Millbrook Village Maple Sugaring Day Postponed

MILLBROOK VILLAGE — Due to the forecast of heavy rain, the Maple Sugaring Day program at Millbrook Village, scheduled for Saturday, March 13, has been postponed until Saturday, March 20. The rescheduled program will be held from 10 a.m. to 3.p.m.

National Park Service rangers and Millbrook Village Society volunteers will demonstrate this traditional, late winter activity. Visitors will learn about tapping maple trees, collecting sap and boiling it down to make syrup and sugar. Recipes for maple-based foods will be available. In addition, some village buildings will be open for tours and craft demonstrations.

This event is held outdoors; warm clothing, and appropriate footgear are highly recommended.

Millbrook Village is on Old Mine Road in New Jersey, 12 miles north of Interstate 80 (Exit 1). Access is also possible by taking NJ Route 602 (the Millbrook-Blairstown Road) seven miles west from its intersection with Route 94 in Blairstown. Note: Old Mine Road might remain closed after major snowfalls; the route through Blairstown is preferable.

For additional information, call the park headquarters on weekdays (570-426-2452) or visit the park’s website at www.nps.gov/dewa.

Focus On Backyards Birds, Water Fowl, And Spring Migration

HAWLEY — The Lackawaxen River Conservancy hosts Barbara Leo and Katharine Dodge of the Audubon Society for a program on the region’s birds on Tuesday, March 16, at 7 p.m. at the PPL Learning Center, Rte. 6, Hawley PA.  All are invited to attend.

Barbara Leo, Chair of the Northeast PA Audubon Society, oversees the society’s participation in annual bird counts and the Important Bird Area (IBA) in the Upper Delaware River corridor, and was a  Regional Coordinator for the 2nd Pennsylvania Breeding Bird Atlas that was completed in 2009. Audubon President and Education Chair, Katharine Dodge has designed numerous programs on birds, backyard habitat and wetlands for schools and community groups.  An artist, she has worked on energy issues and is committed to living sustainably, using solar electric, geothermal heating, and growing most of her family’s food on an old farm in Lake Ariel, PA.

This meeting is presented in celebration of the Lackawaxen’s designation as 2010 PA River of the Year.

Coming Events

12th Annual Bluebird Conference

March 19-20. Held at the Penn Stater Hotel in State College, bird and nature fans are invited to join members of the Bluebird Society of Pa . This event is open to the public and offers an opportunity for families, students and people of all ages to discover the wonders of Bluebirds and other cavity-nesting species. Attendees will learn all about bluebirds habits and what is needed to attract bluebirds and other secondary cavity nesters to their backyards, gain practical information about providing food sources for bluebirds and how to deal with bluebird predators and pests.

The conference fee is $35 per person, which includes continental breakfast and lunch on Saturday. There is a $5 savings for registrations received by Feb. 16. For more information, download the flyer here.

8th Annual Pennsylvania Land Conservation Conference March 20 (registration).

Held April 8-10 at the Desmond Hotel & Conference Center in Malvern, Pa., this conference is hosted by the Pennsylvania Land Trust Association and is Pennsylvania’s annual training, networking and inspirational event for those involved with private and public land conservation. The seminar will include a field trip, and will be highlighted by keynote speaker Tim LaSalle from the Rodale Institute.

For more information on the conference and how to register, visit here.

Sportsman’s Dinner In Milford

MILFORD — There will be a sportsman’s dinner on March 27 from 1 to 7pm at the Milford Bible Church on 110 Foxcroft Drive, Milford.

Wildlife Photographer and Sportsman Paul Blasko will be in attendance, and the event will include a wild game dinner, 3-D archery shoot, prizes, demonstrations, exhibits, and displays. Cost is $10 for adults and $5 for kids 16 and under. Call (570) 296-6019 for more information.

Pond and Lake Management Workshop

A Pond and Lake Management Workshop will be held at the PPL Wallenpaupack Environmental Learning Center Auditorium, located off of Route 6 adjacent to the dam on Saturday, March 27, from 9 AM– 3:00 PM.  This workshop will provide participants with an overview of lake and pond ecology and management.  Topics to be addressed include aquatic plant control, restoration of lakes and ponds, fisheries management and other wildlife issues.  The cost of the workshop is $25.00 per person and includes continental breakfast, lunch, and informational materials.

For more information or to register contact Penn State Cooperative Extension Pike County, 514 Broad Street, Milford, PA, (570) 296-3400, PikeExt@psu.edu or visit pike.extension.psu.edu/Programs.html to download a program brochure. The registration deadline is March 23.

Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce.

Boy Raises $500 For Eagle Institute

BARRYVILLE, NY – The Eagle Institute is a grassroots volunteer organization that operates on a shoestring budget supported by grants and donations. It takes a lot of work to gather up $500 from the typical donations ranging from $10 to $30. So imagine their excitement when they recently received a $500 donation. And imagine their surprise to learn it came from a 9-year-old boy!

