Meet the makers in the Pine Creek Valley & PA Grand Canyon region

From the renowned vistas to the rolling valleys, our landscape here in the northeast corner of the PA Wilds offers plentiful opportunities to explore or reflect on the natural beauty around us. The lush deciduous forests and abundant wildlife of the Pine Creek Valley is a testament to our region’s conservation legacy. The beauty, bounty and rural traditions influence our communities and artisan products in unique ways.

Kevin Coolidge created the Totally Ninja Raccoons for reluctant readers. These fun, short adventures are set right here in the Pennsylvania Wilds--such as the Coudersport Ice Mine, Cherry Springs State Park, and the Pine Creek Rail Trail. These books will turn your child into a reading ninja. "All raccoons are ninjas; some are more ninja than others," says Kevin.

Allison from Owl and Moon Creative, says growing up in the Pittsburgh area, she dreamed of living in the PA Wilds where her family had a vacation home/hunting camp. She never left on an adventure without her camera, capturing hundreds of images through the lens and documenting her family memories. When she turned 18, she decided to make her dream a reality and moved to Tioga County to pursue higher education. It wasn't long before she planted her roots when purchasing her first home, and soon after she purchased her first DSLR camera. From there, the rest is history. She hopes you enjoy the images she has as much as she enjoys creating them!

Alabaster Coffee is a nationally award winning micro-roaster + coffee bar located in Williamsport, PA. Established in 2010, they are a small, family owned business seeking to make a difference both locally & globally. People matter to them, and they do their best to respect every person involved in the process of getting coffee from the seed to your cup. This means they know their producers & visit their farms as they’re able, partnering with them and paying premium prices for what they believe are some of the best coffees in the world.

"Hippies use Side Door Soaps!" For over 10 years, they've been making soaps, lotions and balms to gently care for sensitive skin. Sensitive skin needs care and attention so they handcraft wholesome soap and a variety of personal care products to love your bodies with. They use plant oils that are sourced responsibly and processed as minimally as possible to make the best bases and use a variety of other natural ingredients for coloring, scenting, and flavoring. Some specialty soaps use mica colorants and fragrances. Each ingredient is chosen for a specific purpose, no fillers here!

Jillia from Jillia Ceramics has been passionate about art her entire life. She fell in love with pottery in her first pottery class at Williamsport High School in 2008. Clay has not left her hands since. In 2022, she left her career as a Graphic/Web Designer and became a full-time Ceramic Artist. Her studio is located in the PA Wilds of Williamsport. She works out of a small room in her basement. She creates the majority of her work on the pottery wheel, but she also loves to make ceramic jewelry, home decor, and other pieces through hand-building. She doesn't use any molds, slip casting, slab rollers, or extruders in my studio, only her two hands and her wheel. She lives to create and to see her work being used in everyday life. The beauties of PA and the changing seasons are her inspirations. She loves good coffee, riding her dirt bike, jet skiing the Susquehanna River, home improvement projects, supporting local, working out, meditating and anything outside on a sunny day.

PA SUNCATCHER-Linda Stager  grew up and lives in the PA Wilds, one of the most magnificent places on earth! Her father used to say, "It's a beautiful day in Tioga County" and now that he is gone, she says that every single day...."It IS a beautiful day in Tioga County".

She is a self-taught photographer and author who after retirement had an impulsive idea that she wanted to write a guidebook to the Pine Creek Rail Trail. She took two years to research the book and to take photos for illustrations.

The Guidebook is now a best seller and her photography skills have improved over time.

These days she writes for numerous regional and national publications and can say that she is an award-winning author and photographer. 

But her theme...her motto... is always the same: "It's a BEAUTIFUL day in Tioga County...and the PA WILDS!

Steve Brady is the eye and heart behind Brady Photography's lens, where each frame is not just captured, but co-created with the spirit of the wilds. His journey with photography began in the late 1970s, a gift from his father along with his old Minolta film camera. It sparked a love that has only deepened with time, a passion nurtured through 4-H programs, and honored at County and State fairs.

