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Pennsylvania’s rich natural heritage offers its
citizens unique opportunities to appreciate wildlife. Seventeen
million acres of forest ("Pennsylvania" means "Penn's Woods") still grace the state, nearly
two-thirds of its total surface. Unique natural
treasures provide a wide variety of habitats
for the diversity of wildlife that populate the state’s
natural ecosystems. Black bear, Bald Eagles and bog turtles are among the
wildlife native to its woods, skies
and wetlands. Pennsylvania offers at least one state park
within 25 miles of every resident. Even the state’s largest urban areas
contain thousands of acres of forested greenways. If you are fortunate enough to live in
Pennsylvania, nature is literally in your
“backyard.”
But how do you know what to look for? What are your chances of seeing a Bald Eagle over a nearby lake—or parking lot? Where in Pennsylvania might an angler hope to catch a brook, brown or rainbow trout? If you want to see the state’s growing elk population or catch a glimpse of a river otter—where would you go? “CRITTER QUEST PA” was developed to help Pennsylvanians better understand and appreciate the natural diversity that surrounds them. Funded by a grant from Pennsylvania’s Wild Resource Conservation Program (an office of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources) and developed by the Pennsylvania Center for Environmental Education, CRITTER QUEST PA utilizes the latest GIS software to create an interactive, online mapping experience for users. Typical data sets (such as layers showing the state’s rivers, watersheds, land cover and cities) can be overlaid by files showing the predicted habitat of the 468 mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish native to Pennsylvania. The user literally selects the information that he wants to see displayed on his computer screen. Each new map is generated automatically by the online software, allowing the user to explore a seemingly endless variety of information in pursuit of an endless variety of questions: Where might I find a bobcat or a mink or a flying squirrel? What’s the relationship between human population density and the density of an endangered species? And (everybody’s favorite question) what might be living in my own backyard? Although the program is targeted for middle school students, children and adults alike will enjoy using this educational and fascinating resource. Pennsylvania’s hidden wildlife resources begin to come alive for the user as she zooms in on her favorite parks and natural areas. Combining the best of new technology with the natural curiosity about our surroundings shared by all two-legged critters, CRITTER QUEST PA is a teaching tool that will remain fresh and engaging for students of all ages as they explore Penn’s Woods online.  The Pennsylvania Center for Environmental Education (PCEE) is a “one stop shop” for environmental education resources in Pennsylvania. PCEE's services, available at www.pcee.org, include online learning activities for all ages. The Center's free monthly electronic newsletter provides up-to-date information about professional development and other resources for educators and the general public (to subscribe, click here). Administered by Slippery Rock University of PA as a public service institute of the PA State System of Higher Education, PCEE's mission is "to link all Pennsylvanians to environmental education resources."  Pennsylvania Spatial Data Access (PASDA) is Pennsylvania's official public access geospatial information clearinghouse. PASDA was developed as a research and outreach program by the Pennsylvania State University as a service to the citizens, governments, and businesses of the Commonwealth. PASDA is a cooperative project of the Governor's Office of Administration, Office for Information Technology, Geospatial Technologies Office and Penn State Institutes of Energy and the Environment of the Pennsylvania State University. Funding and support is provided by the Pennsylvania Office for Information Technology, Geospatial Technologies Office.
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