Entomological Society of Pennsylvania

All ESP members are invited to attend the annual insect collecting trip at Shawnee State Park, June 9-11. The park offers diverse habitats for collecting and it should be an all-around good experience. Shawnee State Park covers nearly four thousand acres of Pennsylvania¹s scenic Ridge and Valley Province. It is located just off the Pennsylvania Turnpike, ten miles west of historic Bedford, and along US 30. Shawnee has fine recreational facilities that are convenient and fit into the natural environment. A focal point of the park is the 451-acre Shawnee Lake. Park maps and driving directions are available from the website listed below.

The Park Manager for Shawnee has graciously offered ESP members the use of the Organized Group Tent Area for June 9-11, 2006. ESP members will be allowed to tent free of charge in the Organized Group Tent Area only. The entrance to this area is located off of route 96, and just north of Turner Camp Road, and is in the southwest quadrant of the park. The area is partly wooded and partly grass and is lakefront and not far from the mouth of Kegg Run. It has restrooms and several fire-rings and picnic tables. The park will also allow ESP members access to the showers located in the regular camping area.

Most of the time will be loosely organized and available to you to go collecting independently or in small groups. Individuals should have a copy of the State Park Collecting permit. Copies will be available at the camping area or by contacting Sven-Erik Spichiger (see below). A message board will be available near the campsite restroom, as a means of posting information and messages to fellow ESP members. ESP will provide a gas grill and light lunches (hot dogs), however members are encouraged to bring food and drinks.

ESP will need to provide the park with a roster of the ESP members who are staying in the Group Tent Area. It is preferred that you ³register² no later than 01 June 2006. To do so, contact ESP President-Elect Kevin Kelly (see below).
Simply:
1. Provide the names of those intending to use the Group Tent Area
2. State which nights you intend to stay over (Friday 9th, Saturday 10th, Sunday 11th)?
3. Mention if you are or are not interested in giving a short presentation to the public (see below).

In exchange for the Group Tent Area, we have agreed to work with the park¹s Interpretive Technician to provide an interpretive program on one of the days we are there. Details of this are being worked out, however we have agreed to do either a daytime streamwalk/assessment activity featuring aquatic insects, or an evening talk and slide show that is tentatively entitled Good Bugs – Bad Bugs. This program will feature the great diversity of insects and their importance to humans. We are looking for anyone wanting or willing to make or assist with a short (5-10 minute) presentation on any related topic on bugs that is geared to the layperson. If you would like to present a topic, or assist another presenter, please let Kevin know when you contact him to register.

We also hope to compile enough ³extra² insects from the park to put together a display box to offer to the park¹s interpretive program. Anyone collecting ³extra² insects for the display box should contact Sven-Erik Spichiger, who will be building the display.

For additional general information about the park, visit the park website: http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/shawnee.aspx

For permit questions or to arrange providing specimens for the display box, Contact Sven at 717- 948-3948, or email sspichiger at state.pa.us

To register to attend the collecting trip or to do a presentation, Contact Kevin at 717- 783-3861, or email krkelly8 at yahoo.com

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Click here to download the 2005 DCNR Collecting Permit

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2005 Collecting Trip

ESP Annual Collecting Trip- July 8-10, 2005 at Presque Isle State Park

As we announced previously, the annual Entomological Society of Pennsylvania collecting trip has been scheduled for Friday through Sunday July 8 to 10, 2005. This is a bit later than usual so the phase of the moon is optimal for night-time collecting. The trip is being held at Presque Isle State Park in Erie. You can spend a day or the entire weekend. This is an opportunity to meet fellow insect enthusiasts. The Entomological Society of PA is a group of amateurs and professionals that have a mutual interest in Entomology (Insects). You do not have to be a member to attend this outing. If you are interested in joining there will be application forms to fill out during the picnic lunch. Dues are only $8.00/year ($5.00 for students). This is a rare opportunity to legally collect insects in Presque Isle State Park The society is planning to compile a species list of all the different insects seen or collected in the park. We will also put together a couple of display boxes of pinned specimens with a variety of the most common species with locality and identification labels on them. The boxes and species list will be presented to the park for public education.

The park web site includes directions on how to get to the park: Presque Isle State Park Website

ACCOMMODATIONS:

Since the park does not have any overnight facilities, we have to find accommodations elsewhere. I held a block of “primitive, wooded” campsites at Virginia’s beach campground, about 20 miles from the park. They had to start renting out the extras, so these are probably gone by now, but you could still try to call and reserve whatever they may have. Their number is 814-922-3261. Their web site is http://www.virginiasbeach.com/. Also, a couple of us may have space at our campsite for a few more folks. Otherwise, you can find accommodations at one of the many local motels or campgrounds.

PICNIC/WORK/MEETING AREA:

The park managers are doing everything they can to help us have a successful trip, and we have areas set aside to work and gather. The picnic lunch and “home base” will be at the maintenance area. There’s a building there we can use if it’s raining. Find the maintenance area on the park map, which can be reached from the web site mentioned above. Our group picnic lunch will be on Saturday around noon.

NIGHT TIME COLLECTING:

We have permission to be in the park collecting at night time, even if there are no camping areas there. The gate closes at 9:00. After that, we would enter by way of the access road to the left of and about 100 feet before the gate, essentially going in the wrong way through the exit road. Watch for headlights. Then you go across the parking lot to the main road. There will probably be a ranger there. They’d like to be able to let the rangers know ahead of time who might be in the park at night, so please e-mail me if you think you¹ll be collecting at night. The gates open again at 5:00 A.M. The park folks suggested we meet at the Rotary Pavilion.

A FISHING LICENSE PLUS A LAKE ERIE PERMIT IS REQUIRED TO LEGALLY TAKE CREATURES FROM THE WATERS OF LAKE ERIE OR PRESQUE ISLE BAY:

These are available on the web, at your local fishing license spot, or at bait stores in the Park area.

COLLECTING PERMIT:

I’m going to make a bunch of copies. I was intending to leave some at the park office when I get there (probably sometime Friday afternoon), and have more available at the maintenance area.

If you haven’t done so already, please let me know promptly if you think you will be attending, or if you’re intending to collect at night. Also, please e-mail me with any questions you may have at KBERNHARD @ ENTER.NET or 610 391-9840 (Work) or 484-988-0815 (Cell) or 610-298-8506 (Home).

Hope you can join us.

Karen Bernhard
Lehigh County Cooperative Extension
Lehigh County Agricultural Center, Rm 104
4184 Dorney Park Road
Allentown, Pa 18104
(610) 391-9840 (work)
KBERNHARD @ ENTER.NET (home)

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2004 Collecting Trip

2003 Collecting Trip – Nescopeck and Hickory Run State Parks

As with the 2002 trip, our 2003 trip turned out to be a huge success! Click here to see a thank you letter from staff of the Hickory Run State Park Complex. We would like to thank the Pennsylvania DCNR for their continued support in our efforts to collect and document the insects of various Pennsylvania state parks. We will gladly continue to provide public education displays with specimens collected during our trips.

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2002 Collecting Trip – Black Moshannon State Park

The 2002 collecting trip was a great success. Below is the text of a letter received from Park Manager D. Chris Reese thanking us for the displays we made from some of the insects that were collected: