00:00 - First and foremost like welcome you all here to the state capitol for the fifth

00:03 - annual Pennsylvania native species day.

00:06 - I really can't think of a better time and place

00:08 - to be when we started talking about environment

00:10 - our native species and the ecosystems that we're ensuring are here and protected

00:14 - for upcoming generations.

00:17 - My name is Chris Davis i'm acting deputy secretary

00:20 - for consumer protection and plant

00:22 - protection

00:24 - and i'm also have the blessing to be the chair of the invasive species council.

00:30 - With the invasive species council

00:32 - the goal of it too is identify those risks that come into Pennsylvania

00:35 - but also to help educate

00:37 - and celebrate the native species that we already have here.

00:42 - On behalf of the council and our many partners

00:44 - thank you for joining us as we celebrate the native plants

00:48 - animals insects and eat ecosystems.

00:51 - That help sustain our quality of life.

00:55 - Today is not only an opportunity to appreciate Pennsylvania's natural heritage

00:59 - but also recognize the collective work that we use

01:02 - that goes on across the entire commonwealth

01:04 - in order to protect it.

01:06 - Native species council is made up of many different partners

01:10 - this includes many agencies

01:12 - many industries

01:13 - and many people that are out there that just want

01:15 - to make sure that native species are occurring

01:17 - and thriving here in Pennsylvania.

01:20 - These native species supporter farms forests waterways and wildlife.

01:25 - They provide habitat for our pollinator hers improve our water quality

01:28 - strengthen biodiversity

01:30 - and contribute to our herd healthy economy and environment.

01:35 - At the same time invasive species continue to pose significant threats.

01:39 - Outdoor recreation and agriculture inches are all at the whim

01:44 - of invasive species.

01:46 - Addressing those challenges requires

01:49 - total and complete collaboration

01:51 - innovation

01:52 - public engagement

01:53 - all of which are represented here today

01:55 - thank you again for being here.

01:58 - Are grateful as first aid agencies

02:00 - conservation organizations

02:02 - educators industry partners

02:04 - community leaders that are helping to advance

02:06 - the solutions and inspire stewardship

02:08 - for PR Pennsylvania.

02:11 - Thank you for being here again

02:13 - for today's celebration

02:14 - and for the educational event.

02:17 - Today you have the opportunity

02:19 - excuse me today you'll have the opportunity to interact with our

02:22 - partners.

02:23 - As you see

02:24 - we have many booths and stands across here in the rotunda

02:27 - we also have the evasive replace of invasive.

02:31 - Event happening out in soldiers grove.

02:34 - I asset after the precedent

02:36 - please go explore them talk to them learn what is working for them

02:39 - learn where we can do better

02:41 - to make sure that our native species are thriving.

02:46 - As you'll hear today from today's speakers protecting

02:48 - native species is not the work of one agency or organization

02:53 - requires shared commitment

02:56 - to that point.

02:57 - I'm going to first bring up our first speaker

03:00 - Alexis Butler

03:01 - anytime we can be in a room with an f a member is a wartime worth celebrating

03:06 - and not only that but it's also important that our youth

03:08 - are recognizing the importance of our native species

03:11 - into that

03:12 - Lexus please come on up.

03:15 - Hey.

03:19 - Good morning everyone on behalf of my six state officer teammates and every sixteen

03:24 - thousand ff fe members across Pennsylvania

03:27 - it is truly an honor to be here with you today

03:30 - at over one million members nationwide the national fj organization is the country's

03:36 - largest youth

03:37 - organization

03:39 - the most large student led one

03:41 - and that is us

03:43 - the future of agriculture

03:45 - yeah fame makes a positive difference in the lives of

03:47 - students by developing their potential for premier leadership

03:51 - personal growth and career success through agricultural education

03:54 - are at

03:55 - teachers work tirelessly

03:57 - to bring up future leaders

03:59 - and the next generation

04:00 - who will lead agriculture

04:02 - and within us at classes we understand the importance

04:06 - of agriculture and conservation have hand in hand

04:09 - we understand that today is a day to celebrate our native species

04:13 - but also educating about that

04:15 - and that brings me to my main point that i want you all to take with you today

