Bucktail H.S. Students’ Fossil Campaign Gains Momentum, Captivating Local and Statewide Officials

By Emily Wright

LOCK HAVEN— Students at Bucktail Area High School are making significant progress in their efforts to have the Hynerpeton Bassetti—an ancient aquatic species discovered in Hyner—recognized as Pennsylvania’s official state fossil. During Monday’s Clinton County Commissioners meeting, the students provided an update on their recent efforts and their comprehensive outreach strategies.

Leading the initiative are three student government and ecology students from Bucktail: Matti Mason, Kedda Bissman, and Martin Lewis. During the meeting, the trio unveiled their new mascot for the Hynerpeton project, “Harry the Hynerpeton.” With the help of Elizabeth Whitty, who crafted Harry’s costume, the students shared that the mascot now accompanies them everywhere they go, promoting their initiative and drawing public attention to help raise awareness about their cause.

With the establishment of their new mascott, the students launched social media accounts for Harry on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, where they regularly post updates and information to raise awareness about their initiative. On Harry’s Facebook page, supporters can scan a QR code located at the top of the page to access and sign a petition urging state legislators to designate the Hynerpeton as the new state fossil. So far, the petition has already received 156 verified signatures.

The students reported gaining early support from state lawmakers. Last week they delivered their first official campaign pitch to advocate for changing the state fossil, speaking before Senator Cris Dush, State Representative Stephanie Borowicz, representatives from Senator John Fetterman’s office, and other prominent local leaders at a public meeting, where their efforts were met with highly positive feedback. “It was pretty important that we had Cris Dush and Stephanie Borowicz there because they’re our local legislators, and we need to get legislators to sponsor the bill to get this passed,” Lewis said. “By the end of that meeting, both of them gave us words of support, and Senator Dush said that he would try to start working on getting a bill drafted for this as soon as possible.” Lewis also noted that the legislators invited the group to visit the Pennsylvania Capitol for a tour when the legislation process is underway, and mentioned a possible opportunity for the group to visit Washington, D.C., to present their case to U.S. Senator John Fetterman.

The student team recently participated in an interview on 92.1 WSQV Radio and they’ve also visited classrooms at both Robb and Renovo Elementary Schools to deliver engaging and interactive presentations about their mission. “The kids even got Harry the Hynerpeton coloring sheets to show us what they thought Harry could have looked like 350 million years ago,” Bissman shared about their experience at the elementary schools.

Over the weekend, the students attended the Hyner Trail Challenge to further promote their cause. Harry the Hynerpeton was on hand to cheer for the runners as they crossed the finish line, while the student team set up a booth to share more information about their project and the Hynerpeton. “The biggest way to help us is by spreading the news, because the more you can spread [the word], the more people will see it,” Mason said.

Mason, who also participated in the trail challenge, demonstrated her commitment by encouraging fellow runners to visit Red Hill, highlighting its connection to the Hynerpeton. “I was telling everyone on the trail, ‘Hey, if you guys are still up for it, go check out Red Hill because of the Hynerpeton,’” she said to the commissioners at their meeting. She added that interest in the state fossil is continually growing due to the group’s ongoing outreach efforts.

The group also shared that they have submitted their presentation to the statewide America250 PA organization, with hopes it will be selected as one of the featured projects on the organization’s website.

With approximately 15 Bucktail students now involved, the initiative continues to grow as the group actively encourages community support through social media outreach and direct contact with legislators.

To follow the students’ progress in their efforts to make the Hynerpeton the official state fossil, and to sign their petition in support of the cause, search for “Harry the Hynerpeton” on Facebook or visit the Bucktail Area High School website at https://bt.kcsd.us/. You can also follow Harry on Instagram at www.instagram.com/harrythehynerpeton/.