Upcoming Programs
- University of Pennsylvania Bioblitz at Rushton 6/3
- Glen Mills School Purple Martin Banding TBA
Future Meetings
- Moth Party at Rushton 7/7
- Wildflowers & Watercolor Workshop 7/13
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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.orgRushton Farm & Rushton Woods Preserve
911 Delchester Rd.
Newtown Square, PA 19073
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Willistown Wild Wings Newswire
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Great Spangled Frittilary on Wild Bergamot in the meadows of Rushton Preserve. Photo by Blake Goll/ Staff
University of Pennsylvania Bioblitz
Friday, June 3 from 5:30 - 8:30pm Rushton Woods Preserve on Delchester Road
Participate in our second bioblitz, which is a citizen science event during which we document as many species of flora and fauna on the preserve as possible. You'll get to meet real scientists who will be participating along with many other volunteers with expertise in amphibians, reptiles, plants, birds and even bats! Junior Birders will help survey the abundant insect life of the milkweed and field habitat, monitor our bird boxes and check out the "bat mobile" at dusk to survey bats! Bring your binoculars if you have them and a friend if you like!
Free for Junior Birding Club members. $5/child for non-members.
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Glen Mills Schools Purple Martin Banding
Late June or Early July - Date To Be Determined Glen Mills School on Glen Mill Road
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Purple Martins feeding young at the Glen Mills School colony
Watch the banding of hundreds of Purple Martin chicks at the official Purple Martin colony of PA! Banding these birds year after year is important for their conservation because it helps us track their population changes. These birds are currently declining and threatened by climate change as well as habitat loss. Another email will be sent out regarding the date of the banding, as we cannot predict this far in advance when the chicks will hatch and be old enough to band.
Free for Junior Birding Club members. $5/child for non-members.
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What You Missed in May |
  Junior Birders checking a bluebird nest box, and Eastern Kingbird at Kirkwood Preserve, May 2016. Photos by Blake Goll/Staff and Barry Blust. Unfortunately we had to cancel the Songbird Banding Open House because of rain, but we had a beautiful morning for the Birding by Ear at Kirkwood. We identified birds by their distinctive songs and calls and got great views of spectacular Baltimore Orioles singing, Red-winged Blackbirds defending their territories, Tree Swallows swooping around, Eastern Bluebird chicks in a nestbox, Eastern Kingbirds and even a juvenile Bald Eagle soaring above! We also enjoyed a sweeping view of the preserve from atop the hill; the tall grasses swaying peacefully in the wind reminded us of ocean waves.
Bald Eagle at Kirkwood Preserve, May 2016. Photo by Barry Blust.
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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
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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