Sam Walker lives in Connecticut and is a big fan of all wildlife. He is especially fond of bald eagles, particularly the ones he sees from his family’s weekend home in Barryville, NY. Sam wanted to do something to help protect bald eagles “because of its population drop caused by DDT and other chemicals,” he said. As President of the non-profit group Enviro-mento, which has been fundraising for good causes at his elementary school since kindergarten, Sam initiated and conducted a fundraising campaign to raise money to help the Eagle Institute with its work on the Upper Delaware River. He recruited some friends, went door-to-door and put up signs announcing his cause.

“I picked the Eagle Institute because of the sightings we’ve had on our lake and because I’ve always admired what you’ve been doing,” Sam told the Eagle Institute.

On the Enviro-mento website, Sam posted: “The Eagle Institute is our favorite organization because they are friends, rescuers and educators that help the legendary Bald Eagle and other birds of prey…Earlier this year we raised $500 to help the endangered bald eagle. All in all they rock so don’t forget to go to www.eagleinstitute.org.”

The funds were used this season to help offset the cost of purchasing new spotting scopes and binoculars, handwarmers and footwarmers for the Eagle Institute volunteers to use when collecting data and assisting visitors at the five public eagle viewing sites in the Upper Delaware watershed. The programs take place in winter, when 150-200 bald eagles migrate to this region.

“Sam’s efforts are so appreciated by myself and the volunteers,” said Lori McKean, Eagle Institute director. “Our equipment gets pretty beat up out there and we really needed to replace some older pieces and increase the number of scopes we have out in the field. Plus the volunteers really appreciate the handwarmers and footwarmers that we provide.”

Sam’s ambitions don’t stop at bald eagles. The Enviro-mento tagline is: “from bees to elephants big and small, we’ll be able to save them all!” And  he just might. When he grows up, Sam would like to be a professor to educate the world on the importance of a healthy environment. “Also I might be a vet too,” he added.

The Eagle Institute thanks Sam and his family and hopes others will be inspired by one youngster’s passion and determination!

For more information about the Eagle Institute’s programs and how to support them, phone 570-685-5960 or 845-557-6162 or email them at eagleinstitute@yahoo.com.

Boy Raises $500 For Eagle Institute

BARRYVILLE, NY – The Eagle Institute is a grassroots volunteer organization that operates on a shoestring budget supported by grants and donations. It takes a lot of work to gather up $500 from the typical donations ranging from $10 to $30. So imagine their excitement when they recently received a $500 donation. And imagine their surprise to learn it came from a 9-year-old boy!

Sam Walker lives in Connecticut and is a big fan of all wildlife. He is especially fond of bald eagles, particularly the ones he sees from his family’s weekend home in Barryville, NY. Sam wanted to do something to help protect bald eagles “because of its population drop caused by DDT and other chemicals,” he said. As President of the non-profit group Enviro-mento, which has been fundraising for good causes at his elementary school since kindergarten, Sam initiated and conducted a fundraising campaign to raise money to help the Eagle Institute with its work on the Upper Delaware River. He recruited some friends, went door-to-door and put up signs announcing his cause.

“I picked the Eagle Institute because of the sightings we’ve had on our lake and because I’ve always admired what you’ve been doing,” Sam told the Eagle Institute.

On the Enviro-mento website, Sam posted: “The Eagle Institute is our favorite organization because they are friends, rescuers and educators that help the legendary Bald Eagle and other birds of prey…Earlier this year we raised $500 to help the endangered bald eagle. All in all they rock so don’t forget to go to www.eagleinstitute.org.”

The funds were used this season to help offset the cost of purchasing new spotting scopes and binoculars, handwarmers and footwarmers for the Eagle Institute volunteers to use when collecting data and assisting visitors at the five public eagle viewing sites in the Upper Delaware watershed. The programs take place in winter, when 150-200 bald eagles migrate to this region.

“Sam’s efforts are so appreciated by myself and the volunteers,” said Lori McKean, Eagle Institute director. “Our equipment gets pretty beat up out there and we really needed to replace some older pieces and increase the number of scopes we have out in the field. Plus the volunteers really appreciate the handwarmers and footwarmers that we provide.”

Sam’s ambitions don’t stop at bald eagles. The Enviro-mento tagline is: “from bees to elephants big and small, we’ll be able to save them all!” And  he just might. When he grows up, Sam would like to be a professor to educate the world on the importance of a healthy environment. “Also I might be a vet too,” he added.

The Eagle Institute thanks Sam and his family and hopes others will be inspired by one youngster’s passion and determination!

For more information about the Eagle Institute’s programs and how to support them, phone 570-685-5960 or 845-557-6162 or email them at eagleinstitute@yahoo.com.

Coming Events

12th Annual Bluebird Conference

March 19-20. Held at the Penn Stater Hotel in State College, bird and nature fans are invited to join members of the Bluebird Society of Pa . This event is open to the public and offers an opportunity for families, students and people of all ages to discover the wonders of Bluebirds and other cavity-nesting species. Attendees will learn all about bluebirds habits and what is needed to attract bluebirds and other secondary cavity nesters to their backyards, gain practical information about providing food sources for bluebirds and how to deal with bluebird predators and pests.

