Hemlocks to Hellbenders

Nov 20 2024 50 ep. 42 mins 22

Hemlocks to Hellbenders Podcast artwork

Hemlocks to Hellbenders is an award-winnning podcast hosted by Christian Alexandersen highlighting Pennsylvania’s parks, forests and great outdoors.

Our episodes feature engaging conversations with park managers, forest rangers, scientists, educators, outdoor recreationalists, volunteers, officials and more that help you plan your next adventure in the Commonwealth's incredible parks and forests.

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A progress report on Pennsylvania's three newest state parks with Parks Director John Hallas

Nov 20 2024 49 mins

In September of 2022 before leaving office, then Gov. Tom Wolf announced the creation of three new state parks. Susquehanna Riverlands in York County, Big Elk Creek in Chester County and Vosburg Neck in Wyoming County. While these new state parks were quickly opened following the announcement, they have not taken their final form. Before they can be completed – or really before t

Allegheny National Forest - A half-million acres of adventures

Nov 06 2024 49 mins

In the early 20th Century, Americans had become alarmed at the disappearing forests in the eastern United States. Whether through private land purchases, deforestation, mining or other activities, the beautiful forests of the east were vanishing.Where once stood primeval forests of giant eastern hemlocks now stood stumps. As a result, wildfires spread through these devastated lands

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

Oct 23 2024 97 mins

On 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’re going to

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

Oct 09 2024 51 mins

Those 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, ranging in size fro

Discover the wonderful world of mushrooms with the Philadelphia Mycology Club

Sep 25 2024 55 mins

There’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 in the most une

Breaking trails and building community with the Keystone Trails Association

Sep 11 2024 59 mins

This 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 knocks down tree

Timber! Harvesting history at the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum

Aug 28 2024 77 mins

For 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 Second. Penn

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

Aug 14 2024 31 mins

The 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. Leaving the smoo

Forbes State Forest - Endless outdoor adventures in the Laurel Highlands

Jul 31 2024 58 mins

To 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 watching.The forest

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

Jul 17 2024 35 mins

Standing 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, clay and shale w