It’s almost time for another Walk in Penn’s Woods.

The 2021 statewide event, the fifth annual, will take place on Sunday, Oct. 3.

The local edition, featuring the Hatch Run Conservation Demonstration Area on Hatch Run Road a little more than a mile from Route 62 in North Warren, will be held from 1 to 3:30 p.m.

“Join the Warren County Conservation District staff and partners for a short, guided walk at HRCDA, where we will go geocaching and learn more about our local forest,” according to a WCCD release. “There are also many self-guided activities to do on your own at the HRCDA.”

The walk has “limited stroller and wheelchair accessibility,” according to the release. Pets that are kept on leashes and whose owners clean up after them are welcome.

“Pennsylvania’s woods bring us values that we sometimes take for granted,” according to the release. “The trees and ground cover provide nutrients for the soil, food and homes for wildlife, clean air and water, wood products that we use daily, and peace and tranquility for us to enjoy. The woods ‘work’ for us.”

“Walk in Penn’s Woods raises awareness about the importance of forests to our lives and the effort that goes into caring for them,” according to WCCD. “We are one of various sites across the state where Pennsylvanians of all ages will be getting out in the woods, building appreciation for and learning about the forest, the people who own them, and the importance of caring well for them.”

The Walks first started in 2017. They are designed to help people “gain easy access to expert forest and wildlife professionals,” according to the release. “Some walks have children’s activities; others highlight managed wildlife habitat or watersheds; you may see the results of harvesting activities or plantings of native trees and shrubs; still others may demonstrate the effects of urban tree cover or riparian buffers.”

Additional information, including a full list of walk locations, times, and descriptions, is available at www.walkinpennswoods.org.

The 2021 Walk in Penn’s Woods organizing partners include the Pennsylvania Forestry Association, The Center for Private Forests at Penn State, Penn State Forestry and Wildlife Extension, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Pennsylvania Forest Stewards, the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, the Pennsylvania Chapter of the Association of Consulting Foresters, and the Pennsylvania Sustainable Forestry Initiative.