Category: Uncategorized

Announcing two seasonal biological aide positions in the field of nongame and endangered species at the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission’s Centre Region Office in Bellefonte.

STATUS: 2 wage, seasonal, non-Civil Service positions
TERM: 2 positions: 8.5 months (February-October) 2026; 4.5 months (April-August) 2026
START DATE: preferably first week of February 2025; April 2026
END DATE: last week of October 2026, with potential of re-hire in Spring 2027, subsequent years; second week of August 2026, potential of re-hire in Spring 2027, subsequent years
WORK WEEK: M-F 8AM-4PM (subject-to-change to accommodate necessary tasks), limited overtime may be required
WAGE: $17.38 per hour, paid biweekly
LOCATION: PFBC Centre Region Office, 595 East Rolling Ridge Drive, Bellefonte, PA 16823
CLOSING: open until filled

Duties:
Assists Section Chief and staff biologists with day-to-day operations of the Natural Diversity Section of the Division of Environmental Services. This is the Nongame & Endangered Species Program of the PA Fish & Boat Commission.

Duties may include some or all of the following:
-assisting with processing of Special (nongame) Permits, (Scientific Collectors Permit program) applications and reports
-assisting with rare species environmental reviews of development projects
-answering inquiries regarding reptiles, amphibians or other nongame species
-organizing incoming permit and project review requests
-assisting biologists in field surveys for rare, threatened, and endangered species
-data entry and managing computer databases for the above-mentioned projects and others -cleaning, maintaining, organizing, preparing field equipment and vehicles
-cleaning, feeding, maintaining living collection of herpetofauna used for educational programs
-assisting with preparation of and conducting nongame educational/interpretive programs
-miscellaneous clerical tasks including data entry and filing

Qualifications, Skills, and Abilities Required:
Educational background in the biological sciences, with at least basic knowledge of reptile, amphibian, and fish ecology (B.S. in Biological, Environmental or Wildlife Sciences preferred). Preferred familiarity with reptiles, amphibians, fish, and mussels of native Pennsylvania species. Skills in Microsoft Office applications, especially MS Word, Access and Excel. Organizational skills and ability to manage a diverse workload. Ability to communicate well verbally and in writing. Willingness and ability to work at a computer and in an office environment for several continuous hours. Ability to work under potentially adverse conditions in the field, such as inclement weather, steep and/or rocky terrain, rivers, streams or wetlands, biting insects, and venomous snakes. Must possess valid Pennsylvania state drivers license.

To apply:
Send a current resume and cover letter, including at least 3 references, to:

Chris Urban, Chief
Natural Diversity Section
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
Centre Region Office
595 East Rolling Ridge Drive
Bellefonte, PA 16823
Or email :
For more information, call or email Chris Urban at 814-359-5113 or

Quad and Block Totals:
In December, a total of 1 block was closed.  

PARS project data is collected based on a grid system with the goals of documenting 10 species per block and 25 species per quad.

Member Highlight:
We’re proud to announce that the volunteers with the most records blocks surveyed over the month. 

Total Records for the Month:
In December, we recorded a total of 49 records. We’re grateful to everyone who took the time to identify and document these species.

Quad and Block Totals:
In November, a total of 17 blocks and 2 quads were closed.  

PARS project data is collected based on a grid system with the goals of documenting 10 species per block and 25 species per quad.

Member Highlight:
We’re proud to announce that the volunteers with the most records blocks surveyed over the month. 

Total Records for the Month:
In November, we recorded a total of 66 records. We’re grateful to everyone who took the time to identify and document these species.

Quad and Block Totals:
In the month of October, a total of 20 blocks and 7 quads were closed.  

PARS project data is collected based on a grid system with the goals of documenting 10 species per block and 25 species per quad.

Member Highlight:
We’re proud to announce that the volunteers with the most records blocks surveyed over the course of the month. 

Total Records for the Month:
In the month of October, we recorded a total of 269 records. We’re grateful to everyone who took the time to identify and document these species.

Quad and Block Totals:
In the month of September, a total of 12 blocks and 1 quads were closed.  

PARS project data is collected based on a grid system with the goals of documenting 10 species per block and 25 species per quad.