04:19 - we have no future if we are not investing

04:22 - in our youth

04:23 - we have no future if we are not educating

04:26 - the next generations

04:27 - we have a lot of lost generations that don't understand

04:30 - agriculture and conservation because it's not in schools

04:34 - so i urge you let spread

04:35 - the word about agriculture how it needs to be

04:37 - in our schools and starting in the classroom

04:40 - so we can have more people understand the importance of conservation in agriculture

04:45 - thank you for welcoming us so openly today

04:48 - if you have any questions we'll be around to talk to you

04:50 - but please continue to support your local fh chapters

04:53 - and the future of agriculture

04:54 - thank you.

04:55 - That always makes me lifting.

05:02 - Thank you so much Alexis and thank you to the Eva

05:04 - fay members for helping promote native species day

05:06 - they worked diligently this morning packaging and making sure plants

05:10 - made their way throughout the capital

05:12 - and they have some of them back here as well so thank you to the fj members.

05:16 - As we've mentioned before we cannot do this without our industry partners

05:20 - and one of the biggest industry partners that we have

05:22 - is Chris olen with Harmony hill nurseries

05:24 - and he's here to represent

05:26 - peel in a

05:27 - in their

05:28 - efforts.

05:35 - Combining deputy

05:36 - secretary Davis and distinguished guests my name is Christopher yolande

05:40 - iron Harmony hill nursery in downingtown and reading Pennsylvania.

05:43 - For the past few years I've had the honor of being president of the Pennsylvania

05:47 - landscape nursery men's association.

05:49 - We are a trade association representing nurseries

05:52 - garden centers.

05:54 - Landscape contractors and.

05:57 - Greenhouse growers

05:58 - our member companies create outdoor living environments

06:01 - that improve economic value air quality water quality

06:04 - and human health overall.

06:06 - As many of our

06:07 - member nurseries do we at Harmony hill nursery grow a selection of native trees

06:12 - and shrubs.

06:13 - Or trees are commonly found in parks.

06:16 - Riparian buffer offers streetscapes

06:18 - and residential landscapes

06:20 - and recently here with our two hundred fiftieth anniversary

06:23 - multiple new.

06:24 - Multiple new designs

06:26 - and installations of

06:27 - memory

06:28 - the two hundred fiftieth anniversary

06:30 - and even events such as

06:31 - the all star game data citizens bank for the Philadelphia Phillies.

06:35 - We are pleased to be able to participate in the a celebration of Pennsylvania is

06:39 - native species day.

06:41 - This morning one of our premier environmental restoration nurseries operate

06:45 - octa rare native plant nursery

06:47 - in kirkwood Lancaster county

06:49 - along with the ffh

06:51 - and the.

06:55 - The.

06:56 - Goodness.

06:58 - The governors invasive species council.

07:01 - They donated a tree to each member of the general assembly

07:05 - a pinnock

07:05 - the native quercus polestar is

07:07 - is a native tree to Pennsylvania

07:09 - that grows in a wide variety of

07:11 - soil conditions

07:12 - has hardwood

07:14 - abundant shade and handles.

07:18 - Air pollution soil compaction heat and other environmental stressors

07:21 - doctor

07:22 - dr Doug tallamy of the university of Delaware

07:25 - has pointed out numerous times in his book

07:27 - the importance of native plants to support

07:30 - our community of native insects birds and other wildlife

07:33 - his research has even.

07:36 - His research has even showed that

07:37 - the oak stands are the pinnacle of native trees

07:40 - to provide ecosystems to our natural world.

07:44 - I'd like to thank October native plant nursery

07:46 - the new owners Kevin and Claire

07:47 - designer belt

07:48 - for their gift of three hundred pinos the saplings

07:51 - will find new homes throughout Pennsylvania

07:54 - in the yards of the members of the general assembly.

07:57 - We'd also like to thank the Pennsylvania fop

08:00 - for their help in preparing these oaks

08:02 - and for distribution and presenting them mm

08:04 - to the legislators this morning so thank you.

08:07 - We have worked with ffh many times throughout.

08:09 - The years with appeal and a

08:11 - and it's always been such a joy to work with these young professions

08:15 - and finally

08:16 - thank you very much to representative Eddie de Potemkin.

