Clearfield County
Cool Finds
Heron rookery at Chest Creek Floodplain #2 Biological Diversity Area
The Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) is a species of waterbird which breeds in colonies of up to several hundred nesting pairs. Colonies of nests are called "rookeries."
The birds tend to prefer large, mature oak, beech, and sycamore trees, and may return to the same site for many years. Because a rookery is perennially important to the breeding success of this species, rookery sites are considered important conservation areas. Herons feed primarily on small fish, and may forage up to 15 kilometers from the rookery site.
Eastern Featherbells
Eastern Featherbells is a plant species in the lily family that grows 2-6 feet tall and produces a graceful spire of white flowers, 1-2 feet long, in late July.
It has a broad geographic range, including most of southeastern North America (from Texas to Florida north to Missouri and Pennsylvania), but is rare in much of its range, including Pennsylvania. In Pennsylvania, it has been documented from 21 sites, but 17 of these records have not been validated for at least 40 years, so an accurate assessment cannot be made of its abundance in the state. There is concern that it may have declined, as Featherbells are associated with floodplains and other wetlands and a high proportion of sites where these habitat types are found have been converted to other uses over the last several decades. County Natural Heritage Inventories provide up-to-date information to help remedy data gaps such as these. As part of the Clearfield County NHI, five sites with historic records of Featherbells populations were re-visited; only one appears to still host the plants. However, one additional population was also located through CNHI survey work.
The Inventory Report
The final version Clearfield County NHI report is now available. To download a copy, click on the sections below.
Recommend a Site
Click here to download our site recommendation form. Or submit a site online.
Contact
If you have questions regarding use of the report in Clearfield County, or to arrange access to a paper copy of the report, contact:
Clearfield County Planning Office
(814) 765-5149 ext. 211
209 East Locust St.
Clearfield, PA 16830
Any questions regarding the contents of the report or to arrange access to a paper copy of the report (in Pittsburgh), or if you have questions relating to the Clearfield Co. Inventory, please contact:
Jessica McPherson
Western Pennsylvania Conservancy
209 Fourth Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
jmcpherson@paconserve.org