Bedford County leads Pennsylvania Healthy Lands Week with volunteer projects

Pennsylvania Healthy Lands Week runs Sept. 26-Oct. 4, 2026, with Bedford County serving as the showcase for trail work, habitat restoration and historic preservation. Organizers say the effort underscores how volunteer stewardship supports recreation, local economies and public lands across the state.

Why it matters: - Pennsylvania Healthy Lands Week puts a spotlight on how volunteer stewardship helps protect public lands, improve outdoor access and support local economies. - Bedford County’s role this year ties conservation work to economic development, recreation and historic preservation. - Organizers say the effort also helps build community pride and keeps parks, forests and historic sites usable for future generations.

What happened: - Pennsylvania Healthy Lands Week runs Sept. 26-Oct. 4, 2026. - Bedford County is the featured location for this year’s statewide effort. - The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation is inviting residents and visitors to volunteer and “turn their passion into action.” - A kickoff event is set for Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. at the Shawnee State Park Amphitheater near the campground entrance in Schellsburg. - Media organizations are being encouraged to cover the kickoff and join the volunteer projects.

The details: - Planned projects include invasive species removal, trail restoration, historic site conservation, tree planting, habitat improvement and related stewardship work. - Volunteer activities will take place at Shawnee State Park, Buchanan State Forest, Warriors Path State Park and other local sites in Bedford County. - A full list of projects, dates and sign-up links is available here. - Marci Mowery, president of the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation, said Healthy Lands Week is a celebration and a call to action. - Mowery said stewardship and volunteerism protect the environment, improve well-being and strengthen community pride and the local economy. - Jen Marsh, president and CEO of the Bedford County Development Association, said Bedford County has embraced outdoor recreation as an economic engine. - Marsh said the county is investing in new trail connections, expanding access to parks and historic sites and using outdoor recreation to drive economic growth. - Brandon Hoover, statewide comprehensive outdoor recreation plan specialist with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, said outdoor recreation connects people to local economies, ecologies and each other. - Hoover said Healthy Lands Week supports a statewide plan goal to back volunteers who protect and improve Pennsylvania’s public lands. - Jim McCorkle, park manager at Shawnee State Park, said volunteers will help restore trails, clean up litter, improve habitats and care for the park. - Karli Naugle, district forester for Buchanan State Forest, said some projects will restore sites built by the Civilian Conservation Corps nearly 100 years ago. - Naugle said the CCC’s roads, bridges, trails and picnic shelters still benefit the public today. - Tina Molski, former PPFF board chair and recently retired director of operations for REI’s Northeast Distribution Center in Bedford County, said she is excited to enjoy and help care for the region’s outdoor resources. - Mike Teeter, a current REI employee and PPFF vice-chairman, said Pennsylvania’s outdoor recreation assets help promote the state as a destination.

Between the lines: - Bedford County is being used as a model for the link between conservation work and outdoor tourism. - The focus on both natural sites and historic infrastructure shows the week is about maintenance as much as expansion. - The mix of state agencies, nonprofit leaders, local economic development officials and private-sector voices suggests broad support for the stewardship message.

What's next: - Volunteers can sign up for projects across the week through the event page. - Organizers will use the kickoff and project schedule to recruit more public participation in Bedford County and beyond. - Pennsylvania Healthy Lands Week is positioned to continue as a statewide volunteer mobilization effort tied to public lands and outdoor recreation.

The bottom line: - Pennsylvania is asking volunteers to help keep its parks, forests and historic sites open, healthy and economically valuable, with Bedford County serving as the showcase for that effort.