08:20 - Currently the chair of the house ag committee and his staff for their assistance in

08:24 - paving the way for the tree distribution.

08:27 - Representative present sky is retiring at the end of his term this fall

08:31 - and we will definitely miss him as an advocate

08:33 - for Pennsylvania agriculture

08:35 - thank you.

08:36 - Thank you to Chris and all the industry partners are here representing peel and a

08:45 - again one of our biggest assets is that we are able to work with industry so closely

08:49 - to make sure that we are getting the native species moving forward.

08:53 - At this time

08:54 - we can also not do any of this stuff without our

08:57 - legislative friends so i'd like to invite to the podium

08:59 - mr James

09:00 - Malone.

09:03 - Sorry

09:04 - and.

09:12 - Hey everybody.

09:14 - Greetings and happy native species day.

09:17 - As minority chair of the senate game and fisheries committee i'm here to support the.

09:24 - I'm here to support and congratulate

09:26 - governor shapiro's invasive species council

09:30 - for the vital conservation work they do.

09:33 - Preserving our natural resources and wildlife for future

09:36 - generations is one of the most important responsibilities

09:40 - we have as a commonwealth Pennsylvania is home to approximately four hundred and

09:44 - eighty native Americans species and thousands of native plants.

09:50 - Unfortunately it is becoming more difficult and more important than ever

09:54 - to protect them from invasive species.

09:57 - In an increasingly interconnected world

10:00 - we need the work of this council

10:03 - we need the public servants at the Pennsylvania game

10:06 - commission and the Pennsylvania fish and boat commission

10:09 - and the many partners represented today

10:12 - to combat the spread of invasive species

10:15 - that threaten the balance

10:17 - of our local

10:18 - stems.

10:20 - Our native wildlife.

10:22 - Is a heritage and

10:24 - our home

10:25 - protecting it is honorable work.

10:29 - When i think of why i want to protect native species

10:32 - i personally think about

10:34 - a native bird i love

10:36 - the ruffed grouse.

10:40 - It's also Pennsylvania state bird

10:42 - and if you don't know

10:43 - it's excellent on a plate.

10:46 - This in hate chancing stock bird

10:48 - lives in the forest habitats across Pennsylvania

10:52 - it has a unique courtship display.

10:55 - Where it beats it's wings to create a low frequency drumming sound

10:59 - that can be heard a quarter of a mile or more

11:02 - even in thick wood.

11:05 - If you ever heard that sound in a wood in Pennsylvania

11:08 - you'll never forget it.

11:11 - That's what this work protects

11:13 - the unique beauty that we have and enjoy here.

11:18 - While the rough grass it grouse

11:20 - is successful

11:21 - in wild regions because it is not a picky eater.

11:26 - The forest habitats a relies on in Pennsylvania

11:29 - are frequently threatened by invasive species.

11:33 - This council and it's partners

11:35 - work to protect our forests and maintain habitat

11:39 - for the ruff grouse

11:41 - and are many other native species and woodland creatures.

11:47 - This is just one of thousands of examples

11:50 - of why staying proactive in this work is vital.

11:55 - I'm thankful for governors invasive species council

11:59 - and i look forward to continuing to support them

12:02 - the Pennsylvania game commission

12:04 - and the Pennsylvania fish and boat commission

12:07 - in conserving our shared wildlife

12:09 - and our natural resources

12:11 - thank you.

12:12 - Three.

12:18 - Thank you senator and thank you to all our other legislators that are here today

12:21 - without your help and your guidance and getting through working on bills

12:25 - we know that we cannot make this possible.

12:31 - We have a few other partners that are extremely important with

12:34 - some of our other agencies that come

12:36 - and will play at the table here for invasive species.

12:39 - At this time i'd like to invite Steve Smith the executive

12:41 - director of the Pennsylvania game commission up.

12:51 - Good morning.

12:53 - Welcome

12:54 - lawmakers

12:55 - or fellow state agency partners and guess.

12:59 - Thank you all for being here

13:00 - and helping to take part in celebrating native species that.

