Jr. Birding Club May Newswire- Join us for Bird Banding Station Open House May 17th!

May 2014

Willistown Wild Wings Newswire

Upcoming Programs

- Bird Banding Station Open House 5/17

Future Meetings

PA Young Birders "Kids Get Out and Bird"
Saturday, June 7, 2014
9am-Noon
Rushton Woods Preserve

Blake Goll
Nature Education Coordinator
Phone: 610-353-2562 Ext. 20
Email: bhg@wctrust.org

WCT Headquarters

925 Providence Road
Newtown Square, PA 19073
610-353-2562

wctrust.org

Rushton Farm & Rushton Woods Preserve

911 Delchester Rd.

Newtown Square, PA 19073

Photos by Justin Thompson

Family Open House at Songbird Banding Station

Saturday, May 17th from 6am - 10:30am
Rushton Woods Preserve and Rushton Farm

Come on out to the banding station in the hedgerows of Rushton Farm to observe spring migrant songbird banding. Children and adults will learn all about this spellbinding field science that is so critical to bird conservation, and they will have the amazing opportunity to observe these precious gems of the natural world up close before they continue north (or stay at Rushton!) to breed. Stop by any time within the hours of operation or stay the entire time if you wish! In addition to the birds, other activities will be available for kids like field art, birding and scavenger hunts.

No RSVP required. Hope to see you there!

What You Missed in April

The evening of April 25th was chilly and rainy, but we all enjoyed trekking around Ashbridge Preserve with Mike McGraw, a professional biologist who knew exactly where to find salamanders, frogs and tadpoles. We got to feel the tiny feet of a Northern two-lined salamander as he walked across our hands, and it was some of the participants' first time holding a sallie! Mike also taught us how to hold a Green frog he found, and then we got to observe some Wood frog tadpoles that we scooped out of the last of the vernal pools left in the preserve (the vernal pool breeders do their thing as early as March to ensure that their young have time to mature before the pools dry up). We put all the critters safely back in their homes and slipped and slid our way through the mud back to the parking lot!

Thanks for your interest in Willistown Conservation Trust's Junior Birding Club, a chapter of PA Young Birders. Studies have shown that regular experience with nature makes kids healthier, happier and significantly improves their performance in all school subjects. Getting your child involved with PA Young Birders is a wise choice that makes positive waves in your child's future.

Our Mission is to develop a culture of caring

for the natural world and desire to conserve

land, by providing meaningful, thought provoking

experiences with nature, especially birds.

Our Objectives for Your Child:

Connect intimately to nature in order to foster a lasting love of the natural world.
Nurture a spirit of discovery and wonder.
Refine birding abilities and cultivate a wholesome lifelong hobby.
Develop science skills and understanding
of the scope of science.
Create a confident conservation ethic by demonstrating the importance of preserving open space.
Recognize the interconnectedness of habitat, birds and other wildlife.
Ensure an ultimate understanding of the positive role humans can play in the natural world

Programs are free unless otherwise noted (although donations are always appreciated), and kids are only expected to bring a desire to learn about birds and explore nature as well as hiking shoes and clothes they don't mind getting dirty! Binoculars are a plus, but we always have a few on hand to borrow. All programs are appropriate for kids ages 8-12, but most are adaptable for younger or older kids as well; just ask me if you are concerned about the age appropriateness of a program.

The Willistown Conservation Trust is a non-profit land trust working to protect the rural beauty of the 28,000 acres surrounding Willistown,Pennsylvania. We're dedicated to permanently protecting our countryside from development and inspiring in people a lifelong love of the land and the natural world. Please visit our website to learn more about us, and subscribe to our bird blog to learn about what's been going on at our bird banding station this year.

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