Friday, March 28, 2008

Article on Ecological Effects of Invasive Plants


Doug Tallamy's book entitled "Bringing Nature Home" stresses how important native plants are to insects and birds. A recent article appeared in the Home and Garden section of the New York Times entitled To Feed the Birds, First feed the Bugs. It is an excellent article about the ecological effects of invasive plants. This article really points out the need to landscape with native plants.


Monday, March 24, 2008

GAME COMMISSION RELEASES 2007-08 DEER HARVEST ESTIMATES


HARRISBURG - The Pennsylvania Game Commission today reported that hunters harvested an estimated 323,070 deer in the state's 2007-08 seasons. That's down 11 percent from the previous seasons' harvest.

Hunters took 109,200 antlered deer in the 2007-08 seasons, down 19 percent from the previous license year's harvest of 135,290. Also, hunters harvested 213,870 antlerless deer in 2007-08, a five percent drop from the 226,270 antlerless deer taken in 2006-07.

"What stands out most when looking over the harvest data is the difference in the opening day deer kill of the two-week firearms season," said Dr. Christopher Rosenberry, Game Commission Deer Section Supervisor. "Report cards sent in by hunters show the antlered deer harvest on the opening day, Nov. 26, dropped more than 50 percent from 2006. Daily harvests for the rest of the two-week season, Nov. 27-Dec.
8, were similar to 2006.

"The firearms season's opening day antlerless deer harvest also dropped nearly 50 percent from 2006. However, the antlerless harvest throughout the remainder of the two-week season increased and, in due course, erased some of the opening day's harvest shortfall."


Friday, March 21, 2008

GAME COMMISSION TO PROVIDE WILDLIFE WORKSHOPS FOR TEACHERS AND OTHER EDUCATORS


The Pennsylvania Game Commission is announcing a pair of wildlife education workshops for educators and scout and youth group leaders in April. The two programs, both of which are Act 48 approved for educators, are Pennsylvania Biodiversity and WILD About Elk.


Theresa Alberici, Game Commission Wildlife Conservation Education specialist, facilitates and administers Project WILD, which is one of the most widely-used conservation and environmental education programs among educators of students from kindergarten through 12th grades. These workshops, which are part of the series of Advanced WILD and PA Songbird workshops provided by the Game Commission, will be held at the Game Commission's Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area along Hopeland Road, two miles south of Kleinfeltersville, Lebanon County.


Following is a summary of the programs, both of which are free of charge.


Pennsylvania Biodiversity: On April 1, Pennsylvania Game Commission and Carbon County Conservation District will host a workshop featuring the brand new "Pennsylvania Biodiversity" supplement to "Windows on the WILD." This program will help educators prepare students to explore the diverse ecosystems of Pennsylvania and discover the importance of biodiverstiy in the everyday world. For registration, please contact Jeannie Carl, at the CCEEC, 151 E. White Bear Drive, Summit Hill, PA 18250, by phone (570-645-8597) or fax (570-645-8499).


WILD about Elk: On April 10, the Pennsylvania Game Commission and Lehigh Zoo will sponsor "WILD about Elk," a very popular Project WILD workshop, that takes a close look at Pennsylvania's largest member of the cervid family. Once extirpated from the Commonwealth, a thriving elk herd of roughly 700 animals roams a portion of northcentral Pennsylvania. As part of this workshop, participants will view elk at this zoo. To register, contact Janet Berry Enos, Lehigh Valley Zoo, P.O. Box 519, 5150 Game Preserve Road, Schnecksville, PA 18078, 610-799-4171 (ext. 238), or email her at jberry-enos@lvzoo.org.


Facts from the Pennsylvania Game Commission: In 2007, more than 1,500 educators participated in basic WILD workshops, as well as Advanced WILD workshops, hosted by the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Deer Habitat Management


By Kip Adams, Quality Deer Management Association, Director of Education and Outreach, Northern Region

Quality Deer Management (QDM) continues to increase in popularity across North America . As hunters develop a more complete understanding of QDM, the importance of habitat quality takes a larger role. Of QDM’s four building blocks, herd management is often the first that hunters gravitate to, but habitat management quickly grabs the attention of many QDM practitioners and is often one of the most satisfying aspects of a deer management program. When asked for QDMA’s perspective on habitat management, it is difficult to give an all-inclusive answer, but it is possible to provide a general overview of critical deer habitat components.

Quality habitat is important for bucks and does in all age classes. Does need nutritious forage to raise healthy fawns, bucks need it for large bodies and antlers, and both sexes require adequate cover to escape predation. Given the average deer eats 2,000 pounds of vegetation annually, it’s easy to see a tremendous amount of forage is necessary to support even a low-density deer herd. Larger herds and herds managed to maximize body and antler growth and reproductive capacity require even more high-quality foods.

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

RIGHTS OF WAY AND INDUSTRIAL LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT SEMINAR


Penn State Cooperative Extensions invites all to a full-day seminar focusing on managing rights of way and industrial landscape vegetation. Experts including Joe Lentz with Arborchem and Dr. Jon Johnson with the Pennsylvania State University will present latest research and control measures for the growing invasive plants challenge we face with global travel.

The Rights of Way Seminar takes place on Thursday April 3 at Mercer County Cooperative Extension, 463 North Perry Highway (US Rt. 19) Mercer PA 16137. Cost to attend the conference is $30 including lunch, with pre-registration required by March 28. On-site check-in begins at 9:00 a.m., with the seminar running until 4:00 p.m. If you would like more information about the course or to sign up, please contact Scott Sjolander at 814-333-7460. Continuing Education Units are approved for ISA Certified Arborists, and PA Pesticide Applicators Credits in Categories 5, 10, 14, 18, and 23 are applied for.

The Pennsylvania State University encourages individuals with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing special accommodations or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact Scott Sjolander at 814-333-7460, or email sas305@psu.edu in advance of your participation or visit.