13:04 - The Pennsylvania game commission is responsible for managing

13:07 - more than one point five million acres of state game lands

13:11 - and four hundred and eighty species of wild

13:13 - birds and mammals across the commonwealth.

13:16 - Of those species

13:17 - approximately four hundred and sixty six are native to our state.

13:22 - We recognize the important role that we

13:25 - and our other state agencies play

13:27 - in supporting these species.

13:29 - Today as we celebrate native species day

13:31 - i want to highlight just a small portion of the work.

13:35 - Being done by game commission staff to conserve Pennsylvania's wildlife

13:39 - and the landscapes that sustain it.

13:42 - At the forefront of these efforts

13:44 - is Pennsylvania state wildlife action plan

13:47 - a guiding document

13:48 - for both the game commission

13:50 - and the fish and boat commission.

13:52 - That focuses on our species of greatest conservation need.

13:56 - We are currently finalizing our next ten year iteration of the plan.

14:00 - Which will help guide concert Asian priorities for birds mammals invertebrates across

14:05 - Pennsylvania for the next decade.

14:08 - Our commonwealth is home to more than four hundred

14:11 - species of birds and supports globally significant

14:14 - population of migratory songbirds including species

14:18 - like the Scarlet tanager

14:20 - and with rush.

14:22 - Our state is also home to a variety of grassland birds

14:25 - of conservation concern including the uplands sandpiper

14:29 - and short eared owl

14:30 - as well as numerous native waterbirds and shorebirds

14:33 - that depend upon healthy wetlands and coastal habitats.

14:39 - We have sixty six native mammal species game commission staff are actively working

14:44 - to conserve a wide range of wildlife.

14:48 - The remarkable diversity of wildlife found across Pennsylvania

14:51 - depends upon healthy

14:52 - habitat.

14:54 - One of the best examples of the game commission's commitment

14:57 - to these ecosystems

14:58 - can be found in the work of our habitat management crews.

15:03 - Their efforts support native wildlife while ensuring that our state game lands

15:07 - continue to function as vibrant connected landscapes.

15:11 - The scale of that work is significant.

15:15 - During two thousand and twenty four and twenty five alone

15:18 - game commission staff

15:19 - planted more than one hundred thousand trees and shrubs and blue improve food

15:24 - and shelter for wildlife.

15:26 - While also managing more than ten thousand acres of critical

15:30 - critical wetland habitat.

15:33 - Our efforts resulted in improved habitat for

15:36 - species like the threatened allegheny wood rat.

15:40 - Dense

15:40 - young forest stands for ruffed grouse

15:43 - and healthy forests that benefit species ranging from wild Turkey

15:47 - to black bear.

15:49 - In so doing we are helping ensure that Pennsylvania's landscapes

15:53 - remain resilient and capable of supporting the rich diversity

15:57 - of wildlife

15:58 - that makes our commonwealth unique.

16:01 - I want to take this opportunity to thank the

16:03 - dedicated staff the Pennsylvania game commission.

16:06 - Our fellow state agencies

16:08 - conservation organizations

16:10 - and lawmakers

16:11 - as well as all pennsylvanians who care deeply about our natural resources.

16:17 - Through education and stewardship

16:19 - and strong partnerships

16:20 - we are working to ensure that Pennsylvania native wildlife and habitats remain

16:25 - healthy and sustainable for generations to come

16:28 - thank you.

16:29 - Three.

16:36 - Thank you so much and again as we've mentioned

16:38 - our bureaus are such an important part of this

16:42 - to that point we're going to move onto

16:43 - Tim Schafer here

16:44 - director of the bureau of information and education director moray.

16:49 - Alright

16:50 - for the Fisher very

16:51 - efficient.

16:54 - Well thank you.

16:56 - And thanks to c for plug in the

16:58 - state wildlife action plan it really is the guiding

17:01 - document for both of our agencies to the next

17:03 - next

17:04 - ten years when it comes to the fish and wildlife management.

