Autumn Knepp

Tag: explore pa

  • Tick Tricks to Prevent Lyme Disease

    Tick Tricks to Prevent Lyme Disease

    “Female Blacklegged Tick” by Lennart Tange is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

    The summer after I turned 16, I developed a huge bull’s eye rash on my left leg. Shortly after, I started experiencing severe migraines, dizziness, and piercing joint pain. One trip to the doctor later, and I was diagnosed with Lyme Disease. With one bite, my summer was ruined, and how I explored the outdoors changed forever. I’ve learned since that it’s easy to protect myself from contracting Lyme Disease again.

    First, learn when and where to expect ticks. Blacklegged Ticks are the most common carrier of the bacteria that causes Lyme Disease. When temperatures are above freezing, young (nymphal) and adult ticks emerge and start searching for a blood meal. Nymphal and adult Blacklegged Ticks will bite humans, animals, reptiles, and even amphibians!

    Ideal habitat for ticks is forest edge habitats and understory vegetation. Think of places like walking, biking, and hiking trails- right along the forest’s edge. Other places, like streambanks and gardens, are also likely places for ticks. For me, I was bit by a tick while walking along the edge of a farm field!

    Second, wear appropriate clothing and gear. Light colored clothing makes the dark, poppy-seed sized tick nymphs easier to spot. While it looks silly, tuck your shirt into your pants and your pants into your socks. This helps prevent ticks from crawling under your clothes. While shorts are great on warm spring and summer days, it’s easier for a tick to crawl under your clothes.

    Clothes can also be pre-treated with appropriate pesticides. Companies like L. L. Bean, Columbia, and Insect Shield sell pre-treated clothing. I buy pre-treated clothing, saving me from struggling to apply insecticides at home.

    Thick brush, like the kind surrounding this cherry tree, is prime tick habitat.

    Third, use EPA-approved insect repellents every time you’re outdoors. Scientific research has proven that insect repellents with 20% to 30% DEET are most effective. Scientists also found that using only DEET is 85% to 89% effective at repelling ticks. The EPA has an online Insect Repellent Bot that can help users choose a repellent that aligns with their personal needs.

    Fourth, conduct regular tick checks after being outdoors. The longer a tick is attached to you, the more likely you are to contract Lyme Disease. Ticks are usually found in moist, dark-skinned areas with thin skin. Focus in and around your hair and ears, armpits, belly button, waist, groin, and behind the knees. Some ticks will bite wherever, so also be sure to check your legs, arms, and between your toes and fingers.

    Lastly, know how to remove a tick- if you find one. Removing a tick properly can help prevent Lyme Disease, even if a tick has been attached for some time. After finding a tick, use fine-tipped tweezers or a tick key to grasp the tick at the head or as close to skin as possible. Pull up with firm, even pressure, taking care not to twist or jerk the tick. After removing the tick, clean the area and your hands with rubbing alcohol or warm, soapy water.  

    The most important part to remove is the tick’s head. Ignore old wives’ tales about ticks. Removing ticks by burning them or smothering with Vaseline is not successful at preventing Lyme Disease. Slowly and carefully removing a tick with the correct tools is the best way to ensure the whole tick is removed.

    Lyme Disease is preventable by staying aware and protected. Other tricks, like removing ticks completely, are also beneficial. By following these tips and tricks, I’ve not had Lyme Disease since I was 16. I look forward to many more years of tick-free exploring outdoors!

    Works Cited

    CDC. “Preventing Tick Bites.” CDC.GOV, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 17 May 2024, www.cdc.gov/ticks/prevention/index.html. Accessed 5 Apr. 2025.

    Columbia Sportswear. “Insect Shield® | Columbia Sportswear.” Columbia.com, 2025, www.columbia.com/c/technology-insect-shield/?srsltid=AfmBOopIZTpDgZ3e0Td6rBgLcC56u3mTJ4WLu9GNKF6IgBy4YkLER3Z4. Accessed 6 Apr. 2025.

    Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. “​​Tick Surveillance and Testing.” PA.GOV, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 2025, www.pa.gov/agencies/dep/programs-and-services/integration/vector-management/ticks.html#accordion-7ff146f74e-item-776b68db7f. Accessed 6 Apr. 2025.

    —. “Blacklegged Tick.” PA.GOV, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 2024, www.pa.gov/agencies/dep/programs-and-services/integration/vector-management/ticks/blacklegged-tick.html. Accessed 5 Apr. 2025.

    —. “Tickborne Diseases Dashboard.” PA.GOV, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 2025, app.powerbigov.us/view?r=eyJrIjoiMTM1OWFiODUtM2ExZS00MDFhLThmN2ItMzUxNjZlYzY4NDg5IiwidCI6IjQxOGUyODQxLTAxMjgtNGRkNS05YjZjLTQ3ZmM1YTlhMWJkZSJ9. Accessed 6 Apr. 2025.

    Insect Shield. “Insect Repellent Clothing | Built-in Bug Protection.” Insect Shield, www.insectshield.com/. Accessed 5 Apr. 2025.

    L.L. Bean. “Insect-Repellent Clothing and Gear .” L.L.Bean, 2025, www.llbean.com/llb/shop/516182?qs=3091740_GOOGLE&Matchtype=e&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwqcO_BhDaARIsACz62vN5_mysh-7QLtv311FpELJxB-VZEc0ybWDgn-Y-nGB5DsJgwnPsklEaAqE0EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds. Accessed 6 Apr. 2025.

    Tange, Lennart. Female Blacklegged Tick, 20 May 2012, www.flickr.com/photos/77856868@N04/7236314390. Accessed 12 Apr. 2025.

    US EPA, OCSPP. “Repellents: Protection against Mosquitoes, Ticks and Other Arthropods.” EPA.GOV, United States Environmental Protection Agency, 9 July 2013, www.epa.gov/insect-repellents. Accessed 5 Apr. 2025.

  • Early Spring at Millbrook Marsh

    Early Spring at Millbrook Marsh

    Some days call for a microadventure. I had one such day last week- on my way home, I made the impulse decision to stop at Millbrook Marsh Nature Center and enjoy the warm weather before spring rain rolled into Centre County.

    I was delighted by what I found at the 62-acre site: skunk cabbages, good birding, and plenty of peace. From the moment I parked my car, a sense of relaxation washed over me. Over the sounds of the stadium, the raspy oak-a-lee of Red-winged Blackbirds filled the air. As I wandered to the boardwalk, American Robins implored me to go cheerily and cheer-up.

    Close to the boardwalk, tributaries of Thompson Run and Slab Cabin Run flowed by. Near their banks sprouted skunk cabbage. While many folks dislike the smell of these Spring flowers, I don’t mind at all. The smell reminds me of my grandfather’s trapping shed and my college-era fieldwork. Despite the smell, skunk cabbage flowers are beautiful. They look like someone speckled lime-green leaves with burgundy wine.

    I love the plethora of platforms along the boardwalk. If I hadn’t been wearing work clothes, I would have jumped in to wade and splash. I admit to laying flat on the boardwalk to snap pictures of skunk cabbage and dip my hands in the water. The cool water was refreshing, and helped connect me to the habitat around me. The grasses were soft and smooth, species unknown to me.

    Continuing along, I had several close encounters with birds. A White-breasted Nuthatch hustled in a tree directly over my head. I stopped to observe it lifting up hanging bark to search for insects, bouncing from spot to spot. The bird had a bite at least ten times in a minute. I wondered how sharp its eyesight is in comparison to my own. Further down the boardwalk, some American Goldfinches foraged for seeds, unaware of me. I stood as still as I could for several minutes. Eventually, my phone vibrated, and the rustle of my windbreaker scared off the flock of five birds.

