Inside the Outdoors with Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn

What do a legacy of conservation, a changing climate, and your own backyard have in common?

As it turns out—everything. Our host, Marci Mowery is joined by Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn to discuss how public lands, local stewardship, and the wisdom of the past are shaping a greener future.

Pennsylvania’s state parks and forests weren’t always the thriving natural havens they are today. In the late 1800s, widespread deforestation and environmental degradation inspired early conservationists like Joseph T. Rothrock and Mira Lloyd Dock to push for reform. Their efforts laid the groundwork for a movement that, decades later, would lead to the creation of the Civilian Conservation Corps, which helped restore much of the landscape and built key infrastructure still in use today.

Today, the work continues. With increasing threats from climate change, invasive species, and urbanization, conservation is more urgent—and more community-driven—than ever. A proposed 125th park may soon join the park system and the 2.2 million acres of state forests lands are managed with long-term sustainability in mind.

Everyone can play a role. Whether it’s showing up to a park program, planting a native tree, or simply taking a new trail, active engagement matters. Nature doesn’t just belong to us—it’s part of us. And in preserving it, we’re preserving something far greater than scenery: we’re preserving our future.

Key Topics:

• The DCNR’s Vision-Mission (00:00)
• The Creation of State Parks (06:53)
• Cindy’s Role in Preserving Water Quality (13:31)
• How Citizens Can Consider the Broader Subject of Conservation (18:13)
• Lawn to Meadow: Replacing Invasive with Native Plants (23:34)
• DCNR’s Current and Future Initiatives (28:37)

Resources:

• DCNR Website
• “Ramblings” at Penn-Roosevelt: A Look at African American CCC Camp S-62
• Penn-Roosevelt Quintet: Music and Entertainment at Camp S-62
• Education at Camp S-62
• The Unsung Contributions of CCC Company 303-C at Clearfield Nursery
• The “Maroon Devils” of Company 361-C: Sports at Camp S-62
• Volunteerism with Friends Groups