Member Highlight:
We’re proud to announce that the volunteers with the most records blocks surveyed over the course of the month. 

Total Records for the Month:
In the month of September, we recorded a total of 548 records. We’re grateful to everyone who took the time to identify and document these species.

Quad and Block Totals:
In the month of August, a total of 24 blocks and 6 quads were closed.  

PARS project data is collected based on a grid system with the goals of documenting 10 species per block and 25 species per quad.

Member Highlight:
We’re proud to announce that the volunteers with the most records blocks surveyed over the course of the month. 

Total Records for the Month:
In the month of August, we recorded a total of 367 records. We’re grateful to everyone who took the time to identify and document these species.

Quad and Block Totals:
In the month of July, a total of 29 blocks and 7 quads were closed.  

PARS project data is collected based on a grid system with the goals of documenting 10 species per block and 25 species per quad.

Member Highlight:
We’re proud to announce that the volunteers with the most records blocks surveyed over the course of the month. 

Total Records for the Month:
In the month of July, we recorded a total of 305 records. We’re grateful to everyone who took the time to identify and document these species.

Exciting Milestone Achieved: Over 200,000 Records in the PARS Database!
We’re thrilled to announce that in the month of June, we reached a significant milestone in our PARS database. We want to give a special shoutout to Brandon Hunsberger, who entered the 200,000th record into the database. Your dedication and contribution have played an integral role in our success. 

This achievement reflects the hard work, passion, and collaboration of our entire community. Each record represents a valuable piece of data that contributes to our understanding of biodiversity and aids in conservation efforts. As we celebrate this significant milestone, we extend our sincerest gratitude to all our volunteers and contributors who have played a part in this accomplishment.

Quad and Block Totals:
In the month of June, a total of 33 blocks and 8 quads were closed.  

PARS project data is collected based on a grid system with the goals of documenting 10 species per block and 25 species per quad.

Member Highlight:
We’re proud to announce that the volunteers with the most records blocks surveyed over the course of the month. 

Total Records for the Month:
In the month of June, we recorded a total of 526 records. We’re grateful to everyone who took the time to identify and document these species.

Site Updates:
Sortable list and grid view options for the Search, Latest Observed, and Latest Entered pages.

Quad and Block Totals:
In the month of May, a total of 18 blocks and 2 quad were closed.  

PARS project data is collected based on a grid system with the goals of documenting 10 species per block and 25 species per quad.

Member Highlight:
We’re proud to announce that the volunteers with the most records blocks surveyed over the course of the month. 

Total Records for the Month:
In the month of May, we recorded a total of 423 records. We sincerely appreciate everyone who invested their time in identifying and documenting these species. Your dedication is invaluable.

These highlights serve as a source of inspiration and motivation as we continue our essential work together. Thank you for your ongoing contributions. We eagerly anticipate collaborating with you in the upcoming months.

We are always aiming to make PARS a better user experience, and are often making small changes behind the scenes to improve the website. Some of our recent changes may be more noticeable, and require a brief news post to highlight these changes.

Threatened and Endangered Species (T&E)

To better protect sensitive species we have implemented some changes to T&E species. T&E species are hidden on the front page recent records section, recent observed page, and recent submitted page. When Searching T&E species the date of observation is hidden.  When viewing a T&E species, Date and Time of Observation and Date and Time Created are hidden. 

Block and Quad Maps

A block or quad that previously had both a species and a subspecies of the same species will now only show and count the subspecies. A block or quad that does not have a subspecies and only a species-level identification will still be counted, until a subspecies for that block or quad is verified. Eastern Ribbonsnakes (comprised of Common and Northern subspecies) will now only count as Ribbonsnakes and no subspecies of Ribbonsnakes will show, but you can still enter the subspecies as an observation. 

Short form and Voucher Upload 

A new short form option for adding a record can be found on the add a record page. This option will eliminate many fields for a more simplistic form. You can still add more detailed data in the regular reporting form.

Also, a new modern file upload field has been implemented to make multiple file selections and drag and drop files uploads available. 

Front Page Recent Records

The front page recent records section will now only include records that have an attached voucher. Records without a voucher are still recorded and show up throughout the database but will not be visible on the front page.