Governor Tom Ridge Wetlands Preserve

Replenishing nature: Public preserve helps replace wetlands lost during I-99 construction

by Anne Danahy of Centre Daily Times

Ridge is an honorary board member of the State College nonprofit Wildlife for Everyone Endowment Foundation, which received the land once the project was completed. WHM Group, of Harrisburg, completed the wetland project, for the federal and state government to address the problems the I-99 construction had caused. In particular, it mitigates the impact on the wetlands that couldn’t be replaced on site.

WHM’s contract with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation said that it would donated the land to a nonprofit. Now, what had been farm fields prone to flooding is 53 acres of wetland and 15 acres of upland woodland, bordered by Bald Eagle Creek, with I- 99 in the background.

“You’ve got an outdoor classroom here,” Ridge said, as the sign bearing his name was unveiled.
The site is a stopping place and feeding ground for migrant birds and a home for other wildlife, including birds, reptiles and amphibians like leopard and pickerel frogs, along with spring peepers, bullfrogs and salamanders.
Mal Gilbert, a scientist at WHM, said golden eagles, red tailed hawks, falcons and wading birds visit the site, along with song birds, egrets, herons and American bittern.

“The diversity of birds in this area is outstanding,” Gilbert said.

He said specific species of plants are grown to encourage the ecosystem to develop.

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