Maybe you regularly cross paths with a wood turtle or two while heading back to that favorite brook trout stream tucked away in the hardwoods.
Or perhaps you keep uncovering redback salamanders while removing that decaying woodpile from the back yard.
And then there’s that errant Northern ring-necked snake that seems to delight in checking out your garage.
Live in Pennsylvania and you see your share of reptiles and amphibians. Enjoy its outdoors and you see lots of them. But what exactly are you seeing—and when and where are you seeing them? There is a cadre of dedicated folks who want to hear what you’re seeing.
Enter the ongoing PA Amphibian and Reptile Survey or PARS. Think of it as an informal census by scientists to take the pulse of all that dart, hop, paddle, plod and slither into your outdoors world. It is an important state-sponsored atlas project launched in 2013.
PARS is designed to determine the distribution and status of all amphibians and reptiles throughout Pennsylvania, building upon previous atlas efforts and combining modern technology with an army of volunteer citizen scientists.
The project is a joint venture by the Fish and Boat Commission and the Mid-Atlantic Center for Herpetology and Conservation. It is funded by the commission, through its U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service State Wildlife Grants Program, and DCNR, through its Wildlife Resources Conservation Program.
“It is a project that you can participate in by keeping track of any amphibians or reptiles that you see in the field during your daily work duties, outdoors recreation or time spent in your back yard,” said Aura Stauffer, wildlife biologist with the Bureau of Forestry’s Ecological Services Section. “Even if you have no idea what the species is, just take a picture. Besides a picture as a voucher, you will also need to document the coordinates for where the species was found and some basic habitat information.”
The PARS website asks all the data you will need to know. There is also a mobile phone app that can be used in the field to immediately report data in places where there is good cell phone service. Data for sensitive species—threatened or endangered—will not be available for the public to view.
“We are hoping more folks will participate in this most worthy endeavor and pass information along to others across the state who may be interested in helping out,” Stauffer said. “Everyone’s help is invaluable.”
(Reprinted from the June 25 issue of the DCNR Resource newsletter. Click Here to read a copy and to sign up to receive your own (at the bottom of the webpage.)