WELLSBORO, PA – There are new sweet treats on the market that carry the iconic Pennsylvania Wilds logo, thanks to a new partnership between Highland Chocolates and the PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship.

“Bigfoot is a popular character in the region, and we enjoyed working with the PA Wilds Center team to create these whimsical chocolate figures that can bring joy to people exploring the region and its communities,” said Erin Roupp, Operations Manager at Highland Chocolates.

The team at Highland Chocolates has developed two different PA Wilds branded products to date, with one recently hitting the shelves at the PA Wilds Conservation Shop location at Kinzua Bridge State Park, as well as the Highland Chocolates very own shop location.

A solid 1-ounce milk chocolate bigfoot wrapped in special PA Wilds-themed packaging is now available for $2.95. 

Also in production and expected to be available this spring is a 1.7-ounce peanut butter- or caramel-filled milk chocolate bigfoot for $3.50 and the PA Wilds Happy Trails Snack Mix, which will be sold for $4.75 once available. The 3-ounce bag of trail mix promises to be delightfully crunchy with roasted peanuts, cashews, butter toasted peanuts and smoked almonds. Add in the sweetness of honey roasted sesame sticks, the slight bite from chili lemon corn sticks and the added crunch of rye bagel chips and you have a mix that makes a perfect crunchy snack for any time of day.

All three products will be available this spring at the Highland Chocolates shop in Wellsboro, as well as the three PA Wilds Conservation Shops at Kinzua Bridge State Park, Leonard Harrison State Park, and the Marienville Four Seasons Trail Hub.

Located along scenic Route 6 in Wellsboro, Highland Chocolates is a non-profit chocolate factory and retail store that provides vocational training and employment for adults with disabilities. It is owned and operated by Partners in Progress, Inc., a 501(c)(3) vocational agency located in Mansfield, that empowers people with disabilities to succeed.

“Our whole team has wanted to develop a branded chocolate for years, and we’re so ecstatic to be able to do this with Highland Chocolates because we realize that this partnership is having a multiplier effect in the way that we are sustaining our respective nonprofits’ missions,” said Ta Enos, PA Wilds Center’s Founding CEO. “We wholeheartedly support the mission at Highland Chocolates and their efforts to create a welcoming and inclusive work opportunity for the community.”

Famous for their pretzel bark, which the PA Wilds Conservation Shops also carry, Highland Chocolates also offers hundreds of different molded chocolates, sweet snack mixes, fresh fudge, and handcrafted chocolate gifts for any occasion. Their products are carried in retail establishments across Pennsylvania and the United States.

“The pretzel bark and other chocolates that we have sourced from Highland Chocolates in the past for our PA Wilds Conservation Shops have been extremely popular,” said Libby Bloomquist, Commerce Director at PA Wilds Center. “To be able to collaborate with Erin and the team at Highland Chocolates has been a great experience! I am thrilled to be able to grow our partnership and to be able to have some Pennsylvania Wilds branded treats now on the shelves for shoppers to enjoy.”

A portion of proceeds from the sale of the chocolates will help support the PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship’s mission to integrate conservation and economic development in a way that strengthens and inspires communities in the Pennsylvania Wilds.