17:07 - For our native species so

17:08 - in Pennsylvania we have one hundred and eighty two species of native fish if you

17:12 - include the ones that spent that's

17:14 - just for freshwater if you include the ones that say when part of their time in the

17:17 - ocean coming back and forth that's close to two hundred

17:20 - and thirty eight species of reptiles and forty species of

17:24 - amphibians and really the health of those species drives

17:28 - our mission which is to protect conserve and enhance aquatic resources

17:31 - and provide fishing and boating opportunities

17:34 - one that i'd really like to highlight is the brook trout you heard a lot about the

17:37 - ruffed grouse which is our state bird where state fish

17:41 - is the brook trout is the only native trout technically a

17:43 - char but the only native trout to Pennsylvania i see the

17:46 - trout fisherman shaking their heads out there

17:48 - keeping me straight but.

17:50 - In Pennsylvania currently the rule is.

17:54 - Or any trout needs to be seven inches

17:56 - to harvest it to keep it in they actually

17:59 - quite good to eat.

18:01 - But we have a proposal in front of our board of commissioners

18:04 - that would take the minimum size limit for brook trout from seven

18:08 - to nine inches that pass on proposed rulemaking back in April.

18:13 - It's going to be up for a vote vote

18:15 - in July before the full board

18:17 - and if that does pass

18:19 - that would essentially become a catch and release restriction for wild brook trout

18:24 - are the scientists that the biologists that we have the data we've collected

18:28 - about ninety nine percent of that of the wild brook trout

18:32 - or nine inches or under so we do that

18:35 - increase that size limit

18:37 - it's going to give just unprecedented protection

18:39 - to our wild brook trout which are under a lot of stressors

18:43 - for those that like to harvest trout don't worry about

18:45 - it the the trout that came out of our hatcheries.

18:48 - Are well over that so you're not going to be burden by that but

18:51 - taking really significant steps for a native

18:53 - speaker he's a trout here in Pennsylvania.

18:56 - On the boating side

18:58 - just two years ago our board passed a regulation

19:01 - and our waterways conservation of resources

19:03 - will be out enforcing that this year

19:05 - you can't have

19:06 - visible vegetation on your motor

19:09 - you can't be taking plants from one water body to another

19:12 - you need to make sure that you drain your your your your

19:15 - live Wells in your bilge pumps

19:17 - so you may not be accidentally transporting villagers which are little baby mussels

19:21 - from one waterway to another so

19:24 - clean drain and dry that's it

19:25 - clean drain and dry make sure that your boats are dry

19:29 - and clean of any debris when you go from one waterway to another

19:32 - and.

19:33 - Secondly i have to also though third

19:35 - i have to say whatever we're talking about boating.

19:38 - Is make sure to please wear your life jacket Pennsylvania's

19:41 - waterways are a great place to see native species.

19:45 - From bald eagles to turtles if you don't have to be a hunter and angler

19:48 - to be out there

19:49 - enjoying the waterways a lot of people do it just to view those

19:52 - native wildlife but if you do please make sure

19:55 - you wear your life jacket and then

19:57 - want to compliment

19:58 - our staff in st mentioned the game commission staff at safa the fish boat commission

20:03 - is doing incredible work

20:04 - when it comes to habitat for for native species

20:07 - but our

20:08 - state agency partners and i and i have to thank Cindy and Steve for the work

20:12 - that their agencies are doing on the waterways that are under there purview

20:16 - the amount of aquatic organism passage is being done

20:19 - the miles the thousands of miles of streams that are being opened up

20:22 - by road stream crossings being built the correct way of state game lands

20:26 - and state forests is is the best thing that

20:28 - could happen to our brook trout populations.

20:31 - So thank you to our other state agency partners thanks to everybody

20:35 - and thanks to the board of commissioners to take an

20:38 - elite to opera violent protests unprecedented protection

20:41 - to our state fish

20:42 - the native brook trout

20:44 - thank you.

20:45 - Thank you so much

20:51 - and to round out our agencies here we are very blessed to have Cindy Dunn

20:55 - the secretary

20:56 - of the department of conservation and natural resource.

21:02 - A great to be here today all this enthusiasm wow

21:06 - and i hope people spend a little bit of time and learn something new i think we all

21:10 - come to this space with some knowledge and interest

21:13 - but if you spend a little time here you'll learn a lot

21:16 - when a special thanks to the other members of

21:19 - governor superior those invasive species council

21:23 - posted by

21:24 - the department of agriculture but obviously it's sister agencies where i'm here what

21:28 - today are critical as well as many other organizations are critical to this

21:33 - important work on invasive species statewide.

