LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - Spring is in the air…and the lure of the outdoors grows stronger each day.

The March issue of The Hemlock, the online journal of Lock Haven University’s Environmental Focus Group, offers an early taste of spring and all it has to offer.

An article on “Mindful Birding” by LHU psychology professor Lynn Bruner explores the benefits of birding in a consciously mindful way. “For me,” she writes, “mindful birding means a kind of watching that sinks in, that is only about being present with a bird.” Brad Dally’s “Spring Padding Season Just Around the Corner” celebrates the return of spring and the opportunity to go canoeing and kayaking. Other articles provide advice for wild mushroom hunters and a description hiking in the “primeval wonderland" of the Forrest H. Dutlinger Natural Area. Bob Meyer’s review of “Picturesque America” focuses on the chapter describing the Susquehanna in 1870.

The web homepage for The Hemlock is http://www.lhup.edu/hemlock/

The Hemlock is a publication of the Environmental Focus Group, whose goal is to help the LHU community develop a deeper sense of place. Such a sense of place involves stewardship of natural resources (environmentalism), meaningful outdoor experiences, and appreciation for the heritage of the region. The articles are contributed by LHU faculty, students, staff, and administrators, as well as by members of the central Pennsylvania community. If you would like to contribute, please contact Bob Myers at rmyers3@lhup.edu