Keystone College Assistant Professor of Botany, Dr. Linda Tucker, has received a $23,730 grant from the Wild Resource Conservation Program (WRCP), funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR). The grant will support an exciting new project focused on protecting two of Pennsylvania’s rarest wetland plants: Spreading Globeflower (Trollius laxus) and Glade Spurge (Euphorbia purpurea).
The project will kick off this summer and continue into next year, with the help of Wildlife Biology students Cecilia Myers and Matthew Vlassis, who will assist in both modeling and fieldwork efforts. They will use computer modeling and environmental data to identify areas that could serve as suitable habitat for these endangered species.
By using a range of modeling techniques and environmental variables, the project aims to determine which combinations most accurately predict suitable habitat. These models will be validated in the field through plant surveys and the results from the most effective models will be shared with DCNR to help guide conservation and management strategies.
“I’m very excited to have the opportunity to conduct research that will directly benefit conservation in Pennsylvania,” Dr. Tucker said. “Keystone College is known for real-world, hands-on learning and this project will provide my student research assistants with practical experiences that connects their studies to meaningful conservation efforts.”
