fern
• Wild ginger
• Bristleleaf sedge

Saturday October 13 over 30 student volunteers arrived at the trailhead to help with trail maintenance on Mt Nittany. Two student groups, Penn State Alpha Phi Omega – Alpha Beta Chapter and Circle K at Penn State University Park, who brought along fellow Circle K members from Shippensburg University as well, did several maintenance tasks on both the White and Blue trails on the Oak Hall side of the Mountain.

On the White trail from Station 6 moving up slope for about .25 mile toward Station 10, 21 water bars were put in place. In addition, on the Blue trail starting at Station 6 and working toward Station 7, another group cleared back the small oaks and scrub that make this portion of the trail a bit tight to traverse over the summer (map).

It was a great day to work… cool and sunny. We’d like to thank all the volunteers for an outstanding job and their support of Mt. Nittany.

Alpha Phi Omega – Alpha Beta Members.

Circle K working on water bars.

Circle K with a completed water bar.

Sarah Verbeke, originally from Reynoldsville, PA but who now lives in Somerville NJ, returned to the Central PA over the weekend to work on Mt. Nittany as a volunteer project. As she turns 50 this year, Sarah is working on a goal to complete 50 volunteer efforts during the year. Mt. Nittany Trail Maintenance was Project #32.

Sarah was joined on the Mountain by her brother Vince, MNC Board Member, and her cousin Scott Brumbaugh and his wife Allison. Their work included clearing several downed trees and installing 8 water bars on the White trail between Stations 6 and 10.

Huge thanks go out to Sarah for all your efforts this year!

Note, Scott is also active as a local volunteer. He is the current Secretary of the Spring Creek Chapter of Trout Unlimited.

Vince Verbeke, Sarah Verbeke, Scott Brumbaugh, Allison Brumbaugh (Left to right)

Sarah installs a water bar.

Two groups from the Centre County United Way’s 19th annual Centre County Day of Caring were on Mt. Nittany working to stabilize the White trail’s ascent.

Volunteers from the State College office of Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) and Optical Image Technology, Inc. (OIT) did great work for us in just a short time. In fact, we had a hard time keeping up with them!

HRG volunteers Steven Lyncha, Tom Holleran, Dave Swisher, Chad Bell, Brian Walker (Left to right)

OIT volunteers Beth Gross, Cathy Levis, Ellen Thorne, Rebecca Julius, Aaron Ehrensberger, Jim Hopkins, Mark Mokluk (Left to right)

The Entire Day of Caring Team. THANKS!

Ellen Thorne and Mark Mokluk from OIT are working in the foreground.

Brian Walker from HRG said we have a rocky trail.

On September 29th the Penn State Wrestling Team, led by Head Coach Cael Sanderson, arrived at 9AM at the Mt. Nittany trailhead to start work. Split into 3 separate groups and led by MNC board members Bob Andronici, Vince Verbeke and John Menzell the wrestlers and their coaches installed water bars in 2 locations on the White Trail up to Station 2.

At the Mike Lynch Overlook the team finished installing the last of the steps down the side of Lynch. They also put in place a very large log as a seat/water bar at the Overlook as well. Finally, since we had the “wrestler power” we asked them to carry rocks uphill to be used in the closed off section of trail to help restore that area. It was quite a sight to see in action.