April 2015


Upcoming Programs

  • Bald Eagle Nest  Expedition 4/24
  • New Membership fees and Signup Genius Info.
Future Meetings
  • Spring Songbird Banding Open House 5/16

 

 

 

 

Blake Goll
Nature Education Coordinator
Phone: 610-353-2562 Ext. 20
Email: [email protected]

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



Willistown Wild Wings Newswire
 

Photo caption: Local Bald Eagle (West Chester area) in 2013. Photo by John Fosbenner.

Bald Eagle Nest Expedition  
Friday, April 24 from 6-7:30pm     
Meet at Rushton Woods Preserve 

Bald Eagles have been getting a lot of attention lately, especially the pair raising their two chicks in Hanover, PA under the watchful eye of the Game Commission's live eagle cam, which gets over 1 million views monthly!   If you haven't seen it already, tune in here:  http://hdontap.com/index.php/video/stream/bald-eagle-live-cam  
A Bald Eagle nest, also known as an eyrie, weighs hundreds of pounds and can be 5 feet deep and 6 feet wide!  No longer listed as federally endangered, Bald Eagles are now thriving in the state thanks to protections against environmental contaminants and hunting.  Mating for life, these magnificent birds are considered sacred by Native people in America today; the people believe that Eagles are messengers that carry their prayers to the Creator.
 
We will be meeting at Rushton Farm, where we will get a little prep course on Bald Eagles and eagle nest etiquette while observing other bird nests around the farm.  Then we will all head over to the address where a local, active Bald Eagle nest exists.  To protect the birds' and the landowners' privacy, we would like to keep the address as private as possible.  Bring binoculars if you have them.  We have a few to borrow.  Be prepared for a small hike and potentially wet stream crossing!
 
Email Blake Goll ([email protected]) with any questions and to sign up

New Membership Fees and Signup Genius Information 
 
Photo Caption:  Swainson's Thrush and Young
Birder at Rushton Farm

We have been pleased to offer our Jr. Birding Club programs for free for the past 4 years.  However, in an effort to better support the program and honor it's unmistakable value for children we are starting an annual $25 membership fee per family.  Jr. Birding Club members may be between the ages of 7 and 12, but many programs are suitable for older and younger children as well.  Otherwise, non-members may simply be asked to pay a per-program fee of $5 per child.
We will be using Signup Genius to collect membership payments and program registrations. The link will be included in the newsletter next week. Please check out the schedule of the many wonderful programs we have to offer, and decide if you'd like to be a member for the 2015-2016 year!  This schedule will be in an email attachment from Blake Goll ([email protected]) this week, which you can save /print out.

What You Missed in March  



Photo caption: Wood frogs courting and Jr. Birders surveying a vernal pool at Ashbridge Preserve last month.

During our "Pop-up Spring Salamander Search" at Ashbridge Preserve we did not find any salamanders, but everyone still went home happy because of all the other wonderful things we got to experience!  At 7:45 p.m sharp, as we were preparing to trek deeper into the preserve in search of amphibians, about 6 American Woodcocks stole the show with their flamboyant aerial displays beginning with the telltale "peent" call from the ground before takeoff.  It was spectacular to see and hear their dark silhouettes twittering across the sky as lightening illuminated the backdrop of purple clouds.  As that spectacular show ended abruptly, the spring peepers and wood frogs filled the rainy silence with their lively chorus.  Following the wood frogs' strange duck-like croaking in the night led us to a vernal pool that was teeming with close to 50 frogs involved in courtship and mating as we watched carefully from a respectful arm's distance away.  Our data on this survey was contributed to PARS (PA Amphibian and Reptile Survey) and is especially important since wood frogs are indicator species of vernal pools (temporary wetlands crucial to amphibian survival).
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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