Wild Heritage News Spring 2026

The Spring 2026 edition of Wild Heritage New is available. This issue includes articles on salamander mussels, mudpuppies conservation planning and vernal pools.

Mudpuppy and Salamander Mussel Research

By Ryan Miller, Senior Zoologist

For the past 8 years PNHP biologists have investigated the state endangered salamander mussel and its only known host the mudpuppy. Mudpuppies live alongside salamander mussels in shelter rock microhabitats and are clearly critical to the salamander mussel’s reproductive success.

No Stone(Fly) Left Unturned

By Pete Woods, Senior Invertebrate Zoologist

This winter, PNHP biologists began field work for a new project focused on regionally rare stoneflies. Stoneflies are aquatic insects that spend most of their lives in streams and rivers, where they graze on algae, diatoms, and other organisms.

Viva Vernal Pools!

By Betsy Leppo, Senior Invertebrate Zoologist

This spring PNHP staff, partners, and volunteers embarked on a whirlwind of vernal pool monitoring and outreach activities. We completed our fourth season of monitoring of a vernal pool at Gifford Pinchot State Park for the regional Vernal Pool Phenology Project.

Pennsylvania Botany Herbivorous Insect Diversity Workshop

Herbivorous Insect Diversity Workshop • June 23, 2026

This full-day, in-person workshop is offered by Pennsylvania Botany (pabotany.org), creators of the biennial Pennsylvania Botany Symposium and workshops since 2012.

Instructor Matt Wallace, ESU Professor of Biological Sciences, Ph.D. in Entomology, will provide:

a general introduction to insect morphology, and a discussion of the taxonomy/natural history/economic significance of noteworthy herbivorous insect families in the orders Hemiptera (true bugs, aphids, and hoppers), Coleoptera (beetles), and Hymenoptera (ants, wasps, bees).
Identification techniques of selected herbivorous insect orders & families
hands-on experience identifying insects to the family-level using dichotomous keys.
Instructor-led ESU campus/arboretum walk, discussing interesting plants and insects there.

Northeastern Mycological Federation 2026 Foray

NEMF 2026 Foray

The Northeast Mycological Federation is holding their annual foray from July 30 to August 2 at at Penn State Mont Alto. Visit their site for tickets and more information.

Rare PA Natural Plant Communities: From Peatlands to Upland Forests • August 25, 2026

This full-day outdoor workshop takes a deep dive into the plant communities of Pennsylvania's Laurel Highlands. Instructors include
Ephraim Zimmerman, Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program Director and Noah Yawn, Natural Heritage Program Ecologist, both with the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.

PNHP is a partnership of The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources,
the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, the Pennsylvania Game Commission, and
the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission

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