Pennsylvania DCNR invests $530,000 to protect native biodiversity

Harrisburg — The state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources recently announced nearly $530,000 in funding for 15 projects across the commonwealth dedicated to conserving Pennsylvania’s native biodiversity.

“Every species plays a role in keeping Pennsylvania’s natural world healthy and resilient, and science is our most powerful tool to protect them,” said Cindy Adams Dunn, DCNR secretary.

“These investments ensure we can better understand the challenges wildlife and plants face and take action to safeguard them. Protecting biodiversity isn’t just environmental work – it’s our responsibility to future generations.”

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The 2025 grant round includes projects focused on surveying and studying rare plants, wildlife, fungi, and invertebrates to fill critical knowledge gaps and guide conservation, including:

• Western Pennsylvania Conservancy – $40,525 to accurately map green salamander habitat and assess conservation needs.

• University of Pennsylvania – $45,737 to study rare mountain mints (Pycnanthemum) and improve risk assessments and conservation planning.

• Florida A&M University Research Foundation – $46,550 to conduct an extensive survey of Pennsylvania amphipod crustaceans and refine taxonomic understanding and range maps.

• Carnegie Institute – $30,353 to locate rare plant species across western Pennsylvania using historic records and build new plant collections.

• Western Pennsylvania Conservancy – $43,385 to study regionally rare stoneflies and evaluate habitat, distribution, and threats such as pollution.

• Wilkes University – $27,182 to examine how forest management affects breeding and migration of prairie warblers and wood thrush in northeastern Pennsylvania.

• Western Pennsylvania Conservancy – $29,983 to survey specific rare plant species in eastern Pennsylvania with no reported occurrences in the last 20 years.

• Penn State – $53,924 to assess bee biodiversity using DNA barcoding and the Master Gardeners’ monitoring network, creating a statewide database of bee-host plant relationships.

• University of Pennsylvania – $50,493 to develop rapid detection protocols for endangered Allegheny woodrat habitat using trained conservation detection dogs.

• Conemaugh Valley Conservancy – $30,998 to create Pennsylvania’s first firefly inventory in partnership with global experts.

• Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia – $48,312 to assess opportunities to reintroduce the bridle shiner and ironcolor shiner, two endangered fish species.

• Hawk Mountain Sanctuary – $42,200 to study habitat and threats affecting Pennsylvania’s nesting and wintering northern harriers.

• Wildlands Conservancy – $38,400 to survey rare small mammals using camera traps and update conservation priorities.

• Western Pennsylvania Conservancy – $30,600 to study conservation needs of several Potamogeton species, a group of difficult-to-identify submerged aquatic plants.

• Philadelphia Mycology Club – $4,258 to document, sequence, and accession 1,600 fungi specimens into the Academy of Natural Sciences herbarium.

“Everyone loves fireflies – but these small insects that fly at night are hard to study, so we only have reliable information about the most common species,” said John Wentzel, executive director of the Conemaugh Valley Conservancy.

“There are likely more than 30 species in Pennsylvania, and we hope to define where you may find them.”

“In Pennsylvania, we have a rich diversity of native bee species that are crucial for our ecosystem’s health,” said Margarita Lopez-Uribe, Lorenzo Langstroth Early Career associate professor of entomology at Penn State.

“We have recorded close to 450 species, many of which are rare and depend on floral resources from native plants. With this project, we hope to collect more data on these vulnerable interactions between rare plants and native bees.”

“Many studies have shown that dogs can significantly boost surveillance capacity, especially for rare and elusive species,” said Lisa Murphy, director of the Wildlife Futures Program at the University of Pennsylvania.

“This project will focus on conservation detection dogs navigating the challenging habitat of Allegheny woodrats in search of scat to support Game Commission and Department of Conservation and Natural Resources management efforts.”

Administered by DCNR, the Wild Resource Conservation Program supports work to safeguard the commonwealth’s non-game animals, native plants, and their habitats.

Grants are awarded across three categories: species surveys, conservation, and management.