top of page

Accomplishments

Ongoing

  • Produce a monthly column, Naturally, to showcase the wonders of nature in our area.  Columns are brought to you by Friends of White's Woods and the Indiana Gazette.

  • Publish a monthly FWW newsletter

  • Attend White Township Supervisor Meetings, and White Township Stewardship Committee meetings

  • Enlist consultants in forestry, invasive plants, and forest ecology

  • Conduct research regarding natural succession and passive forest management to share with the public and the White Township Stewardship Committee.

  • Conduct interviews with radio and print media, including 1160 WCCS, Indiana Gazette, HawkEye

  • Monitor the letters to the editor in the Gazette

  • Communicate with DCNR 

  • Contact relevant community environmental and special interest groups

  • Created and distribute yard signs

  • Develop and distribute promotional and educational materials

  • Sponsor Zoom webinar events featuring forest experts​

  • Apply for grant funding to support educational and advocacy activities

  • Conduct regular sessions for invasive plant removal in White's Woods.

 

2023 Accomplishments

  • July, 2023, FWW, with the approval of White Township, initiatied weekly sessions for hand-remove invasive plants in White's Woods.
  • July 2023, FWW presents the Presidential Volunteer Service Award to Cindy Rogers, Director, Evergreen Conservancy.
  • May 25, 2023, "Tree diversity survey of Whites Woods Nature Center, Indiana County, PA."  Marion Holmes, PhD, University of Pittsburgh.

  • April 27, 2023, Natural Heritage Inventories and Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Old Growth Project, Scott Schuette, PhD, Botany  Program Manager, Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program, Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.

  • April, 2023, FWW contacted forest ecologist Dr. Mike Tyree (IUP) to request recommendations for addressing naturally-occurring canopy gaps in White's Woods.

  • March 23, 2023, The Tree of Outdoor Recreation," Nathan Reigner, Director of Outdoor Recreation, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

  •  February 23, 2023, "Natural Area Forests in US Cities:  Opportunities and Challenges."  Clara Pregitzer, PhD, Deputy Director of Conservation Science, Natural Areas Conservency. ,

  • January 26, 2023 "Climate Change:  What Past Records about Climate Tell Us About Our Future,"     Dr. Steven Hovan, Dean Kopchick College of Natural Science & Mathematics, IUP.

  • January, 2023, FWW presents an update to the FWW document White's Woods:  Current Value and Future Care to the White Township Stewardship Committee.

​

2022 Accomplishments â€‹

  • December 2022, Distribution of new FWW yard signs, "Protect White's Woods - Naturally!"

  • November 10, 2022, "Engaged Passive Management:  Conservation Strategies of 23,000 Acres of Massachusetts Forest Land," Tom Lautzenheiser, Central/West Regional Scientist, Massachusetts Audobon.

  • October 27, 2022, FWW general membership meeting, Zion Lutheran Church.

  • October 18, 2022, FWW presentation to local chapter of AARP.

  • October 13, 2022, "Dead Wood & Fungi:  Critical Parts of the Forest Ecosystem and an Introduction to the Ned Smith Center for Nature & Art," Mr. Jerry Hassinger, PA Game Commission (ret) and John Booth, Director, Ned Smith Center for Nature & Art

  • September 22, 2022, "Climate Change in Penn's Woods:  What does the Future Hold,"  Greg Czarnecki, director, Applied Climate Science, PA Department of Conservation & Natural Resources.

  • September 7, 2022, FWW donated 2022 draft management document,"White's Woods Current Value and Future Care" and the IUP 2022 White's Woods Community Interest Study to the Indiana Free Library.

  • July 28, 2022, FWW webinar: "Current research on community experience and preferences about White's Woods," Dr. Susan Boser and Mr. Adam Jones.

  • June 27, 2022, FWW general membership meeting, Zion Lutheran Church.

  • June 2, 2022, FWW received the 2021-2022 Peggy Clark Environmental Leadership Award from the League of Women Voters of Indiana County.

  • Jess Riddle, Executive Director, Georgia Forest Watch, FWW webinar presentation "What Improves a Forest," April 7, 2022.

  • Friends of White’s Woods Board of Directors, Webinar presentation of draft plan The White’s Woods Nature Center:  Current Value & Future Care, March 15, 2022.

  • Dr. Susan Cook-Patton, Senior Reforestation Scientist, The Nature Conservancy, “Options to Restore Forest Cover in Indiana, Pennsylvania to Help Tackle Climate Change,”​  February 24, 2022.

  • Joan Maloof, Executive Director, Old Growth Forest Network, “Saving Town-Owned Forests,” January 28, 2022.

