NEWS RELEASE
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
Department of Conservation
and Natural Resources
Commonwealth News Bureau
Room 308, Main Capitol
Harrisburg, PA 17120
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Terry Brady
DCNR Deputy Press Secretary
(717) 772-9101
FRENCH CREEK STATE PARK HOSTING 2ND ANNUAL WILD
RESOURCE FESTIVAL
‘Celebration of Nature’ draws prominent speakers, offers host of
hands-on activities
HARRISBURG (May 4, 2006) — From songbirds flitting in the tree canopy above to mushrooms enriching the forest floor below, Pennsylvania’s vast natural heritage will be celebrated in a day-long Wild Resource Festival on Saturday, May 20, at French Creek State Park in Berks and Chester counties.
“We are hoping for widespread public participation in this second annual ‘celebration of nature,’ featuring no less than 35 environment-based demonstrations, speakers and hands-on activities geared for the entire family,” said Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Michael DiBerardinis. “We are proud of the many prominent naturalists, botanists, biologists and other speakers who will be introducing park visitors to our wealth of outdoors riches.”
Sponsored by DCNR’s Wild Resource Conservation Program, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Game Commission and Fish and Boat Commission, the second annual Wild Resource Festival will be offered free to the public from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“Whether visitors see the park’s wild beavers, master some canoe paddling basics, or expand their bird identification skills, all festival-goers will have the chance to spend a day at one of our outstanding state parks, explore nature, and learn about wildlife, plants, rocks, water, and the beauty of the Big Woods area of southeastern Pennsylvania,” DiBerardinis said.
Many of the festival speakers have been involved in Wild Resource Conservation Program-supported projects in recent years, studying mammals, inventorying plants and banding birds. Their work will be demonstrated and discussed on the park’s two lakes and 7,475 acres of woodlands and fields.
In addition, fungi and their importance in the state’s ecosystem will be addressed in at least three seminars as part of Wild Resource Conservation Program efforts to educate the public on the value of the more than 8,000 fungi species found in Pennsylvania.
“There will be an attempt to educate festival visitors on the vital role of fungi in forest ecology and in Pennsylvania’s agricultural economy, as few people understand their uniqueness and appreciate their astonishing variety,” said Wild Resource Conservation Program Executive Director Sara Nicholas.
Events also will include stationary exhibits with live animals and demonstrations, as well as a series of hikes and nature walks. A food vendor, musicians and volunteers will be on hand.
“The accent is on nature-based fun and we’re inviting all ages to come out and feed a crayfish; catch stream bugs; pet a turtle; and try some deliciously-prepared, wild edible plants and fungi,” Nicholas said. “You can have your face painted with animal tracks, learn how to band songbirds, follow the trail of a white-footed mouse and much more.”
Housed within DCNR’s Office of Conservation Science, the Wild Resource Conservation Program directs resources toward endangered and threatened species—both plants and animals—and strives to educate the public on recognition and preservation of Pennsylvania’s most sensitive flora and fauna. It has reintroduced river otters to Pennsylvania’s waterways and ospreys to its skies, while awarding grants to projects studying and protecting plants, birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, amphibians and other species.
A list of events, directions and other festival details can be found at www.dcnr.state.pa.us/wrcf/festival/index.html. The Wild Resource Conservation Program’s featured a morel on its 2006 poster and patch, and a mushroom on this year’s commemorative festival patch.
For more Wild Resource Conservation Program details, visit DCNR’s web site at www.dcnr.state.pa.us.
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