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Observing Wildlife at
Presque Isle State Park
Nearly four million visitors each year enjoy
the natural beauty that Presque Isle has to
offer. With this many visitors, the challenge
of minimizing the impact to flora and fauna
is daunting. To ensure the safety of both
humans and wildlife, proper etiquette must
be observed. This includes watching from a
distance and not feeding the animals.
Feeding wild animals threatens not only
the safety of humans, but wildlife as well.
Certain species, such as coyote and geese, can
become reliant on humans for food. When
this happens, the wild animals don’t get a
proper diet, such as when people feed bread to
Canada Geese who require aquatic vegetation.
They simply fill up on non-nutritious things
and become weak even though they have a full
stomach. Even after a short period of receiving
handouts from well-meaning visitors, these
animals may alter their normal routines in
order to maximize their exposure to humans to
seek food rewards. This can lead to unintended
consequences such as chasing, scratches, bites,
disease and vehicle strikes. Vehicle strikes
have taken a heavy toll on our resident foxes in
recent years.
all visitors to practice proper viewing etiquette,
so a great experience will be shared by all.
For more information contact the Park
Office located on the second floor of the Tom
Ridge Environmental Center at 814.833.7424
between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., weekdays.
Hiking with the Humane
Society
Come out to Sidewalk Trail to meet the
Presque Isle Park naturalists and some special
pups from The Humane Society of Northwest
PA. The Humane Society will be explaining
the adoption process at this event. This event
is family friendly and will require no fees or
registration.
May 21 from 1-2:30 p.m.
Keystone Hoops Shoot
the Rock Girls National
Qualifier Tournament
Other wildlife, such as owls, use the
peninsula for nesting, feeding and shelter
during times of migration. Eagles may nest at
the park. It is important to give these animals
the space they need so that they don’t abandon
their nesting efforts. For example, 1,000 feet
of buffer space for eagle nest viewing, and 200
feet for an owl nest is recommended.
Some of these animals, such as hawks, owls,
and all other birds of prey, are protected by
federal law. Harassment of these animals is
prohibited by law and violators face arrest and/
or fines. Harassment includes approaching
nesting areas too close, attempting to startle
a bird into flight to get that great picture,
lingering too long, and shouting or yelling to
get an animal’s attention.
We are approaching spring migration which
will provide many opportunities for visitors to
view a variety of migrating species. We require
6 724.942.0940 to advertise | West County
The Keystone Hoops Group’s Annual Shoot
the Rock Tournament Series continues with
the Shoot the Rock Spring Classic, Friday, May
20, through Sunday, May 22. The tournament
carries a four-game guarantee, and will be held
at Family First Sports Park and Central Tech
High School.
All tournaments are open to boys teams in
4th through 11th grade, and girls teams from
5th to 11th grade. This tournament will serve
as the girls’ national qualifier, and the winners
will receive a free bid to the National NTBA
Tournament in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Admission to each tournament is $6, $3
for seniors, and free for children under 10.
Tournament schedules will be available on
the Keystone Hoops app in advance of each
tournament. For more information, visit
keystonehoops.com.
Rice Avenue Community
Public Library
Bloodmobile Collection
Dates
The Community Blood Bank of Erie comes
to the Rice Avenue Community Public Library
every other month on a Friday from 10 a.m.