Workshop topics include "Bats of Pennsylvania," "Developing and Improving Your Birding Skills," "The Wonderful World of Warblers," "Plants - Alien or Native Species?" "An Introduction to Pennsylvania's Amphibians and Reptiles," and "Butterflies."  Each workshop lasts approximately one hour; all will be presented at the Quality Inn & Conference Center in Franklin.   
   As a special feature, guests are encouraged to "Flock & Mingle" on Saturday, May 2, at the Quality Inn & Conference Center in Franklin.  Singer/songwriter George Doran will provide entertainment.  He is a member of the Music Hall of Fame in Buffalo, NY, and is known for his original songs encouraging environmental awareness.  
   At the Birder's Banquet that evening, Don Riepe, the "Jamaica Bay Guardian" will speak about the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in New York.  He has written several articles on natural history subjects, and his photographs have been published in many journals including Scientific American, National Wildlife, Audubon, Defenders, Underwater Naturalist, Parade, and the New York Times. 
   The Bartramian Audubon Society, the Seneca Rocks Audubon Society, the PA Game Commission, and DCNR/the Bureau of Forestry have assisted in planning the Festival.  It is designed for birders and nature lovers of all ages and skill levels.  For additional information, visit www.oilregion.org or call Toni Kresinski, Events Manager, at (814) 677-3152, ext. 110.   

 

McClintock Trail One Step Closer Toward Completion

FUNdraiser Rescheduled   

 

 

   The Alliance FUNdraiser, originally scheduled for Saturday, April 25, has been rescheduled for Saturday, November 7, at the Arlington Hotel in Oil City.  It will feature a prime rib dinner and reverse raffle, auctions, and games of chance. 

   Volunteer workers converged once again on the Tarbell House on Thursday, March 5. The goal was to remove the remaining suspended ceilings and floor coverings. A total of nine adult and student volunteers turned out for the three-hour session. One of the highlights of the afternoon was exposing the "time capsule" hidden beneath one of the second-story floors. Under a layer of linoleum, the floor was lined from wall to wall with a 1934 edition of the Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph. The newspaper sheets had been carefully laid out and bonded to a layer of burlap which was bonded to another layer of linoleum underneath. Students, under the direction of Sue Beates of Drake Well Museum, helped to carefully lift and cut the sections out of the floor. Ironically, this particular edition featured a story on the 75th Anniversary dedication at Drake Well Museum. This aspect of the project provided a valuable lesson, showing how often materials were recycled for other uses during times of economic hardship.
   The volunteer interior demolition work at the house will conclude in April; however, other volunteer opportunities will continue to be available. The interior work paves the way for larger tasks, expected to take place in June by professional workers. Bids are being accepted throughout April for general contractors to perform the work during the remainder of 2009. For more information about volunteering at the Tarbell House, or for information about bidding for contracted work, contact Mike Henderson, Project Manager, at 814-677-3152, extension 121; or email at mhenderson@oilregion.org.
 

The Valley that Changed the World    

 

by Will Wingo, Oil 150 Director
 
   The Valley that Changed the World, an hour-long documentary film produced by WQED Multimedia, premiered at the Barrow Civic Theater in Franklin on March 14. Over 100 guests attended the presentation which followed an informal reception in the theater lobby. 
   The program explores historic events leading up to 1859 and the Drake Well, the oil companies that sprang out of the boom, the developments of towns like Titusville, Franklin, and Oil City, and the people and families instrumental in the industry.  Like the California Gold Rush, people flocked to the region from all over the country after the discovery of oil, hoping to make their fortunes. 
   Through extraordinary photographs of the time, archival materials, accounts of historians, oil industry experts, and Oil Region constituents, the story of Drake's oil strike and the impact of the petroleum industry has made on modern life is told in The Valley that Changed the World. 
   The program will have its first showing on Public Television on Thursday evening April 16, at 8:00 p.m. on WQED TV, Channel 13, and will again be shown on Sunday afternoon, April 19, at 3:00 pm. 
   The Valley That Changed the World was produced by WQED for the Alliance and is part of a year-long celebration that includes traveling exhibits, workshops, speaker's bureau, roundtable discussions, and contests.  
   WQED Pittsburgh, honored with the 2007 and 2006 Mid-Atlantic Emmy® Award for Station Excellence, was founded in 1954 as the nation's first community-supported broadcaster.  WQED creates, produces and distributes quality programs, products and services to engage, inform, educate, and entertain the public within its community and around the world.   
   Copies of the DVD will be available soon via the online store at www.oil150.com, WQED online, and multiple local outlets. 
   For information, contact: William Wingo, Oil 150 Director, 814-677-3152 ext 104; wwingo@oilregion.org.