Governor's Invasive Species Council: Celebrate Pennsylvania Native Species Day May 16

The Governor's Invasive Species Council celebrates the second annual Pennsylvania Native Species Day on Thursday, May 16. Mark your calendars and plan to join in!

All organizations, government offices, farms, schools, and businesses are welcome to join in with their own activities.

Why celebrate and protect Pennsylvania's native species?

Pennsylvania is home to diverse native plants, trees, insects, fish, birds, and mammals that originated thousands of years ago and thrive in mutual dependence.

This native ecosystem provides us with natural resources that benefit our lives by enabling agricultural food production, recreation, fisheries, timber, and more.

As worldwide commerce and travel have increased, non-native species have crisscrossed the world with us.

When species are transported to areas outside their native range, they have no natural predators. They often invade, crowding out and threatening the survival of native species.

Help showcase Pennsylvania's native species on land and in water. Highlight the importance of reducing invasive species to sustain Pennsylvania's biodiverse ecosystem and all that depends on it.

More Information

Visit the PA Native Species Day website for participating organizations and events near you, including ways to get involved, native and invasive plant information.

If you have any questions about Pennsylvania Native Species Day, contact Kris Abell at krabell@pa.gov.

Resource Links:

-- Pollinator Gardens: Help Encourage Ecological Diversity In Your Own Backyard  [PaEN]

-- Pollinator Vehicle License Plate Now Available From PennDOT To Support Pollinator Habitat Fund  [PaEN]

Related Articles:

-- Master Watershed Steward Watershed-Friendly Native Plant Kit Sale Thru June 18  [PaEN]

-- Firefly Populations At Risk Due To Climate Change, Urban Development  [PaEN]

-- Penn State Extension Hosts May 22 In-Person Tap Talk: Deep Dive Into Vernal Pools Workshop In York  [PaEN] 

-- Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy Holds PA Native Plant Sale May 11-12 In Montgomery County  [PaEN] 

-- DCNR To Begin Accepting Applications For Wild Resource Conservation Grants May 6  [PaEN] 

NewsClips:

-- Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Spring Native Plant Sale May 18-19

-- Penn State: Surviving Ash Trees May Hold Genetic Key To Saving Multiple Tree Species From Emerald Ash Borer In The Nature Conservancy, US Forest Service Project 

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal - Ad Crable: PA Researchers Test New Strategies To Fight Deadly Bat Disease

-- Penn State: Bee Body Mass, Pathogens And Local Climate Influence Heat Tolerance

[Posted: May 7, 2024]  PA Environment Digest