21:36 - Is privileged to work with all these partners on something

21:39 - so important to pence anus future.

21:42 - I think of Pennsylvania as a great big quilt if you just think of as a quilter's like

21:46 - green spaces or threads of green or brown spaces there's colourful spaces

21:52 - and it's critical that every piece of that quilt.

21:55 - Native species can prevail so that pollinators can find the connection there

22:00 - foundation of our natural ecosystem

22:03 - at dcnr we have jurisdictional responsibility for the

22:07 - plants this of course includes of forest and the trees

22:10 - and we've adopted the fungi

22:13 - and no we feel that fungi are so important for the soils and for every other living

22:17 - thing so that's a very important basis for all living things.

22:21 - You can't say enough about the value importance

22:24 - of plants and especially native plants.

22:28 - I got a recent book i picked up at Barnes

22:30 - and noble about clans called delight eat hers

22:34 - they they eat like they photosynthesize has the basis of the food chain for

22:38 - everything else we're talking about here

22:40 - so you think about plants as the light eaters they

22:43 - are really critical to everything else at the base

22:47 - so in Pennsylvania we've got thirty one hundred known plant species

22:51 - and twenty three hundred of them are Nate live

22:54 - and they they're really the backbone of our forest or ecosystem or meadows or

22:59 - all of our habitat so wetlands and river corridors.

23:03 - So when we do conserve the plants we we really

23:05 - conserve the integrity of the whole ecosystem

23:09 - and it helps ensure a cleaner air cooler temperatures

23:13 - and everyday connection to nature for people

23:16 - i think one of the reasons you see so many

23:19 - people engaged with plants and animals and nature

23:22 - is that direct

23:23 - says the direct connection to nature that we have

23:27 - evolutionarily we are hardwired to nature

23:30 - and it's essential that we are

23:32 - connected to nature through native species

23:35 - we really appreciate everybody in this space who's an all adjust of any kind whether

23:39 - entomologists and my colleges of botanist zoology deus

23:44 - ex theologies you name it

23:46 - these scientists.

23:48 - Really study and understand the needs

23:51 - of our

23:52 - biota in Pennsylvania

23:54 - but equal thanks to the volunteer naturalists who train up themselves

23:58 - i'm a i'm a birder i'm not an expert

24:01 - i'm not an ornithologist however

24:04 - i i do contribute to science as autobahn or suggest

24:07 - law through ebert and through citizen science.

24:10 - Every at

24:11 - the the fungi folks the mushroom club or contributors to science of botany club's

24:17 - and we really want to thank our nonprofit partners

24:19 - the western Pennsylvania conservancy has a formal

24:22 - contractual partner with us and biology but

24:25 - nature conservancy Sierra club audubon

24:28 - all the organizations you see here

24:30 - are critical to holding up this important element of Pennsylvania is.

24:35 - Native species.

24:37 - Invasive plants and invasive fungi are a real problem and a real challenge

24:41 - so the message today isn't just about this threats but about the momentum that we

24:45 - have to keep building to push back that threat

24:48 - when i ask one of our foresters out in the field

24:52 - what they feel the biggest threat to the forest

24:54 - that they invariably say invasive species

24:57 - and climate changes making this worse climate change is exasperating this problem.

25:04 - We're doing a number of things to to work on this

25:06 - but when you think about it

25:08 - native plants are so important i

25:10 - see a monarch butterfly in a room so the monarch wave your hand

25:13 - wave your wing.

25:14 - So this everyone understands like milkweeds and monarchs right we that's been

25:18 - publicized we understand milkweeds are the critical food source

25:21 - but every tree every plant

25:23 - has that power pollinator relationship

25:26 - and that is just so critical

25:28 - to Pennsylvania

25:29 - biota across the system.

25:31 - Number of things we're doing at the cnr

25:33 - in may we had eight invasive replace of.

25:37 - Programs where people brought in hay day to plant.

