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The past few weeks have served up an ample dose of winter weather throughout our region in the form of frigid temperatures, high winds and several inches of snow.
Those harsh conditions often prompt some well-meaning folks to make an effort to feed wildlife during the winter. While this might seem like a worthwhile and compassionate gesture, the conventional wisdom on this practice is simply "don't do it."
In most cases, putting out food for wild animals usually does more harm than good for any number of reasons. And in some situations, doing so may be illegal. Most of south-central Pennsylvania is within the designated Disease Management Area for chronic wasting disease where feeding any wild deer is prohibited.
There are other ways to benefit wildlife in the long term. The best and most significant is habitat improvement.
Planting the proper trees, shrubs and other plants to provide food and cover will attract and maintain the wildlife you desire to have on your property whether you just have a large backyard or many acres of land. Not only do native Pennsylvania trees and shrubs have the potential to provide valuable food and cover to a wide variety of birds and animals, but they also offer aesthetic value and other benefits to your property such as erosion control or the reclamation of disturbed areas.
One of the best sources for native tree and shrub seedlings at reasonable prices is the Pennsylvania Game Commission's Howard Nursery. The Game Commission began producing seedlings and other plants at this facility in Centre County back in 1954 to supply wildlife food and cover plantings on state game lands.
Production at that facility now amounts to 2 to 8 million seedlings annually to supply plants for game lands projects, landowners enrolled in the Game Commission's various access programs and the Seedlings for Schools program. Any surplus seedlings each year are then made available to Pennsylvania residents to purchase for wildlife food and cover, watershed protection or erosion control on their properties.
The selection of seedlings changes from year to year due to available seed, seedling germination, and growing conditions. "It takes three years to grow conifers and sometimes two years to grow hardwood trees from seed," said Brian Stone, manager at Howard Nursery. "Our surplus of red oaks is great this season; and this year we have a limited supply of wild grape, northern spicebush and flowering dogwood."
The Howard Nursery is now accepting orders for spring planting. Some of the species available for 2024 are Norway spruce, red oak, sawtooth oak, flowering dogwood and crabapple. Seedlings are sold in units of 25.
Regular price for seedlings ranges from $12.50 to $20 per unit, depending upon the species. Orders of 12 or more total units (300 seedlings) will qualify for applicable discounted pricing. With the discount, prices can be as low as $11.25 per unit.
An order form and information about the seedlings available and planting recommendations can be found on the Game Commission's website, www.pgc.pa.gov. Place your cursor over "Information & Resources" in the menu bar at the top of the homepage, then click on "Make a Purchase" to find the 2024 Seedling Order Form.
Completed order forms can be submitted online or printed and mailed. Orders can also be placed by calling Howard Nursery at 814-355-4434. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 7 a.m.-3:30 p.m. It's advisable to get in your seedling order as early as possible, as some species will sell out quickly.
Now is a good time to do some homework about what plants would be a good fit for the wildlife in your backyard. Having a plan regarding what and where to plant will also ensure that your efforts will produce the greatest possible benefits.
If you are not sure what trees or shrubs might be suitable for your property, check out the "Tree Seedlings Index" link on the Howard Nursery page of the Game Commission website. This helpful chart provides information on each type of plant along with its site preferences, what wildlife species it benefits and more.
Other places to start learning about plantings for wildlife are the websites of the National Wild Turkey Federation (nwtf.org) and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (dcnr.pa.gov).
Special presentation
The John Kennedy Chapter of Trout Unlimited will hold its next monthly meeting at the Allegheny Township Volunteer Fire Department Hall, 651 Sugar Run Rd, Altoona, on Tuesday, Feb. 6, from 7-9 p.m. The featured speaker for the evening will be Shawn Holsinger, pro staff member for Holsinger's Fly Shop and host of a popular You Tube fly-fishing channel.
His presentation will be "The Life Cycle of the Caddisfly," along with a fly-tying demonstration of effective caddisfly imitations for local streams. This event is free and open to the public.