The conference fee is $35 per person, which includes continental breakfast and lunch on Saturday. There is a $5 savings for registrations received by Feb. 16. For more information, download the flyer here.

8th Annual Pennsylvania Land Conservation Conference March 20 (registration).

Held April 8-10 at the Desmond Hotel & Conference Center in Malvern, Pa., this conference is hosted by the Pennsylvania Land Trust Association and is Pennsylvania’s annual training, networking and inspirational event for those involved with private and public land conservation. The seminar will include a field trip, and will be highlighted by keynote speaker Tim LaSalle from the Rodale Institute.

For more information on the conference and how to register, visit here.

Eagle Institute Sets Final Trip

LACKAWAXEN – Saturday, Feb. 20 is the last scheduled guided eagle excursion offered by the Eagle Institute for the 2010 winter season. After February, most of the eagles that have wintered in this region begin their migration back to their “home” habitats to begin their breeding season.

The Feb. 20 guided eagle excursion begins at 10 a.m. from the Institute’s winter field office on the Delaware River at 176 Scenic Drive, Lackawaxen. Reservations are not taken and the program is offered on a first-come, first-served basis. A $10 donation per person is requested to help defray the cost of the bus.

Participants will first view an educational video. A trained guide will accompany the excursion to help participants spot the eagles, to answer questions and to promote eagle etiquette, or the best way to view eagles without disturbing them. Participants also will be asked to help collect data about the eagles and the winter habitat.

The Institute reserved a larger bus for this final outing since the other excursions filled quickly and it’s anticipated that many will want to get in on the last trip.

The guided excursions help decrease the number of vehicles that visit the eagle watching sites and address ongoing problems of visitor safety and eagle disturbance. “This program assists us in our conservation goals by making sure eagle watchers get the right information about safety and proper eagle viewing etiquette and it minimizes any trespass or private property issues,” said Lori McKean, Eagle Institute director. “We have such a wonderful opportunity to see eagles here and we are constantly looking at ways to enhance the viewing experience, improve safety and, most importantly, protect the eagle and its habitat.”

The Eagle Institute, a non-profit volunteer organization that offers educational eagle programs in the Delaware and Hudson River regions, partnered with several other organizations this winter to offer the popular guided excursions.

In addition, about 50 trained volunteers continue to staff five public viewing locations on weekends throughout February to assist thousands of eagle watchers so that they have the “safest and least intrusive” eagle watching experience.

For more information, visit the Eagle Institute web page at www.eagleinstitute.org or call (570) 685-5960 or 845-557-6162.

Birds Take To Twitter

HARRISBURG — Although the Peregrine falcons that have nested atop Harrisburg’s Rachel Carson State Office Building for most of the past decade aren’t known for “tweeting,” fans of the pair will be able to follow their story this year on Twitter.

Use of the popular social networking site is in addition to the annual online video stream that went live today on the Department of Environmental Protection’s Web site.

Many fans questioned whether the pair would mate this year after the male was tardy in his return, but the allure of being with his partner this Valentine’s Day proved too great, according to DEP’s environmental education director Jack Farster.

“We were concerned that this year’s nesting season might be in jeopardy when we had not seen the male Peregrine falcon at the nest in several weeks,” said Farster. “Just in time for Valentine’s Day, though, he returned to the nest on Feb. 4, so we’re optimistic the pair will soon produce yet another round of offspring.”

Fans can follow the falcons’ progress at www.twitter.com/FalconChatter, or by clicking on the Falcon Cam button on www.depweb.state.pa.us.

“Each year, people from around the world contact us with their stories and comments about the falcons,” Farster said. “Now they will have an online forum to discuss their sightings, observations and thoughts about these Peregrines who are the world’s fastest flying birds.”

This will be the sixth year this pair of falcons has nested at the Rachel Carson building. The female has laid eggs here since 2000 with two different males; the second arrived in Harrisburg in 2005 after the first male was discovered injured the previous year.

For the last several years, the female falcon has produced a “clutch” of five eggs.  She typically begins laying eggs during March. The eggs hatch around Mother’s Day, and the young falcons begin to “fledge,” or take their first flights around Father’s Day.

While their numbers are increasing, Peregrine falcons remain an endangered species in Pennsylvania with 21 pairs having successfully bred in 2009. Around 1960, Peregrines disappeared from Pennsylvania due to the use of the insecticide DDT. Peregrines ingested the insecticide by eating contaminated prey, which caused them to lay eggs with thin and fragile shells that broke when the birds sat on them. DDT also caused changes in the falcon’s hormonal cycles, which created breeding problems and physical illnesses that rendered them unable to hunt.

Nationally, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service removed the bird from its list of endangered and threatened species in 1999.

For more information, visit www.depweb.state.pa.us, keyword: Falcon.