  • FWW distributed the draft ecological plan for the protection of White’s Woods, White's Woods Nature Center:  Current Value & Future Care, to the subcommittee members at the organizational meeting of the White Township Stewardship Subcommittee (subcommittee of the WT Recreation Committee), January 20, 2022.

​

2021 Accomplishments

    

  • January 2021:​

    • Margaret Brittingham, PhD, “Community Forests:  Benefits for Birds and People – Options and Challenges.” January 14, 2021

    • Todd Sherbondy i-Tree Analysis Presentation to White Township Board of Supervisors, January 27, 2021

  • February 2021: ​

    • Bonnie McGill, PhD, “Comfortable Spaces for Uncomfortable Conversations: The Climate and Rural Systems Partnership of Western Pennsylvania.”  February 11, 2021

    • Presentation to the Indiana Evening Rotary Club, February 15, 2021

  • March 2021: ​

  • April 2021: ​

  • May 2021: ​

    • Drs. Sara Keubbing and Marion Holmes, University of Pittsburgh Invasion Ecology Research Lab, “Ecological Impact of Invasive Plant Species,” May 20, 2021.​

  • June 2021: 

    • FWW receives Huplits Grant from the Allegheny Group of the Sierra Club. Huplits grants support projects that directly impact wildlife in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on a regional or statewide level. Entries that involved public education, grassroots campaign organization, litigation, land acquisition, or research that directly focuses on protecting Pennsylvania wildlife, its habitat, and preventing cruelty to animals were considered.

  • August 2021:

    • FWW receives the Evergreen Award from the Evergreen Conservancy. The Evergreen Award is given to individuals, groups, or businesses who have demonstrated grassroots environmental leadership in a variety of areas, including: 

      • new or innovative technology to prevent harm to the environment;

      • activities that show a direct positive effect on the environment;

      • preservation of  historical, natural, or cultural resources;

      • and notable stewardship of the environment.

  • September 2021: ​​

    • Alyson Fearon, Senior Director of Community Conservation and Resiliency for the Allegheny Land Trust. FWW webinar presentation, “Carbon Offsets: Producing Income from Valuable Greenspace," September 28, 2021:

  • October 2021:
    • Dr. Sara Keubbing and Dr. Marion Holmes, of the University of Pittsburgh Invasion Ecology Research Lab, presented an FWW webinar, “Invasive Plant Inventory and Management Report for White's Woods,” October 21, 2021

  • December 2021:

    • Dr. Kevin Patrick, IUP Geography and Regional Planning, “Swallowed by the Trees: The Unremembered History of White’s Woods,” December 9, 2021

    • Painting in the Woods: The White’s Woods Open Air Painting Experience Exhibition, Dec 3 through 18, 2021

​

2020 Accomplishments

  • April 2020: 

    • Discovered attempt to timber WWNC

    • Secured legal counsel

    • Contacted DCNR

  • May 2020: 

    • Met with Mike Lawer, person hired by White Township to work in WWNC

    • Enlisted support of expert scientists: ecology, forestry

    • Filed a legal complaint asserting violation of the Sunshine Act and the Second Class Township Code pertaining to contract bidding

    • Sent mailing to over 1,000 households that border WWNC

    • Posted a petition on Change.org protesting timbering in WWNC

    • Designed and solicited responses to a consumer survey about use of WWNC using Survey Monkey

  • June 2020: 

    • Hired consulting forester Mike Wolf of Appalachian Foresters to review the Millstone plan and provide guidance for WWNC

  • July 2020:

    • Obtained over 8,000 signatures on a Change.org petition

    • Compiled survey responses from 232 participants

    • Engaged consultant forester Mike Wolf to present his assessment of WWNC at a White Township Supervisors meeting

    • Prepared a 255-page response to the Millstone Plan and submitted copies to the Township and to DCNR.

  • August 2020:

    • Submitted a successful grant request to the Indiana County Endowment

    • Contacted the Pennsylvania Parks & Forests Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, The Natural Areas Association, and the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy for information and guidance.

  • September 2020:

    • Earned the Gold Star level of Transparency with the GuideStar Nonprofit Directory

    • Gavin Deming, Allegheny Goatscape, “Using Goats to Treat Invasive Species.” September 24, 2020

  • October 2020:

    • Submitted a grant proposal to Mountain Dew Outdoor Grants – currently awaiting response

    • Submitted a grant proposal to Walmart Community Grants – currently awaiting response

    • Appalachian Forest Consultant Mike Wolf, “The Health of White’s Woods.”  October 22, 2020

  • November 2020: ​

    • FWW met with Davey Resource representative Todd Sherbondy to initiate an i-Tree analysis of White’s Woods.​

    • Vincent Cotrone, PSE, “The Role of Trees and Forests in Stormwater Management.”  November 19, 2020

bottom of page