Hollow Oak News

 

"I think having land and not ruining it is the most beautiful art

that anybody could ever want to own."

- Andy Warhol
  
October 11, 2013
Volume 1, Number 8

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Trick or Trails Trick or Trails Event

 

Sunday, October 27, 2013
10:00 AM
 - 2:00 PM

 

Please join Hollow Oak Land Trust for a day

of fun and to celebrate our new 6-mile trail system at the Montour Woods Conservation Area. Activities include hiking, mountain biking, and geochaching with a cookout to follow at noon. For more information: [email protected] or (412) 264-5354

 

(click image for a larger view to save or print)

 

 

Annual Meeting - Hollow Oak Land Trust

 

6:30 PM Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Mario's Italian Restaurant, Moon Township

 

Please join us for dinner and a special presentation for the annual celebration of

the Hollow Oak Land Trust. Buffet includes soup, salad, Chicken Romano, roasted veggies, antipasti, penne pasta and garlic rolls ($18). RSVP by Wednesday, October 30: [email protected] or (412) 264-5354

 

Press

 

Allegheny West Magazine

Sept/Oct Edition
 

If you haven't seen it already, be
sure to read the recent article about
Hollow Oak's efforts to preserve
greenspace and promote ecotourism
in the Pittsburgh Airport Corridor.

 

 

 

 

Nature Notes:  Coyote (Canis Iatrans)
Coyote
  

Deer hunting season has begun in western PA and Hollow Oak Land Trust depends on humans as the only remaining predator that can help the deer population reach a balance with its habitat.

 

The former range of wolves has been filled by eastern coyotes, which now serve as the lesser keystone predator controlling populations of meso-predators such as raccoons, opossums and feral cats. If uncontrolled, these tree-climbing predators wreak havoc on song birds and other species by raiding their nests.

 

As opportunistic feeder, coyotes take some fauns each year, but they rely more heavily on small mammals, insects, birds and sometimes carrion. Fruit and vegetables are an important food source in summer and fall, and they often clean up deer remains left by human hunters.

 

Coyotes have been shown to be more intelligent than dogs in "observational learning", where model behavior is learned without requiring reinforcement. They reach full size in their first year and live for up to 10 years. Eastern coyotes are larger than those in the western US, averaging 30-40 pounds with longer legs due to previous inter-breeding with wolves. They were once more active during the day, but now your best chance to see this resilient canine is at night due to pressure from humans. You can be sure they are in the woods nearby and can be captured with a motion-activated camera.  (Photo, Montour Woods Conservation Area: Eric Feldbauer)

 

Hillman Foundation Grant

 

Hollow Oak Land Trust has been awarded a two-year grant of $50,000 from the Hillman Foundation to implement a comprehensive land stewardship program that will engage local residents, corporations and institutions in our mission to nurture wildlife habitat, protect water quality and provide families with places to access nature within the Pittsburgh Airport Corridor. This new Land Stewardship Program will recruit and train a substantial volunteer corps with input from other land trusts so together we can increase the quality and capacity of land stewardship in the greater Pittsburgh area.

 

New Trail Easement - Montour Woods Greenway

Montour Woods Greenway Map  

Thanks to Amesbury Village in Moon Township, Hollow Oak has secured a Trail Easement adjacent to the Montour Woods Conservation Area. This new trail will extend the mileage of trails available to hikers, bikers and nature lovers who enjoy western PA woodlands.
 
The new trail also will serve as part of the Montour Woods Greenway, through which Hollow Oak seeks to connect the Conservation Area to Moon Park and the Montour Trail. Work has begun on this new trail and volunteers are welcome to help on Wednesdays evenings (see below for details).  
 
(click image for a larger view to save or print it)
Weekly MTB Tuesdays & Trail Wednesdays (thru October) 
  
MTB Tuesdays, Hassam Road, 6:00 PM
Volunteer-led mountain bike rides continue thru October at the Montour Woods Conservation Area, Moon Township. Ride starts at 6:00 PM, moderately paced.
Questions: [email protected] or (412) 417-5825 
  

Trail Wednesdays, New Site: Downing Drive, 5:30 PM
Hollow Oak volunteers meet Wednesday evenings to develop hiking and biking trails at the Montour Woods Conservation Area. Work gloves and water provided, refreshments served afterward. RSVP: [email protected] or (412) 417-5825 

 

 

Hollow Oak Land Trust | PO Box 741 | Coraopolis, PA 15108 

(412) 264-5354

 

 

 

 


  
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