Outreach – Conococheague Audubon

News from the Region, March 26, 2024

By Valerie BarnesPosted on March 26, 2024March 26, 2024Posted in News, Outreach

The Institute (formerly called Renfrew Institute for Cultural & Environmental Studies) is planning many events this spring. Visit their website to view the Event Calendar.

Appalachian Audubon is sponsoring a PA Young Birders group to offer youth in the area more opportunities for birding and learning about birds. Visit their website to learn more about scheduled events.

Outreach Events not on CAS Activities List

We could use volunteers to help at these events. Please contact Terri Kochert if you are interested and available. At most of these, we will set up a table and display information, brochures, and activities for children.

April 13, Saturday Outreach Event – Volunteer!

10 AM – 4 PM. Conococheague Institute Get to Know Nature event. Prepare for Earth Day 2024 and learn how to love and understand the natural world, Many activities. Visit www.cimlg.org to learn more about the CI event.

May 16, Thursday Outreach Event- Volunteer!

9 AM – 1:15 PM. PA Trout in the Classroom event for seventh grade students at Greencastle-Antrim Middle School. Caledonia State Park. Seventh grade students at Greencastle-Antrim Middle School will be releasing fingerlings Along with releasing fish into the stream, the coordinator would like to have science-related presentations for the students to participate in throughout the day. Students would be in 10 groups (about 25 students per group) and would rotate to different stations every 20 minutes. Terri Kochert is planning what we will do.

May 18, Saturday Outreach Event – Volunteer!

9 AM – 1 PM. Master Gardener’s Plant Sale. CAS will have a display table.

February 2024 from the Presiddent

By Valerie BarnesPosted on February 2, 2024February 2, 2024Posted in How to Get Involved, Monthly Message, Outreach, Zoom

I want to know how January disappeared so fast! It seems as if every month evaporates before I get my arms around it. In January we had some really cold days and at least 3 rounds of snow. Will we get more this month? Sigh…

Please note that our next (February 12) meeting about phone apps is Zoom only. We will NOT meet in person at St Luke. To join, either use the link below or visit the calendar event to find the link,

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7211203928?pwd=RXNwMjZpQVNvSHJGRld3cWZFQjJiZz09

Meeting ID: 721 120 3928

Passcode: cardinal20

The 27th annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) takes place from Friday, February 16, through Monday, February 19, 2024. Read about the event, if you like, and submit checklists of birds seen at your favorite location(s) anywhere each day, using eBird. Any checklist submitted in the GBBC time window will count; no need to pre-register.

We are already starting to get requests to help out at local community events. Please consider volunteering for these:

Seventh grade students at Greencastle-Antrim Middle School participate in Pa’s Trout in the Classroom program and will be releasing fingerlings at Caledonia State Park on Thursday, May 16, 2024. Along with releasing fish into the stream, the coordinator would like to have science-related presentations for the students to participate in throughout the day. Students would be in 10 groups (about 25 students per group) and would rotate to different stations every 20 minutes. Students will arrive at the park around 9 and will be departing around 1:15 pm. Would you be interested in presenting an environmentally based lesson for the students?
Conococheague Institute is planning a Get to Know Nature event on Saturday, April 13. We hope to have some of these activities there: Information on planting native plants to attract pollinators and birds, avoiding bird/window collisions, bird identification, bird feeding, bird-related craft projects, nature scavenger walk, bird watching walk. The more volunteers, the more we will be able to do! Would you like to help at our table?
Other opportunities will arise soon. So, let us know what you want to do and when you might be available!

If you plan to go on the Martin’s trip to Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge February 16-18, please contact Eric and Rhetta ASAP (717-597-8675) to learn about making motel reservations.

Treasurer Donna Hocker asks that Committee Chairs submit budget requests for the June 1, 2024 – May 31, 2025 season to her ASAP, if you haven’t already provided them. If anyone else has ideas about potential expenses or income for the upcoming season, please contact a committee chair, director, or officer as soon as possible.

Elections are scheduled for our Annual Business Meeting on April 8. We have 3 new folks who are stepping up to be directors: John Carter, Larry Williams, and Sharon Williams. This is wonderful news and we thank John, Larry, and Sharon as well as the nominating committee (Terri Kochert, John Greer, and Sue Greer). More on elections next time…

It’s always a good time to make a donation to Conococheague Audubon Society and mail it to PO Box 20, Fayetteville, PA 17222. Anyone interested in joining our leadership team? Please contact conaudubon@outlook.com and tell us what you would like to do.

Check back often to see what’s been added or changed. Good birding!

August 2023 From the President

By Valerie BarnesPosted on August 5, 2023August 5, 2023Posted in Birds, How to Get Involved, Monthly Message, Outreach

We’ve been so lucky that summer in our area has been remarkably mild compared with much of the rest of the country and world. Fingers crossed that our good fortune continues!

Film Chair Terri Kochert has selected three PBS titles for showing at CAMS South in November, January, and March. Our August annual fundraising appeal will provide the details. We’re nearly ready to print the Activities List for the 2023-2024 season; it will be included with the fundraising letter. We’ll also be updating this website to reflect the schedule of events.

Terri and other volunteers set up a display table at the Chambersburg Farmers’ Market on the last Saturdays of June and July, with plans for doing the same in August and September. Contact Terri to volunteer and help attract new members.

The garden tour event was so successful that Josh Donaldson and the Garden Gang are already planning for next summer. Stop by to admire the garden anytime.

