Save the Date: 2012 Eastern PA Greenways & Trails Summit

September 19th and 20th 

DeSales University 

Center Valley, PA

Join Eastern Pennsylvania’s trail and greenway community for a two-day summit highlighting regional trail initiatives, real-world solutions to trail issues, best practices and innovative case studies from across the region, need-to-know information for your trail, and a half-day of hands-on field experiences. Audubon and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy will be participating in a panel focused on Land Preservation for Trail and Viewshed.  Visit Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor's web site for more information.

Celebrate Bald Eagle's Recovery in in PA

Bald Eagle sighted on Haldeman Island.  Photo: Kathy Burd Bauer.

Bill Uhlrich of the Reading Eagle reports the amazing recovery of the bald eagle and its nesting expansion into Berks County - now with five active nesting pairs in the county and over 25 adults and young counted.  

Read the full article here:
Bill Uhlrich: Celebrate Bald Eagle's recovery in state

Another nesting site along the Kittatinny Ridge and Corridor is on Haldeman Island (State Game Land 290) in Dauphin County, an island along the Susquehanna River just north of its confluence with the Juniata River.  Closed to public access.  PA Game Commission Land Management Supervisor, Scott Bills, recently led a birdwatching hike in conjunction with Duncannon Borough's Appalachian Trail Community celebration where new birders were able to view the nesting site and treated to a few scenes of soaring adult bald eagles above.

Moore Township supervisors preserve almost 100 acres

Exciting news from the Lehigh Valley!  Moore Township Supervisors yesterday voted to buy development rights for two properties totaling almost 100 acres at the base of the Kittatinny Ridge with Wildlands Conservancy holding the conservation easement on the properties.  Congratulations to Moore Township residents and municipal leaders for taking this important step in preserving their community's natural assets and thanks to Wildlands Conservancy for all the work they do in protecting the Kittatinny Ridge, also known as Blue Mountain.  See article at link below from LehighValleyLive.com:

MooreTownship supervisors preserve almost 100 acres

Kittatinny Ridge interpretive panel installed at Scott Farm Trail Center

Click on image for larger view. Designed by Kim Williams.

The first Kittatinny Ridge interpretive panel using the new Kittatinny Coalition logo and tag-line is on display at Scott Farm Trail Center in the Cumberland Valley at the base of the Ridge.  The Ridge’s significance as a globally important migratory fly-way and connections to the Appalachian Trail are key themes.  The panel content also explains the significance of the Kittatinny Ridge and Corridor as providing critical high quality interior-forest habitat and protection for important drinking water supplies and stream habitat.

Designed by ATC’s Kim Williams, this panel was developed for a series of interpretive signs along the A.T. throughout South Mountain and the Cumberland Valley by the South Mountain Partnership with assistance from the CumberlandValley Visitors Bureau.

Developing a plan for consistent signage and branding throughout the Kittatinny Ridge and Corridor was a topic of discussion at a recent Kittatinny Central Partners meeting.

Regal Fritillary Grassland Tours coming up at Fort Indiantown Gap

Source: milvet.state.pa.us/DMVA/

You have probably heard of Fort Indiantown Gap’s famous “butterfly”…now is your chance to see it up close and personal. The public is invited to tour Regal Fritillary habitat in an area normally closed to the public and learn how the conservation efforts for this species of concern are balanced with military training.  2012 Regal Fritillary Habitat Tours are being held on June 30, July 1, July 6 and July 7.  Tours start at 10am.  For more information, visit Fort Indiantown Gap's Regal Fritillary web site.

“The Regal Fritillary butterfly colony at Fort Indiantown Gap continues to thrive alongside military training equipment thanks to our dedicated wildlife staff,” said Col. Samuel Hayes, commander of the Fort Indiantown Gap National Guard Training Site. “These tours are popular for visitors of all ages because participants are able to see and learn about the butterfly in its natural habitat.”  View a Regal Fritillary fact sheet.

Scouting volunteers help create habitat for butterflies at Lehigh Gap

Scouting volunteers from Bangor and Breiningsville recently assisted with a planting event on the Kittatinny Ridge in early May, helping to restore habitat for regal fritillaries at Lehigh Gap Nature Center in Slatington, PA.

Read more in Greater Hazleton's Standard Speaker's coverage of the event: Scouting volunteers attempt to create habitat for rare butterfly 

Lehigh Gap Nature Center staff and Audubon PA reps were on hand to assist and educate the scouts as they planted, seven species of flowers useful to many other species of butterflies and other insects, not just the regal fritillary. Slideshow below!

Lehigh Valley municipalities form Birdtown Coalition

Vision: Municipalities within the Lehigh Valley are places where people love to live, work, and visit because the residents and officials actively support and recognize the value of birds and nature to thTeir own quality of life and culture.

Mission: To create a sustainable driver for regional long term environmental stewardship across the Lehigh Valley by creating awareness of the linkage of birds to the natural environment. 

Audubon Bird Town works to protect birds, not only because they are beautiful and awe inspiring, but because they are the touchstone of biological health. The vast distances they travel and the diverse ecosystems on which they depend, make them unique barometers of our planets health as well as our neighborhoods and backyards. When birds are at risk, so too is the greater ecosystem, the intricate web of life, and ultimately, humans. When we help birds and their habitats we help ourselves.

Lehigh Valley Bird Town: The coalition was founded to support Allentown Bird Town, but quickly expanded in recognition that Allentown’s success would be enhanced by involvement across the Lehigh Valley. The coalition is a collaboration of independent organizations brought together through our shared mission. By working closely together, the coalition will build success by leveraging individual and joint efforts of its members while each organization retains its own separate identity. Through our activities we will achieve broad demographic, geographic and habitat coverage. All of our activities will encourage proper Birding ethics.

Coalition Membership: We encourage regional and local, private, public and government organizations that share our mission and are willing to participate by supporting Bird Town events, habitat demonstration, or funding. It is our hope that additional Audubon Bird Towns will be created within the geography of this coalition. 


For more info check out the Lehigh Valley Birdtown blog!