Hemlocks to Hellbenders

Oct 23 2024 48 ep. 42 mins 22
Hemlocks to Hellbenders Podcast artwork

Hemlocks to Hellbenders is a podcast hosted by Christian Alexandersen highlighting Pennsylvania’s parks, forests and great outdoors. We speak with park managers, forest rangers, scientists, educators, outdoor recreationists, volunteers, officials and more to learn about the Commonwealth's incredible public land.

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Things that go bump in Penn's Woods with the Ghost Furnace Podcast

Oct 23 2024 97 mins  
Send us a textOn this – the Halloween episode – of the podcast, we’re going to be exploring the many tales of ghosts, creatures, hauntings, cryptid sightings, unexplained phenomenon, legends and folk tales that have a history in Pennsylvania’s parks and forests.From the ghost sightings at Greenwood Furnace State Park to the Kecksburg UFO incident in Forbes State Forest, we�

Hickory Run State Park - Journey through prehistoric geology in the Poconos

Oct 09 2024 51 mins  
Send us a textThose visiting Hickory Run State Park in the Pocono Mountains should expect to see something they’ve never see before. In the northeast corner of the park, formed by millions of years of glacial movement is the Boulder Field. At 400 feet by 1,800 feet, this vast, rocky landscape is a geological marvel. The field is made up of tightly packed sandstone boulders, rangi

Discover the wonderful world of mushrooms with the Philadelphia Mycology Club

Sep 25 2024 55 mins  
Send us a textThere’s just something about mushrooms that so are cool. I can’t really explain it. They come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, often looking like they belong in a fairy tale or another planet.They transform any landscape with their mysterious, almost magical appearance. They are not plants or animals but belong to a fascinating kingdom of their own. They thrive i

Breaking trails and building community with the Keystone Trails Association

Sep 11 2024 59 mins  
Send us a textThis episode is sponsored by the Keystone Trails Association.Most people never know how much volunteer work goes into their favorite hiking trail. Countless hours are spent breaking trails, cutting back brush, moving rocks, building steps, preventing water erosion and blazing trails.Then, after the trail is built, even more hours are spent maintaining it. When wind kn

Timber! Harvesting history at the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum

Aug 28 2024 77 mins  
Send us a textFor thousands of years, the land that would become Pennsylvania was dominated by dense, ancient forests that stretched as far as the eye could see. Towering trees such as white oaks, chestnuts and hemlocks formed a vast green canopy that covered hundreds of miles.The forests were such an integral part of this landscape that it was named Pennsylvania by King Carles the

Poe Paddy and Poe Valley State Parks - Uncover rugged wilderness in Happy Valley

Aug 14 2024 31 mins  
Send us a textThe vast majority of Pennsylvania’s state parks are easy to drive to. That’s one of the reasons our parks are so accessible to residents and visitors. They’re located on paved roads and can often be found just a few minutes from a highway. But then there are parks that are not so easy to get to. They’re the ones that can only be explored using gravel roads. Le

Forbes State Forest - Endless outdoor adventures in the Laurel Highlands

Jul 31 2024 58 mins  
Send us a textTo list all of the features of Forbes State Forest would be pointless. That’s because it has so much to offer so many people. You want trails, it’s got it. You want overlooks, its got it. You want waterfalls, it’s got it. Forbes State Forest has some of the best land in Pennsylvania for everything from mountain biking and hiking to ATV riding and wildlife watchi

Moraine State Park - From ruined to reclaimed in less than 100 years

Jul 17 2024 35 mins  
Send us a textStanding on the shore of Lake Arthur in Moraine State Park, you’d never think the area was the site of massive deforestation, coal mining and gas drilling practices that scarred the landscape for decades. But it is. In the 1800s, farmers cleared the forests and drained the swamps that would one day be Moraine State Park. Materials such as sand, gravel, limestone, cl

Beltzville State Park - Beach, boating and beyond in the Poconos

Jul 03 2024 56 mins  
Send us a textThere are few sights I enjoy as much as people having fun in Pennsylvania state parks. Children playing tag and hide-and-go-seek. Adults telling stories around a picnic table. Friends catching up while grilling. And never have I see so many people having such a good time, then on Memorial Day weekend at Beltsville State Park. Upon entering the park - located in the so

How fireflies light up Pennsylvania's night skies with Dr. Sarah Lower

Jun 19 2024 37 mins  
Send us a textThe arrival of fireflies has always represented summer to me. They've meant barbeques. They meant fireworks. They meant being a kid. I’ve heard from so many people about the memories they have connected to lightening bugs. Exploring the woods with grandparents who have long passed. 4th of July parties with their friends. A first kiss. A break up. Family camping trip