The official start of summer is juuust around the corner!

It’s kind of hard to believe. It feels like spring has just arrived, but when I look out my back windows, I see an overflow of bright green leaves on the trees where tiny buds and blossoms used to be. 

Our neighborhoods are looking incredible right now. Lush, tree-lined streets for days. I don’t have a dog, but I can only imagine that this is the absolute best time of year to be walking them!

We’ve been simultaneously enjoying the quieter vibe of summer around town and excitedly welcoming the return of some of the beloved events that were put on pause during the pandemic.

Memorial Day in nearby Boalsburg was a hot in the sun, perfect in the shade, “I forgot how much I love Clem’s BBQ!” kind of day. The streets were filled with artists and craft vendors, funnel cakes and kettle corn, and lots of music and lighthearted energy. After a two-year hiatus, it felt wonderful to stroll through the village’s historic streets and run into neighbors, coworkers, old friends, or family who were also out enjoying the day. (And then promptly find a shady spot to stop and catch up.)

Memorial Day closed out the month with tradition and lots of great community energy. But a cool new thing that happened around town in May this year was that the Borough Council designated the month as No Mow May.

This trend is not unique to State College, but it’s the first year I’ve noticed it here and I had such a spark of pride (and a feeling of relief) when I learned about the initiative.

The goal is to encourage residents to skip mowing for the month to allow pollinator-friendly plants like dandelions and clover to grow and support our biodiversity.

As a result, many lawns in State College offered an extra vibrant visual celebration of spring that made the transition into warmer weather feel even more joyful. How much more cheerful does a yard look with little pops of yellow, blue, and purple scattered throughout?!

That sense of relief I mentioned earlier comes from feeling like the place I live is actively adding points into the “make the world better” column.

We all know that bees, the tiny and hard-working friends responsible for pollinating one third (!!!) of our food, are up against some serious environmental hurdles. And between the pollinator garden at the Arboretum, No Mow May, the list of locals who’ve personally told me that they plant flowers specifically for the bees and butterflies, and my own summer porch pots that have lots of black and yellow visitors, it feels really good to be actively doing something along with my neighbors, instead of just sitting around worrying. 

When it comes to taking action to catalyze change that really matters, our small town community is making so many important things happen. 

Every Friday at 3 Dots, for example, the Centre LGBTQA Support Network hosts a Free Clothing Closet so anyone can access gender-affirming clothing. That’s awesome. 

On an afternoon walk, you don’t have to go far to find yard signs promoting inclusivity, supporting local farmers, or bringing awareness to a variety of enthusiastically-backed causes. 

And this year alone, our community raised more than $2 million during Centre Gives. That money will be funneled directly into our local nonprofits, supporting the arts, animal welfare, education, the environment, and health and social services. 

Walking into the Mount Nittany Middle School gym to get my first COVID vaccine last spring thanks to the outpouring of support from Centre Volunteers in Medicine is something I’ll remember for a long time. I felt so much gratitude as I sat amongst rows and rows of tables and saw the kindness and care that each volunteer patiently gave to members of our community.

And Centre Markets, an online farmers market focused on supporting beginning and minority-owned businesses that’s been keeping the connection between local farmers and the community strong since the height of the pandemic, feels like a quintessential Centre County success story. (P.S. Have you tried the amazing Ethiopian food from Etey’s Gursha yet? It’s one of the market’s highlights!)

I could list lots of other great local organizations doing much-needed work, but I’d also love to know: What causes are you passionate about? What talent or expertise do you have that would make State College even better? We’d love to connect you with others working toward the same goals or help you find the resources or partners to start something entirely new.

Of course there are ways that we can improve, do more, and affect even bigger change as a community. And it feels great to continue to come across so many people here who are (quietly or more visibly) making a difference. 

It feels like a community with a foundation of care, awareness, and a desire to uncover our blind spots and do better. And it feels like a place that’s building momentum and will be capable of affecting even more positive change in the future.

Maybe you’ll be a part of that change!