Greetings!
This week we'll be exploring the Barrens to Bald Eagle Wildlife Corridor, located in Port Matilda (just about a 10-minute drive from ClearWater's office in State College).
Wildlife corridors are home to many species of wildlife and act as an important passageway for safe migration, especially in areas where urban sprawl can prevent animals from roaming and moving freely between habitats throughout the year. Wildlife corridors are sometimes called “nature highways” or “wildlife bridges” and can be manmade or natural features of the landscape. Either way, they play a critical role in supporting the survival and expansion of ecosystems in areas where humans and human development are nearby.
The Barrens to Bald Eagle Wildlife Corridor (B2BE) in Port Matilda is one example of a wildlife corridor, and connects rare habitat in the 6,500-acre region known as the Scotia Barrens (State Gamelands #176) with the Bald Eagle Ridge. The 103-acre area was conserved by ClearWater Conservancy and numerous partners in 2010. ClearWater Conservancy owns 39 of these acres, and this portion is open to the public and protected by a conservation easement held by Halfmoon Township.
Visitors to the corridor can expect to see and hear many species of birds and other pollinators that are supported by the trees and shrubs planted and maintained by ClearWater and volunteers in order to provide sources of nectar and pollen, fruit and seeds for wildlife, nesting and roosting areas, as well as other important habitat for all wildlife. We hope you can join us on Sunday for a relaxing day spent exploring the corridor and learning about its significance related to the natural resources throughout our region.
Sincerely,
Dan Trew,
Adventure Coordinator, ClearWater Conservancy
