This story originally appeared in The Centre County Gazette.
The 2025 Birding Cup from Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center will raise money this year to benefit the Musser Gap Greenway’s grassland habitat.
Funds from the annual fundraiser will go toward the management and restoration of 25 acres of land at Musser Gap Greenway. The grassland habitat aids in increasing accessibility of natural resources by connecting downtown State College to Rothrock State Forest.
The 2025 Birding Cup will be from 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 2, to 7 p.m. on Sunday, May 3. While registration for the event is closed, donations will continue to be accepted until Monday, June 30.
Birders of all skill levels and backgrounds will be participating in the fundraiser where they are tasked with identifying as many species as possible in the span of 24 hours
Donations collected will benefit planting and restoration in the grassland habitat, which has been a collaborative effort between Shaver’s Creek, Penn State Department of Landscape Architecture and the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center. The work on the habitat will take place at the southern end of the land next to Rothrock State Forest.
Managed by Shaver’s Creek, the Musser Gap Greenway is 355 acres of forest and farmland in Centre County. According to the Musser Gap Greenway Conservation director, Mike Toolan, grassland habitats were once very common in the state and now are among the most endangered habitats in the world.
“We’ve lost ecosystem services and biodiversity, and we’re seeing more and more threatened and declining species, some of which rely solely or in part on grassland habitats like our rough-legged hawks at Shaver’s Creek,” he said.
Toolan said cultivating grasslands would provide many benefits.
“The Greenway includes parts of Slab Cabin Run and its watershed and helps protect the local water supply and animal species,” he said. “It will rebuild that organic, nutrient-dense soil layer and improve our water quality, which is really important.”
The grassland habitat is enjoyed by the community and is utilized as a field lab for Penn State students, The Birding Cup will help in maintaining the long-term health of Musser Gap Greenway.
According to Toolan, the new habitat being restored consists of a former cornfield, and native plants will compete to outgrow the weeds that have taken over. Some of the funds raised will also be used to help establish the native plant population and target the problematic plants that are outperforming the grassland fauna.
The Musser Gap Greenway creates a direct connection between State College and Rothrock State Forest. The 1-mile Greenway Trail connects Whitehall Road Regional Park with Musser Gap Trail trailhead, just south of Route 45.
“Other benefits of planned projects at the Greenway include helping protect freshwater resources from pollution and erosion; providing pollinator support, wildlife habitat, soil building, carbon sequestration and water filtration and retention; creating a healthy working forest that students and researchers can use; and more accessible trails,” A press release from Shaver’s Creek explained.
To learn more about Shaver’s Creek and the Musser Gap Greenway, visit shaverscreek.org/conservation-and-research/musser-gap-greenway.
