Fairplay, CO – Research conducted on MALT’s property at Pennsylvania Mountain Natural Area is featured in this article in the Yale Climate Connections. Read the full article....
Pennsylvania Mountain Natural Area
Pennsylvania Mountain Natural Area is a dramatic and beautiful 500+acre area surrounded on three sides by public land near Fairplay, Colorado. In 2014, with the generous support of the community, MALT purchased 92 critical acres as part of a multi-phase project. This effort ensures the continuing ongoing scientific research conducted by more than a hundred scientists for over 45 years – one of the longest term alpine research sites in the country.
Pennsylvania Mountain Updates
The Pika Trail
Thanks to generous support from the South Park National Heritage Area (SPNHA), Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC) and The Summit Foundation, MALT designed and built a 1 ½ mile scenic and educational loop trail at the Pennsylvania Mountain Natural Area for public hiking and snowshoeing access.
Volunteers logged more than 1,279 hours to build the Pika Trail, working on diverse and rugged geographic terrain at an elevation of 11,500 feet. MALT continues to make improvements on the trail, including construction of a driveway and parking area, safety and directional signage and informational kiosk.
Hike the Pika Trail located at 858 Prunes Place, Fairplay, CO 80440. The Pika Trail is for Hiking Only. No motorized vehicles, hunting or camping is allowed. It is private property owned and managed by the Mountain Area Land Trust.
High Altitude Scientific Research
“As scientists, without a baseline we cannot measure change. MALT’s purchase of 92 acres on Pennsylvania Mountain has protected a unique alpine ecosystem where we have that historical baseline. It’s made all the difference in our research on bumble bees and will allow scientists in the future to see how the changes we’ve observed continue to unfold.”
– Dr. Candace Galen, Professor of Biological Sciences at University of Missouri
Research Buzz
We are buzzing with excitement here! Research conducted in part at Pennsylvania Mountain Natural Area is now in Science magazine! MALT Ambassador Dr. Candace Galen and her fellow scientists have published their research article “Flight of the bumble bee: Buzzes predict pollination services” on June......
Just published research in the September 2015 Science magazine co-authored by MALT Ambassador Dr. Candace Galen and MALT Pennsylvania Mountain Research Intern Elizabeth Hedrick finds that in two alpine bumble bee species, decreases in tongue length have evolved over 40 years. Researchers have concluded that......