    There’s many spots along the boardwalk to jump down and go fishing. While fishing with a trout stamp is permitted, all fish must be released unharmed. I stared into the water for some time, trying to catch a glance of a trout. I didn’t see anything except a pair of Mallards, urging me along with loud quacks.

    Slab Cabin Run has been under restoration by Trout Unlimited since 2024. Streambank restoration has been the main focus. Slab Cabin Run suffers from agricultural runoff and excess sedimentation. This is a typical problem for streams in Centre County. The new rock vanes and cross vanes are helping channelize the stream and hold back sediments. My inner hydrologist admired the quality of the work and wondered about how the water would test in a lab.

    In total, I explored Millbrook Marsh for over an hour, strolling the boardwalk and birding. I left as the sun began to dip towards the mountains, casting a golden glow over the marsh. Before hopping in my car, I paused to soak in the light and start to plan my next trip here in another season.

  • A Nature Journal Week: Spring 2025

    A Nature Journal Week: Spring 2025

    On The Keystone Naturalist Facebook page, I have been sharing my daily nature journal pages. I’ve been loosely following along with The Wild Wonder Foundation‘s monthly nature journaling prompts.

    March 20 – Spring Equinox has come and with it a project- a year of exploring the nature at home. Every day (or nearly) I’ll take my journal out and explore my home. Today I drew wild garlic, which grows in my yard. I plucked a handful to bring inside. The pungent smell filled my kitchen. As a little girl, I’d pick this in my parents’ yard until my hands would stink. Mom would give me a hot bath and forbid me from touching it again. Somehow, I’d always end up in it again, stinking all over!

    March 21 – On the second day of Spring, a crocus bloomed in my yard. In five years of living here, it’s the first one to ever appear. I feel blessed to know it’s growing here, yet sad because it’s an invasive species like my daffodils and hyacinths. I won’t even try to remove it.

    March 22 – Right in the front yard, a big clump of showy daffodils are budding. I expect them to bloom sometime next week. Each year, they grow back bigger and showier. I adore them. I think the buds swell up each time the rain falls, leaping up and reaching towards the skies. I would do the same.

    March 23 – I took a walk to the launch today, searching for some peace after a busy weekend. The sycamore trees dominated my thoughts, towering high over me and loaded with seed pods. The water is low, revealing the lake bed. Lots of people are out fishing in the water. Robins are everywhere. I counted thirty on the hill over the parking lot. Song sparrows call incessantly, naming their territory with sweet liquid voices.

    March 24 – Today is my 30th birthday. The pussy willow bush is blooming. As much as this bush perturbs me and obstructs my view of the backyard, it is beautiful in the Spring. The catkins are soft like Oliver’s paws. The weather was beautiful today, and it felt like the whole world was celebrating the season with me.

    March 25 – As I walked up the sidewalk, I noticed a new flower in the yard, a dandelion. I plucked it and brought it in to draw. Taraxacum officinale, the Common Dandelion, is naturalized to Pennsylvania. Originally from Eurasia, it was brought to our country by early colonists. While I don’t mind them in my yard, I think it’s interesting how this “noxious weed” so many love to hate is the result of the actions of colonists.

    March 26 – Rough, cold winds blew and prevented me from journaling outdoors. Instead I sat in my car at Millbrook Marsh Nature Center waiting for the bird club meeting to start. The bark of a Paper Birch tree blew in the wind. Pennsylvania is at the southernmost tip of its natural range. If it continues to warm, will we still have the Paper Birch growing freely in Pennsylvania?

    March 27 – The remaining forsythia bush in the yard is close to blooming. This shrub is pretty in the Spring, but an annoyance at any other time. I hesitate to call it horrible, but that’s how I think of it in my heart. I can’t wait to remove this one and burn it to ashes this summer. The current drought is preventing me from burning anything.

    Have you been keeping a nature journal this Spring? What changes in the environment around you have you noticed? Please share in the comments!

