Join us for the month of June as we discover the diversity of wildlife in our State Parks! Visit any one of our participating parks from June 1 - June 30 and document as many different species as you can. All species can be included, from trees and flowers, fungi and insects, to birds, fish, and mammals! 

Participate in one of 2 ways: 

1. iNaturalist

Download iNaturalist to your smartphone (it's free!) and open the application. Allow it to use your phone's GPS - this comes in super handy for automatically giving locations of organisms in the park (sensitive species can be blocked from general public view). For each species you see, take a snapshot with your phone through the app. If you don't know what the organism is, don't worry! The app has incredible software that can help ID it simply by clicking "What did you see?" And if iNaturalist can't ID, we can help! The app will fill in time, date, and location, and that's all you need to do! No need to email or send any checklists in as they will automatically be added to the park.

Find the app here --> https://www.inaturalist.org/

2. Submit a Checklist with Photos
If you don't want to use the app, you can still participate by sending photos of wildlife found in the park during this timeframe to your Bio Blitz coordinator. 

Current participating parks include:

Little Buffalo State Park - mewilt@pa.gov 

Evansburg State Park - npenza@pa.gov 
Oil Creek State Park - empritchar@pa.gov

Beltzville State Park - rbergstres@pa.gov

Pymatuning State Park - pymatuningsp@pa.gov

Raccoon Creek State Park - jfranckiew@pa.gov 

Hillman State Park - jfranckiew@pa.gov 

Pine Grove Furnace State Park - angking@pa.gov

Boyd Big Tree State Park - memorialsp@pa.gov

Ibberson Conservation Area - memorialsp@pa.gov

Swatara State Park - memorialsp@pa.gov

Memorial Lake State Park - memorialsp@pa.gov

Hickory Run State Park - hickoryrunsp@pa.gov

Parker Dam State Park - parkerdamsp@pa.gov

Chapman State Park - chapmansp@pa.gov 

Yellow Creek State Park - yellowcreeksp@pa.gov

French Creek State Park - frenchcreeksp@pa.gov

Marsh Creek State Park - frenchcreeksp@pa.gov

Ryerson Station State Park - rzombek@pa.gov 

Sinnemahoning State Park - SinnemahoningSP@pa.gov

Jennings Environmental Ed Center - jenningssp@pa.gov

Clear Creek State Park - clearcreeksp@pa.gov

Ricketts Glen State Park - rickettsglensp@pa.gov

*Feel free to contribute sightings in other non-participating parks during this time!

If you have questions or concerns about the Bio Blitz, reach out to Mindy Wilt at mewilt@pa.gov. If you have questions or concerns regarding the park you are in, please refer to the appropriate contact for that park. Please keep in mind that this is a self-guided activity and that all participants must follow park guidelines to participate.

A few key things to remember:

It is illegal to pick wildflowers in state parks/forests. Take photos, but don't damage plants!

Anyone fishing or picking up reptiles or amphibians must have a valid fishing license. Please avoid handling these animals if at all possible, and make sure you have your license if you plan to go "herping" or fishing.