Upcoming Programs
- "There Be Dragons" at Rushton 8/7
- Special Field Trip to Academy of Natural Sciences 8/8
- Discover Rushton Mini Camp 8/24
Future Meetings
- Nighthawk Watch at Haverford College 9/2
- Songbird Banding Open House 9/17
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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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Blue dasher dragonfly. Photo by Mike Rosengarten
"There Be Dragons" at Rushton Farm
Sunday, August 7 from 2-4 pm Rushton Woods Preserve on Delchester Road
Did you know that dragonflies migrate like birds, or that they eat pesky mosquitoes? John Black, Master Naturalist and president of the Native Plant Society of New Jersey, will be presenting his fascinating program about dragonflies and then we will have fun searching for these "dragons"! Free for members. $5/child for non-members.
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Special Field Trip to Academy of Natural Sciences
Monday, August 8 from 2-4 pm Academy of Natural Sciences (1900 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy, Philadelphia)  |
Jason Weckstein, Drexel Ornithology Professor, shows Jr. Birders drawers of specimens at last year's field trip. Photo by Blake Goll/Staff
We have a special invite to visit behind the scenes of the Academy, home to one of the world's largest collections of bird specimens. We will get to observe ornithologists preparing study skins and get a VIP tour of the amazing bird collection!
Free for members. $5/child for non-members.
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Discover Rushton Mini Camp
Wednesday, August 24 from 9am - Noon Rushton Woods Preserve on Delchester Road  |
The Jr. Birders helped harvest potatoes at last year's Discover Rushton Camp. Photo by Blake Goll/Staff
Spend half a day at Rushton exploring the woods, streams and fields, birding and working on the farm harvesting. We'll get to meet the honeybees and understand why Rushton is such a special habitat for people and animals! Come with binoculars if you have them and shoes that can go in the stream.
Free for members. $5/child for non-members.
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What You Missed in July |
 Junior Birders at the Wildflowers and Watercolor Workshop in July. Photos by Kelsey Lingle/StaffJr. Birders had fun exploring the milkweed meadows before the sun went down and the moths came out for the Moth Party. They found Milkweed longhorn beetles, a baby Praying mantis, fireflies, and other cool insects. At the Purple Martin event, we banded 184 healthy Purple Martin chicks in the summer heat! Then came our Wildflower and Watercolor Workshop, which was a delight. The wildflower meadow inspired us to create beautiful works of art, and one young birder even caught a Hummingbird clearwing moth, which we released shortly thereafter. |
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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