  • A Mussel Mystery at Bald Eagle

    A Mussel Mystery at Bald Eagle

    In mid-March, the US Army Corps of Engineers opens the gate of Foster Joseph Sayers Dam to drain the lake. In a few days, the lakebed lies exposed to the elements. People gather to meander amongst the rubble of historic Howard- myself included.

    On a long post-work walk, I was able to explore the edge of the lake along the Bald Eagle Launch side of the dam. For five years I’ve made the annual trek along the gravel ridge that extends from the launch site. This gravel is old fill, a mixture of sandstone, limestone, and slag. More artificial reefs and ridges dot the land, placed to assist in building habitat.

    Another type of creature benefits from these gravel beds- freshwater mussels.

    Mussels live in flowing water, ranging from streams to rivers. Some species adapted to living in lakes. Mussels anchor themselves at the bottom of the stream with their byssal threads. To feed, mussels filter the water for nutrients, cleaning water of algae and muck along the way. Mussels are food for some mammals, including raccoons, otters, mink, and muskrat. In the past, mussels were food for the indigenous people of Pennsylvania. The Delaware and Lenape tribes included mussels as part of their regular diet.

    Unfortunately, mussels are on the edge of extinction in Pennsylvania. Water pollution, habitat destruction, and invasive species put our mussels at great risk. The Salamander Mussel and Eastern Pearlshell are at enormous risk of extirpation. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission are managing them using Species Action Plans. Using habitat management plans, they are restoring habitat throughout the Commonwealth. They also try to control invasive species- a battle hard fought and rarely won.

    Walking the lakebed as a little girl, I would find large shells, at least 3 inches wide. As an adult, I often find smaller shells, ranging from 1 inch to 2 inches wide. Over the years, I have seen a significant decrease in the number of shells I find. On a similar walk 3 years ago, I found the remains of at least 10 mussels, while I only found 2 this year.

    As I walked more, I started wondering what kind of mussels I found. On my way back, I stopped to take pictures of the shells. While it would have been easy to take the shells home with me, it’s safer to leave them where I found them. In the event the mussel was an endangered species, it’s illegal in Pennsylvania to have the shells. Once I finished with pictures, I hurried home.

    Up to 4 species of mussels may appear in the Bald Eagle: Triangle Floater, Eastern Elliptio, Green Floater, and Creeper. I studied the pictures in the guide and compared to the pictures I took. The pictures and short descriptions were great, but I also searched on the web for more pictures. The shells I found looked like 2 of the species, the Triangle Floater and Green Floater.

    Ultimately, I decided I found Green Floater shells. In addition to being small, I can see green stripes on the worn yellow shells. The shells are very thin, with a shallow umbo. The inside of the shells has a white, almost silvery lining. I read online that these mussels can be found in sandy and gravelly substrate, buried up to 15 inches deep. The water above is usually quiet pools and eddies. When water levels are high, this area of the lake is quiet, with gentle waves always lapping at the shore.

    In 2023, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed federal protection for Green Floaters. In a press release, USFWS shared that Green Floaters are rare in almost 80% of the watersheds where they occur. Since the USFWS is attempting to list this species as endangered, I felt like I should get a second opinion. I sent an email to the USFWS Ecological Services Office in State College, PA for confirmation. I have yet to hear back.

    As the water levels have fallen throughout the past week, the state of these mussels has been on my mind. As I walk through and explore the lakebed, I’ve been keeping my eye out for more shells. Easier said than done, but another task of a naturalist I take seriously, and yet with great joy.

    Works Cited

    Delaware Tribe of Indians. “Foods Eaten by the Lenape Indians.” Delawaretribe.org, Official Web Site of the Delaware Tribe of Indians, 27 June 2013, www.delawaretribe.org/blog/2013/06/27/foods-eaten-by-the-lenape-indians/. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.

    Macdonald, Bridget, and Jennifer Koches. “Service Proposes Protections for Green Floater Mussel.” FWS.gov, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, 25 July 2023, www.fws.gov/press-release/2023-07/service-proposes-protections-green-floater-mussel. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.

    Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission. A Field Guide to Pennsylvania’s Freshwater Mussels. Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, 9 Feb. 2018.

    —. “Aquatic Invasive Species.” PA.gov, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 2025, www.pa.gov/agencies/fishandboat/conservation/aquatic-invasive-species.html. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.

    —. “Species Action Plan: Eastern Pearlshell (Margaritifera Margaritifera).” PA.gov, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, June 2023. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.

    —. “Species Action Plan: Salamander Mussel (Simpsonaias Ambigua).” PA.gov, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, June 2023. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.

    U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. “Green Floater (Lasmigona Subviridis) .” FWS.gov, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, 2023, www.fws.gov/species/green-floater-lasmigona-subviridis. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.

  • Late Winter at Hort Woods

    Late Winter at Hort Woods

    The March winds pushed me as I hurried down the sidewalk to Hort Woods. Traffic zipped by, and students shivered as they ran from dorm to dorm. Even though I’ve taken hundreds of walks on campus, I’ve never taken a dedicated walk through Hort Woods. This past Thursday I spent a half-hour in this historic grove of trees at University Park.

    In 2001, Hort Woods earned “Heritage Grove” status at Penn State. In the 1800s, Hort Woods stretched from central campus to the Penn State Arboretum site. The original Hort Woods was cleared for construction. The remaining patch of land contains some surviving trees, or at least their progeny. Yet, by the 2010s, the area had become degraded by invasive plants. The Penn State Eco Action Club partnered with Penn State OPP to rehabilitate Hort Woods. Supplemental funding from the Penn State Student Fee Board helped the project along. Rehabilitation included removing invasive species and replanting with the Miyawaki Method.

    On my walk, I followed the sidewalks surrounding and through Hort Woods. Despite the dormant landscape, the tract of trees was humming with life. I first spotted a Red-Bellied Woodpecker digging through a snag. Right after, a Downy Woodpecker flitted over my head. I heard the high calls of American Goldfinches and House Finches in the canopy. A Merlin recording revealed more species: Black-capped Chickadees, Dark-eyed Juncos, and White-breasted Nuthatches.

    Along the sidewalk in some areas, small green plants were pushing up through the leaf litter. A check with iNaturalist revealed them to be Japanese Pachysandra. In other sections, English Ivy trailed along the ground and up the trunks of trees. English Ivy, while pretty, is difficult to eradicate. The ivy reminded me that eradicating invasive species requires many years of effort. Penn State is making that effort by implementing a sustainable landscape plan.

    Derek K., Senior Landscape Architect and Eco Action Club Adviser, shared the University Park Campus Sustainable Landscape Implementation Plan with me via email. The plan mentions “Restoring the Legacy of Hort Woods” as a major action item. The goal of the project is to restore native species and develop the area into a 4-acre swath of healthy habitat. The action plan utilizes straightforward management techniques familiar to non-foresters like myself. Penn State is focusing on soil decompaction, low- or no-till methods, and composting. From my experience, I know these plans will be executed as carefully and thoughtfully as funding permits.

    Late winter can be a depressing time of year. My walk tempered this feeling, and I left hopeful for what is in store for Hort Woods. By exploring this one patch of wood, I learned I’m one of many that care deeply for Penn State’s landscapes. Hort Woods is now a part of my walks, and I’m excited to observe the changes as we transition into Spring.

    Works Cited

    Penn State University. (2014, November 8). Heritage tree groves: G-6. The Pennsylvania State University. https://web.archive.org/web/20141108064008/http://lorax.opp.psu.edu/trees/heritage/groves/hgrove.jsp?ID=G-6

    Penn State University. (2012, February 13). Hort Woods rehabilitation project to begin soon. https://www.psu.edu/news/university-park/story/hort-woods-rehabilitation-project-begin-soon

    Stephen Stimson Associates Landscape Architects, Inc., Phyto Studio, Climate Positive Design, & The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. (2024). University Park Campus Sustainable Landscape Implementation Plan. Penn State University.