New viewfinders at PA state parks help colorblind visitors see full scope of fall foliage

Pennsylvania’s state parks can be destinations for viewing vibrant fall foliage, but more than a million residents with colorblindness have had to miss out on the full experience. But a new piece of technology at Black Moshannon State Park is changing that.

Gov. Josh Shapiro and Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn traveled to the Centre County state park Wednesday morning to help unveil a new color-correcting viewfinder that allows colorblind visitors to see the colors of Pennsylvania’s fall foliage to its fullest.

The viewfinder, which can be found at the state park’s fishing pier and at eight other state parks, is equipped with lenses from Enchroma, a company that specializes in making glasses that allow people with colorblindness to see the colors that they once couldn’t.

The lenses found in the viewfinder primarily address people who have deuteranopia or protanopia, the most common kinds of colorblindness. People with these conditions have a hard time distinguishing between different shades of green and red.

For people who have other variations of colorblindness, or no colorblindness at all, the viewfinders will help make the fall leaves appear more vibrant.

Shapiro wasn’t just there Wednesday to announce the new addition. As one of the 1.1 million Pennsylvanians with colorblindness, he was eager to look through it himself.

“I’m able to see different shades, but I’m never really able to appreciate the beauty that Lori (Shapiro) and our kids and others get to appreciate when we’re in the outdoors,” Shapiro said. “Today, I got to experience that. ... For me to be able to see the different color in each leaf was just extraordinary. It’s mind-blowing.”

Shapiro continued, saying that he hopes this fall, many colorblind residents will be able to take advantage of this new resource. The other state parks with the special viewfinders are Bald Eagle, Colton Point, Cook Forest, Hyner View, Kettle Creek, Little Pine, Leanard Harrison and Sinnemahoning state parks.

Also speaking at the event was Scott Kolesar, a frequent visitor of Black Moshannon State Park who also suffers from colorblindness. He got the opportunity to peer though the viewfinder a week before it was unveiled, and said seeing the fall colors at their brightest had a big impact on him.

“I must say, even when not much color was in the trees, they popped in my amazement — almost to the point where there might have been a tear forming,” Kolesar said. “My experience was one of a kid at Christmas. This is an amazing addition to an already-amazing park, and I will be spreading the word and most definitely frequenting this pier.”

Funding for the viewfinders was made available through a new operation called “Charity Checkout,” which allows visitors shopping at any of the 10 Pennsylvania Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship-affiliated gift shops in the to donate to the state parks and forest of the commonwealth, per Ta Enos, president of the PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship.

So far, the donation program has raised over $75,000 since its start in 2019.

More information on the this fall’s peak foliage viewing times can be found at the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ website.