Upcoming Events
ClearWater Listserv
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Adventures in Conservation:
Evening Vernal Pool Tour at Scotia Barrens
March 25, 2010 (Thursday)
8 - 10 pm
Scotia Barrens
Spring migration and breeding of rarely seen salamanders offers a unique opportunity for nature-lovers.
ClearWater Conservancy, a Centre County-based nonprofit land trust and natural resource conservation organization, is offering an opportunity to witness and explore a distinctive and temporary habitat when it hosts its Adventures in Conservation event at the Scotia Barrens on Thursday, March 18 from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Participants will discover the importance of vernal pools while learning what makes them so unique.
“This is a great opportunity for participants to receive a guided tour of something very special,” said Katie Ombalski, conservation biologist at ClearWater Conservancy. “If the weather cooperates, participants will likely see many pool-dependent species including dozens if not hundreds of migrating spotted salamanders. It is a fascinating sight to see so many at one time”.
The evening will be a special opportunity for the group to see examples of vernal pools – also called seasonal pools – that support a diversity of rarely seen species. Vernal Pools are required breeding habitat for many amphibians including spotted salamander, Jefferson salamander, and wood frogs. They are also home to uncommon invertebrates such as fairy shrimp. These seasonal pools offer a reproductive safe haven as they are free of predatory species such as fish.
“Frozen frogs, courting salamanders, raucous chorusing, and home-finding migrations… amphibians have evolved those astounding adaptations to exploit vernal pools, and witnessing the sights and sounds of their seasonal migrations can leave a lasting impression,” said Jim Julian, Ph.D. from Penn State, Altoona. “My program will highlight how the abundance of vernal pools and forested upland habitat at the Barrens allow the vernal pool species there to thrive.”
The event is hosted by ClearWater Conservancy. Jim Julian is a lecturer in Biology at the Altoona Campus of Penn State University, and will lead the tour. Interested participants should register by March 12th. Reservations can be made by calling (814) 237-0400 or by e-mailing Sarah Edge at sarah@clearwaterconservancy.org. Reservations are limited to 40 people.
Scotia Barrens is a unique Pennsylvania habitat with one of the largest pitch pine-scrub oak barrens left in the state. It is also one of the largest sources of groundwater for Bellefonte’s Big Spring and a great place for education and study of its natural resources.
Please bring rain gear, appropriate footwear, flashlights/headlamps, buckets and nets (if you have them). We will hold the event rain or shine!
April 17, 2010 (Saturday)
8 am - noon
A wide variety of sites throughout Centre County's
watersheds
There’s no better way to celebrate spring than to come outside with ClearWater to help clean sites throughout Central Pennsylvania when we host our annual Watershed Cleanup Day. It is a hand-on opportunity to work together as a community to make your own watershed a cleaner place to live and to spread the message of individual environmental stewardship.
Each year, hundreds of volunteers clear tons debris and trash from local sinkholes, roadsides, illegal dump sites and stream banks, making the natural surroundings of Centre County more beautiful and healthy.
Following the Cleanup at 12:30, a thank you picnic will be held for all participants at Millbrook Marsh Nature Center.
Call Brianna at (814) 237-0400 or email brianna@clearwaterconservancy.org to find out how YOU can join the Cleanup Team!
7th Annual Otto's Golf-Fest to benefit ClearWater Conservancy
August 30, 2010 (Monday)
State College Elks Country Club in Boalsburg
Join ClearWater Conservancy for the 7th annual Otto’s Golf-Fest! Whether you’re a golf pro or just want to enjoy the summer sunshine, you're sure to find something for you. The four-person Throw, String Scramble with a Shotgun Start allows the golfers to have fun and set aside the "serious competition". The Otto's brew helps, too!
The $135 golfer registration fee includes greens fees, cart, Otto's brew, breakfast goodies, lunch, a gift pack, an Italian buffet dinner & awards ceremony, prizes, and more! Registration forms and payment must be received by Friday, August 20, 2010. No refunds will be issued after this date. The event will take place rain or shine, so be prepared to play.
Breakfast Goodies & Morning Registration: 6:30 am
Morning Shotgun Start: 7:30 am
Lunch & Afternoon Registration: 11:30 am
Afternoon Shotgun Start: 1:00 pm
For the Love of
Art & Chocolate
January 28, 2011 (Friday)
6:30 - 10:00 pm
President's Hall, The Penn Stater Conference Center
Hotel (free valet parking)
Come join ClearWater for an evening of music, art, and best of all... all the chocolate you care to eat! The 2011 event will be at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel on Friday, January 28 from 6:30 - 10:00 pm.
For a ticket price of $30, you'll get an impressive assortment of chocolate delicacies, the opportunity to view and bid on a variety of art works inspired by nature, and the chance to win some fabulous door prizes. All proceeds benefit ClearWater Conservancy.
To purchase tickets in advance call ClearWater Conservancy at (814) 237-0400. Tickets may also be purchased at the door, but advance ticket holders can walk right in.