Migration is starting. You can subscribe to alerts in eBird to learn about unusual sightings. Bill Oyler will lead our first Fall Migration field trip on September 2.

May you have a wonderful end of summer. Thanks for your support for Conococheague Audubon and the birds!

July 2023 From the President

By Valerie BarnesPosted on July 1, 2023July 1, 2023Posted in Birds, How to Get Involved, Monthly Message, OutreachTagged birds, flowers

Conococheague Audubon is the proud owner of a new laptop computer. This one doesn’t have a row or two of dead pixels, which is nice. It’s also much faster than the old one. You’ll get to see it in action at our first meeting of the 2023-2024 season on Monday, September 11. Chris and Rebecca Payne will tell us all about their birding trip to Belize. We’re finalizing the activities for the season; you’ll get an Activities List in the mail in August.

The garden team is planning an educational and conversational tour of our chapter’s Native Plants Garden at Norlo Park (3050 Lincoln Way E, Fayetteville, PA 17222) on Monday July 17th at 9 AM. We’ll begin with a short Master Gardener class on native plants by MG and garden volunteer Anne St. John, followed by a tour of the garden focused on the plants as well as the butterflies, bees, and birds which depend so much on native plants. It will conclude well before noon. Our walk will be on lawn grass which may not be dry. Rain date is Wednesday July 19th, 9 AM. This will be the first of what we plan to be an annual event, open to the public. We hope to see you there! Please wear your CAS t-shirt and hat, if you have them. Please contact tour host Josh Donaldson with any questions at 717-264-6920.

Terri Kochert is arranging volunteers to represent CAS at our display table at the Chambersburg Farmers’ Market on 4th Saturdays, 9 AM – noon, July – September. Contact Terri Kochert, bobterri81@comcast.net or 717-263-3692. Stop by and see all the material Terri and others have gathered for the public.

National Audubon has collected some good photos of some awfully cute baby birds. Check them out!

Thank you for your continued support and interest, and good birding!

June 2023 From the President

By Valerie BarnesPosted on June 1, 2023June 1, 2023Posted in Conservation, How to Get Involved, Monthly Message, Outreach

As we roll into summer and the end of our fiscal year, let’s take a moment to applaud the efforts of our Board of Directors, Committee Chairs, and Officers over the past 12 months. Without these stalwart volunteers, it would be impossible to accomplish the conservation, education, and citizen science projects in which we take such pride. We appreciate your ongoing service and contributions to the chapter. We look forward to your continuing leadership and participation in our activities.

If you would like to volunteer, we would love to have your help. Contact the committee chair or any officer to step up. Volunteer opportunities this summer include:

Clean up and help maintain the native plants garden at Norlo Park. Contact Josh Donaldson, jd425@embarqmail.com or 717-264-6920.
Monitor birds on Michaux State Forest, Contact John or Sue Greer, jngreer@aol.com or 443-255-8871
Appalachian Trail Festival on Saturday, June 10 from 10 AM- 4 PM at Red Run Park in Waynesboro (12143 Buchanan Trail East). Contact Debby Hook at 717-372-0228 or debbyk@pa.net.
Display table at Chambersburg Farmers’ Market on 4th Saturdays, 9 AM – noon, June – September. Contact Terri Kochert, bobterri81@comcast.net or 717-263-3692.

NEW event in July! The Conococheague Audubon Society is planning an educational and conversational tour of our chapter’s Native Plants Garden at Norlo Park (3050 Lincoln Way E, Fayetteville, PA 17222) on Monday July 17th at 9am. We’ll begin with a short Master Gardener class on native plants by MG and garden volunteer Anne St. John, followed by a tour of the garden focused on the plants as well as the butterflies, bees, and birds which depend so much on native plants. It will conclude well before noon. Our walk will be on lawn grass which may not be dry. Rain date is Wednesday July 19th, 9am. This will be the first of what we plan to be an annual event, open to the public. We hope to see you there! Please contact tour host Josh Donaldson with any questions at 717.264.6920

Other Upcoming Activities: [as always, please call the field trip leader in advance and be at the meeting place a few minutes early. It’s a good idea to double-check the details about a trip on our website’s calendar.]

June 3, Saturday, WORKSHOP. 7:45 AM Beginning Birders’ Workshop. Meet at Visitors’ Center in Caledonia State Park, Fayetteville; park in first parking lot beyond Visitors’ Center. Bring binoculars; a few pairs available for loan. Pre-register with Dave Cooney, 717-264-2116 or Janet Tice, 717-372-0379, jwtice1@comcast.net.

June 10, Saturday, FIELD TRIP, 7:00 AM South Mountain/Caledonia/Michaux Important Birding Area (IBA) for RESIDENT SONGBIRDS. Leave from second parking lot beyond Visitors’ Center in Caledonia State Park. Bring scopes and binoculars. Eric and Rhetta Martin, 717-597-8675.

June 16-19, Fri.-Mon., CONSERVATION COUNT, All day for 1-4 days. Join a team for fundraising opportunities. Breeding Birding Blitz for Conservation by the Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology. See www.breedingbirdblitz.org for info. Vern Gauthier, 717-385-9526, verngauthier14@gmail.com.

June 17, Saturday, FIELD TRIP, 7:30 AM Especially for BEGINNING BIRDERS. Chambersburg section of Cumberland Valley Rail Trail. Meet at Big Lots, 184 Southgate Mall, parking lot next to Washington Street. Bring binoculars and field guide. Debby Hook, 717-372-0228.

Thank you for your continued support and interest, and good birding!