This photo was taken in Cumberland Cemetery in Lima, PA.  This tombstone serves as an excellent example of a source for interdisciplinary studies for students.  Students studying Earth science can examine the rock type of the tombstone.  Biology/Life Science students can look at the dates of birth and death to examine human lifespan and longevity.  History students can look at the symbols and their meaning - in this case, the ship and date 1620 means that one of the people buried at this site is a descendent from someone that came over on the Mayflower.  Search the PAESTA Classroom for an exercise relating to a tombstone investigation with students.

If you viewed the 3-part PBS series on Your Inner Fish, then you have already been introduced to the tetrapod that captures the transition of life moving from water on to land.  This fossil specimen, classified as the Tiktaalik roseae, is temporarily housed at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA.  To learn more about the Tiktaalik roseae, visit our online collection of resources relating to the book and mini-series. 

The Pennsylvania Chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation has over 150 nurseries that are working to restore the American Chestnut tree to the forests and woodlands of Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic states.  The American Chestnut was once the dominant tree in our forests before it was erradicated by a fungus.  In fact, many Pennsylvania forests consisted of 25% American Chestnut.  The PA-TACF has its headquarters in State College, PA, and is working to develop a blight-resistant American chestnut tree via scientific research and breeding, and looks to restore the tree to its native forests along the eastern United States.  Pictured here is one of the three nurseries on the Penn State University Park campus.

The winter storms in February 2014 were especially strong in southeast Pennsylvania.  This downed tree, cut in to sections, clearly reveals the internal tree rings.

Winter 2014 is a season we won't forget very soon in Pennsylvania.  Southeastern Pennsylvania was hit especially hard, with periods of melting creating some impressive icicles, such as those seen here hanging from the room of Lachford Hall at Tyler Arboretum in Media, PA.

Constructed in 1896, the obelisk, also called the polylith, stands 32.7 feet high and weighs 53.4 tons. This "pile of rocks" was created the same year the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences (formerly the School of Mines) at The Pennsylvania State University in State College, PA, came into existence.  A plaque on the monument reads as follows: "Containing 281 stones arranged in natural geologic order, this monument was erected in 1896 under supervision of Professors T.C. Hopkins and M.C. Ihlseng, School of Mines, The Pennsylvania State College, to demonstrate weathering properties and subsequent value of Pennsylvania building stone."

This image was taken at the Barree Road outcrop in Alexandria, PA. It is an open inclined fold and the shale layers act as a slip plane for the sandstone layers.

The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia has a new exhibit, Dinosaurs Unearthed, running from October 12, 2013 to March 30, 2014. This exhibit features more than a dozen life-size animatronic dinosaurs, as well as skeletons, fossils, and much more.

A life-size Tyrannosaurus rex (pictured here) welcomes you outside the Academy. The long neck of the Ruyangosaurus towers over the Art of Science Gallery. Inside the exhibit, get up close with a microraptor, a Triceratops, a Velociraptor, and more. The exhibit also contains a dig site for young paleontologists, a Dino Detective touch-screen quiz, chances to control dinosaur movements, and other activities to encourage exciting hands-on exploration.

Pine Creek Gorge, sometimes called The Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania, is a 47-mile (76 km) gorge carved by Pine Creek in Pennsylvania. It sits in about 160,000 acres (650 km²) of the Tioga State Forest and is ~1,280 ft (427 m) from the rim to its deepest point. The brown pathway to the right and parallel to Pine Creek is a Rail Trail. TrailLink information on the Pine Creek Rail Trail.

For additional information, read this excellent article in Geotimes titled Pine Creek Gorge: The other Grand Canyon. The article contains a description of how the glacial history of the region changed the direction of flow in Pine Creek.