The changing tools from dark rooms to LightRoom have enhanced the way he conveys the stories of the PA Wilds—those rolling mountains, the serene Rose Valley Lake, the quiet wilderness—that all come alive in my photographs. He has sought to not just photograph but to translate the emotional tapestry of nature into a visual symphony.

His collection, available at shopthepawilds.com, offers you more than just prints. It's an invitation to experience and share the beauty of the PA Wilds. Whether it's through a fine art piece adorning your wall or a greeting card sent to a loved one, each image is an echo of the wilderness, meant to inspire and transform your living space into a gallery of natural wonder.

“Join me. Let's inspire each other to see the world, preserve its moments, and hold the PA Wilds close to our hearts.” says Steve.

Don Luke is the creator behind DLE Designs and he has lived in the Williamsport, PA area all his life. I have. He has always had a love for all things made from wood, new and old, and the desire to work with wood in one form or another. He has also worked in the facilities maintenance field for 32 years where he had the opportunity to learn the basics of engraving which created a desire to own an engraving machine of his own someday. In 2021 he purchased a CO2 laser and what an awesome experience it has been because I was able to combine his love for wood and his desire for engraving into one and create many cool handcrafted items.

Carl Frederick Lawrenson, grew up in Susquehanna, a small town in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania. He attended Mansfield State college from 1967 to 1971 majoring in art education. Since graduation he has spent much of his life teaching art, coaching basketball and painting in northern Tioga County, a rural area in the mountains of north central Pa.

Fred's paintings have placed in several regional juried exhibits along with receiving 4 viewer's choice awards. In addition, two of his paintings were selected for publication on full color calendars distributed throughout northern Pennsylvania in the late 1980s.

His painting "Origins", was selected to the Paint America Top 100 in 2007 and went on a national tour with the other selections throughout 2008. He again made the Paint America Top 100 in 2010 with his painting "Tanglewood Touchdown", which was on tour throughout 2011. This painting also won the Palette Award at the ERAS exhibit presented at the Arnot Art Museum in December of 2012. In 2010 he published a children's book, that he wrote and illustrated, titled "Shalock and the Cloud of Bad Dreams," which was one of eight national finalists in the Best Book Awards competition for soft cover children's fiction literature, sponsored buy USA Book News. In 2012 Fred published his 2nd book, "In Search of the Great Wild Kawkins," which was also selected as a USA Best Book Awards national finalist. Two more of his paintings "After the Rain," and Abrams Falls," were selected to the National Paint the Parks Top 100 and were on tour throughout 2015 and part of 2016.

Lynn Kibbe is a professional artist specializing in nature and animal art. She also accomplishes still life, architecture, and landscape artwork as well. After having worked in other fine art media, she now works exclusively in scratchboard. She is self-taught and has been a professional artist since 2010.

Lynn has demonstrated at area venues throughout Pennsylvania and has offered scratchboard workshops. Lynn is active in the local art scene and her work is with collectors across the United States and abroad; and has been chosen to be included in the Susquehanna Health Tower Project for use in medical centers around the region. She has also served on local (Bald Eagle Art League) and international art associations (the International Society of Scratchboard Artists-ISSA) as a board member and is currently a Signature Member of ISSA as well as a Signature Member of American Women Artists.

The second PA Wilds Conservation Shop opened at Leonard Harrison in June 2021. It's a perfect starting point for your trip to the Pine Creek Valley + PA Grand Canyon landscape of the PA Wilds. Pop into the shop before or after taking in the sights from the east rim of the PA Grand Canyon. From there, try hiking down to the valley floor to witness waterfalls along the way and explore the Pine Creek Rail Trail. The newly renovated visitors center at Leonard Harrison offers a glimpse into the history and geography of the Pine Creek Valley, as well as educational displays about local wildlife. The PA Wilds Conservation Shop at Leonard Harrison is open seasonally and offers products such as t-shirts, magnets, postcards, books, patches, and artwork that are inspired by the thrilling beauty of the PA Grand Canyon area and PA Wilds region.