PF and PGC Working Together on Habitat
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Thirty men, women and children turned out for the spring Pheasants Forever work day in conjunction with the PA Game Commission. One retired gentleman travel 3 hours from Bradford county to show his support by building habitat. Forty degree temperatures made sure everyone had to work to stay warm.
Crews topped and stacked pine trees, fire cherry and the like to create brush piles for small animals on new State Game Lands #44. Cover and a safe nesting location are essential to keep the smaller animals away for the predators. In the next few years, the trimmed areas will sprout with blackberries and scrub to give the animals even more food and habitat.
A second crew headed into the game lands to take down a fence that was transported to the new game lands. It will later be reinstalled to shelter small crab apple tree seedlings.
PF sponsored a lunch for the hungry crews. Homemade soup, chili, hot dogs and fudge tasted better than ever after a full mornings work.
Our Pheasants Forever Chapter 630 is proud to be able to contribute man-power to these events, building habitat for now and the future.
PF Chapter 630 is a very successful chapter thanks to the continued support of our members. Come see out display at the Central PA Outdoor and Sports Show at the Clearfield Fair Grounds, March 25-27, 2011. Our next meeting is Thursday, April 21, 2011 at 7:00 PM at the Capital City fire hall on Front Street in Ridgway, PA.
Visit our web site at http://www.northcentralpa.pheasantsforever.org/. For more information, call Jane at 814-772-4604.
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| John Sloyer
swinging a hammer to pin a log for a mudsill |
Jesse Putnam
running the mini-excavator to dig a trench to bury a log, also for a mudsill
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At this project along Halfmoon Creek in Centre County, we restored over 1000 feet of stream (2000 feet of stream bank) by stabilizing stream banks and building fish habitat structures. Habitat Forever, working with Penn State and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, built around 20 different structures including mud sills, log vanes and log cross vanes, moved the fence back to increase the riparian buffer, and planted a native warm season grass and wildflower mixture. The work was paid for by a Growing Greener Grant through Penn State's Center for Watershed Stewardship working with the Foundation for California University of Pennsylvania. Halfmoon Creek is a high-quality cold water fishery, but is severely degraded in this stretch because much of it has been straightened and many farmers had previously plowed right up to the stream.
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Games Land Work Day a Huge Success
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| The first volunteers at the Kyler Road site were greeted with the cackle of a male pheasant. A rabbit ran across the field. What a way to start the day!
More then 50 men, women and children attend the Pennsylvania Game Land workday on March 28, 2009 on the new Brandy Camp parcel of State Game Lands # 044. Fox Township and Pheasant Forever members turn out in force along with other citizen willing to spend a few hours of their weekend improving the site for small game animals. Those with chains saws topped pine trees and cut brush while others stacked the cuttings into tall brush piles. The brush piles will provide an instant hiding place for small game to hide from predators and build nests. PF sponsored a nice lunch for the group. The work went quickly with so many strong, willing hands. Thanks to all the volunteers.
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The PA Game Commission has been clearing acres of brush with bull dozers in preparation for planting food plots. Pheasants Forever has committed to fund sludge treatment and seed procurement for 10 acres this year. PGC already has the fertilizer needed for the spring work. This will help develop 10 acres of food plots which will feature sorghum and some sunflower plantings. The PA Game Commission is still working on the long term improvement plans for this site but Pheasant Forever will be involved.
There is a Pheasants Forever Chapter 630 meeting on Thursday, April 16, 2009 at 7:00 PM in the Ridgway Capital City fire hall on Front Street. Please note that all further meetings this year will be the third Thursday of the month. All members are welcome and encouraged to attend. We will be discussing habitat planting for the up coming year. Visit our web site at http://www.northcentralpa.pheasantsforever.org/ for meeting dates, hunting information, recipes, officers list and more.
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Habitat Grows on Trees
Pheasants Forever toassist PA Game Commission
Believe it or not, spring is almost in the air and it's time to start planning 2011 projects. All animals enjoy the new acreage of PA State Game Lands #44 but our work will help habitat for small animals such as rabbits and birds by improving food and cover. Our tractor crew will continue our annual planting of grasses, clover and sorghum later in the spring.
The Pheasants Forever Work Day on PA Game Lands #44 is set for Saturday, March 19, 2011 starting at 8:00 AM. Groups will form and work 9AM-noon and 1PM until 4PM or until the work is done. We will park past the dedication sign going in to the Shawmut tract of PA State Game Lands #44 at the top of the hill.
We will need as many people as possible to bring chain saws, chaps, helmets, pruning poles and other safety gear and brush cutting tools. Everyone using a chain saw will be required to wear chaps, no exceptions. We will be working outdoors cutting brush and building habitat so dress for the weather with good boots. Pheasants Forever will once again provide a lunch for the volunteers.
This is a great way for scouts and kids to earn community service hours. Everyone must complete an Agreement for Voluntary Service form. If you are bringing anyone under 18 years of age, please use the contact information below so that their parents or guardians can sign a waiver a head of time.
Can you commit to 3 hours of good outdoor exercise? Please reserve this date on your calendar.
PF Chapter 630 is a very successful chapter thanks to the support of our members. Our next meeting is Thursday, February 17, 2011 at 7:00 PM at the Capital City fire hall on Front Street in Ridgway, PA.
Visit our web site at http://www.northcentralpa.pheasantsforever.org/. For more information, call Jane at 814-772-4604.