25:41 - An invasive plant and exchange it for three native

25:44 - plants and so we had that we distributed more than

25:47 - two thousand two hundred seventy five native trees are nice native trees

25:51 - and more than twenty two hundred people

25:54 - participated in this

25:56 - but yeah that goes beyond actually the invasive

25:58 - replace of that motivates people to do it in their own

26:01 - i was out my own

26:03 - little woodlot this weekend tearing out invasive than planting natives

26:07 - had to make a quick trip to the doctors but that's another story

26:11 - and

26:11 - our investment in riparian forests that you can talk to Matt kiefer and Teddy stark

26:16 - we have been putting in invaded riparian forest since two thousand and sixteen.

26:21 - Four thousand new acres of buffers statewide

26:24 - and that's a critical connection between wetlands and waterways

26:28 - and the land

26:29 - and a house filter pollution but it creates a corridor for

26:32 - wildlife and pollinators and birds and everything else.

26:36 - We also awarded twenty eight million dollars to partners to get the work done and in

26:40 - the urban areas seven thousand trees were planted last year

26:43 - and if you don't think er urban trees matter to wildlife

26:47 - take a walk through midtown Harrisburg and take a

26:49 - look at the yellow crowned night herons nesting there

26:52 - or the or the or the many birds actually using those massive

26:55 - urban trees that are so critical to shaping our cities.

26:59 - We have a law to habitat program helping people switch out of that

27:03 - lawn died into some the thing that actually serves ecology and you even see people

27:08 - interspersing their lawn with clover and pollinating

27:11 - species to the lawn isn't this the biological desert

27:15 - and you see more and more people

27:16 - buying trees and planting trees and replacing

27:20 - biological desert lawns with native plants to actually serve the ecosystem the.

27:26 - Sewer line to habitat program is getting momentum but again i think

27:30 - the individual private landowner

27:32 - can make tremendous decisions on on biodiversity we put out

27:37 - pocket Meadow kits.

27:39 - As fast as we can actually

27:41 - talk to Ryan read about that we put as

27:43 - many pocket Meadow kids as we can people are really asking

27:47 - really eager to be part of the solution

27:49 - and again we're leading important work on native fungi you can see our table there

27:53 - see Hannah we've got to get a baseline inventory

27:57 - of mushrooms and fungi

27:59 - and the old growth forest already have a a lot of them

28:02 - but you can find them many parts of Pennsylvania's forests

28:06 - and we've already identified a new state record

28:09 - so just getting out there and learning we're already finding and learning new things.

28:14 - We're also developing an a base of fungi list

28:17 - so that we have a full inventory Korea both native flora and bunga

28:22 - and

28:22 - invasive flora and fungi.

28:25 - So that we also are part of and co-leading a wildlife connectivity

28:30 - work group with help from

28:33 - co co-leading with penned on and almost every agency

28:36 - here in a few more

28:37 - to help find those political connections have natural habitats that exist in our

28:42 - mosaic of landscape it exists in that quilt as Pennsylvania try to connect these parts.

28:48 - All of this

28:49 - speaks to a thread of collaboration none of this is possible

28:53 - without cross collaboration between

28:56 - the agencies

28:58 - the nonprofit

28:59 - individual

29:00 - citizens who choose to really lean in and participate

29:03 - on native species so thanks to everybody.

29:06 - Who's here thanks to everybody with the dirty

29:08 - fingernails who are trying to do it in their own

29:11 - and thanks to everybody for your ongoing commitment.

29:14 - Three.

29:22 - So we're rounding out this event here

29:24 - big thing with today's

29:26 - we're not here just to celebrate the native species but we're also here

29:29 - to be educated about the native species.

29:32 - So as we disperse today i advise you please stopping

29:35 - with any of our partners that have come here

29:37 - to display any of the

29:39 - interesting things

29:40 - you're talking about mushrooms over here with

29:42 - the departments of

29:43 - fantastic

29:44 - information at every one of these tables

29:47 - and obviously soldier grove with the replace of invasive

29:50 - program.

29:51 - Thank you again

29:52 - for taking this step to be here

29:55 - and thank you for your work on ensuring native

29:57 - species continue to thrive here in Pennsylvania.