CLARION – The Clarion University Biology Department in collaboration with the Clarion University Anthropology, Geography, and Earth Sciences Department, the Clarion County Commissioners Office, and numerous state agencies, non-profits, and community volunteers is gathering data on the flora and fauna of Clarion County.
This work will become part of the Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program (PNHP) database. The PNHP was established in 1982 and is part of a network of similar programs that have been established in all U.S. states, Canada, and Latin America. The PNHP collects and stores information about rare plants and animals, special communities and habitats, and unique geologic features in the state.
This large database provides a record of the rich natural history of Pennsylvania and provides information to the Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory (PNDI), which is used in state and local permit reviews. Having occurrence data for rare plants and animals already in the PNDI rather than completing surveys with each application can sometimes aid the permitting process. Clarion is one of the last counties in the state to undertake PNHP surveys.
Fieldwork performed over the past year has already uncovered previously unknown populations of the Timber Rattlesnake, relatively rare in this region, the Queen Snake, a watersnake that specializes on crayfish, and Fowler’s Toad, similar to but less common in the area than the American Toad. Insect surveys may uncover new state records of some known species of aquatic insect and may result in the identification of species entirely new to science. Should this happen those new species will be described and granted names in the scientific literature. Examples of those insects will then be placed in Pennsylvania and national museums as reference specimens.
Dr. Andrew Keth, associate professor of biology at Clarion University and PNHP project leader requests the public’s assistance. Anyone in the community who has knowledge of interesting species or habitats in the county is asked to email Keth at aketh@clarion.edu. These tips will allow the team to focus their fieldwork in the coming months.
The team is interested in current or historical knowledge of rare species including recent sightings of interesting organisms. A few examples might include the sighting of a fisher or rattlesnake crossing the road, large numbers of bats leaving a building or rock outcropping at dusk, or any lizard seen basking running about.
Keth said, “We not only want to find out where these organisms are but also where they are not. We would like to know where they were seen historically so that we can perform habitat assessments to see if they are still there and if they are not, find out why. So, hearing stories like ‘when I was a kid we used to . . . ’ can still be helpful. Tips like this have already resulted in important data so the public’s involvement is always greatly appreciated.”
