Shank Park is a place that holds many memories for me, and others for the community. From soccer fields to playgrounds to walking trails, there is something for everyone here. In past years, I spent many summers on the field with soccer teams and running through the trails of the woods. Currently my personal favorite spot would be a large section of pines within the park. It’s a little ways from the fields, and set between a few trails on a hill so it doesn’t get too much traffic either. It is a stark difference from the rest of the park, where there is mostly open fields or a mixture of dense woods surrounding the rest of the trails. The park in general has something for everyone; miles of trails, fields for all sports, and the peaceful woods filled with birds. The trees perfectly spaced out for hammocking. You can sit for hours, listening to the squirrels running around and breath in the pine scent, over a carpet of red-brown needles. There always seems to be a few inches of needles on the ground making the ground soft. The squirrels and birds in the area seem to love the trees as much as I do.
There is a lot less diversity in Shank Park in comparison to Centennial woods. At this place in Shank Park, there seems to be only two types of trees. Those that are keep their needles all year round, and another type that has already shed its, despite the mid 50 degree weather Central PA is having for for late fall this year. The trees keeping their needles grow on the edges of the pine area while the needle-less trees reside inside the fence created by the needled trees. There are very few other organisms living in the area. Birds and squirrels can be heard but not quite as many as Centennial. Squirrels are running through the needles and up the trees but stay hidden, as well as the birds. In comparison to Centennial Woods, the underbrush is bare. A few odd shaped white mushrooms take shelter within the dead pine needles. Centennial has much more diversity in all aspects. There are many more types of trees, and on the ground wherever there are not trees growing out of the ground, there are various other plants. There are families of chipmunks and squirrels running across the ground and up the sides of trees. Although quite different both places are beautiful and have unique characteristics making them special.
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