Get Involved – Page 2 – Conococheague Audubon

August 2025 from the President

By Valerie BarnesPosted on August 7, 2025August 7, 2025Posted in Birds, Conservation, Get Involved, Monthly MessageTagged birds, donate

I hope you are having a wonderful summer filled with good birds and fun outings. Things are pretty quiet in my yard, with a surprise Ovenbird popping in for a quick visit last week. Young Woodpeckers continue to explore the world in their dorky ways.

Joe and Vanessa Miller have volunteered to organize our highway clean-up day on September 27, 2025. This is part of PennDOT’s Adopt-A-Highway program. We have “adopted” 2 miles of PA-997 from I-81 west to Main Street, Scotland. It is easy walking on wide shoulders. Supplies are provided. Meet at 9 AM at the Scotland Park & Ride, I-81 northbound exit 20. Even if you are unable to pick up trash, we need a driver to shuttle supplies, and we need a pickup truck to carry filled bags. Please join us to help beautify PA. Contact Joe and Vanessa at 717-377-6507 or millerhouse@embarqmail.com.

Bill Oyler will lead our first field trip of the season on Monday, September 1 for FALL MIGRANTS. Meet at 7:15 AM at the Park & Ride, Scotland Exit 20, I-81 northbound. Field trip includes walking in wet grass at Heisey Orchard and other possible walks as we travel Michaux SF roads, with field trip ending by 1:00 PM. Bring binoculars and snack or lunch. Bill Oyler, 717-360-5191, oylerbill@gmail.com.

Year-round SOAR (Studying Ornithology Around the Region) walks continue at 8:00 AM on the first and third Saturdays at various locations in Franklin County. Larry and Sharon Williams, 717-655-7414; or Buttonwood Nature Center, 717-762-0373, https://buttonwoodnaturecenter.org/ .

The first regular meeting for our new season will be on September 8. Ron George and Tracy Snyder will dazzle us with excellent bird photos to illustrate their Bird is A Verb program – terrific for beginning and experienced birders alike. They’ll start the evening earlier than usual, at 6 PM, with birding outside St. Luke Evangelical Lutheran Church; so, bring friends and family who are new to birding! . Bring binoculars if you have them. The meeting will start, as usual, at 7:00 PM.

We have a new logo depicting a Northern Cardinal. Now you can support Conococheague Audubon Society by making a donation and selecting a hat! Three colors of the baseball-style hat are available – Royal Blue, Khaki crown with Royal Blue bill, or Khaki crown with Charcoal bill. All are 6-panel, unstructured, low-profile garment-washed cotton, with a mesh lining and a tuck-away leather back strap and buckle. One size fits all. We’re asking for a donation of $20 to defray the cost. Come to a meeting to see the hats in person and select the ones you want. Decals depicting the new logo are also available.

We’ve finalized the Activities List for the upcoming season and will be mailing it to you soon, along with our annual fundraising letter. Please make whatever contribution you can and mail it to CAS, PO Box 20, Fayetteville, PA 17222.

Volunteer opportunities include Hospitality Chair and Conservation Chair. Three officers are ready to step down as well: Valerie Barnes from being President, Lisa Coombs from being Vice President, and Donna Hocker from being Treasurer. Please contact an officer ASAP with questions and/or to volunteer.

We’ll be posting the new activities on this website over the coming weeks, so check the calendar for updates and details.

Participate!

By Valerie BarnesPosted on July 31, 2025July 31, 2025Posted in Get Involved

The easiest way to get involved is to participate in our activities – field trips, meetings, films, citizen science, Norlo Park garden, etc.. We welcome everyone. Everything is free. Bring friends and family. We do ask that you connect with the field trip leader a few days in advance of the trip so that if there are any changes, they know to contact you. It’s always good to check the calendar on this website for any possible changes.

Leadership Positions

By Valerie BarnesPosted on July 28, 2025July 31, 2025Posted in Get Involved

Conococheague Audubon has been lucky to have leaders willing to serve year-after-year in various positions. Some of us are ready to step down. We’re looking for others to step up and are eager to help new folks learn about these opportunities. In many cases, you can shape the position to suit your interests and abilities. We’ll help you get up to speed. Current leadership opportunities include…

Officers:

President
Vice President
Treasurer

Committee Chairs:

Conservation
Hospitality

Contact the current president, Valerie Barnes, to learn more or to volunteer.

Volunteer Opportunities

By Valerie BarnesPosted on July 28, 2025August 4, 2025Posted in Get Involved, Outreach

Routinely, Conococheague Audubon seeks volunteers to assist with Outreach Activities. We often set up a display table at a local event, and share information (display board, brochures, etc.) about CAS with the public. Contact Terri Kochert about specific dates and locations, or to simply ask her to contact you when she needs help. Almost all of the Outreach Activities are on Saturday.

Occasionally, we are asked to make a presentation about birds to a local group. In the past, we’ve made presentations about migration, birding in general, and how to get started birding. Some presentations are geared towards adults, some towards children, and some for families. These often involve presenting from the CAS laptop (or your own) using PowerPoint slides. Again, Terri Kochert is the point of contact. We can help you put together a presentation if we don’t already have one that matches what the organization wants. These may occur any day of the week, at any time of day. Please let Terri know about your interest and availability.

Occasionally, someone asks us to lead a bird walk. The walk is usually fairly short and at a local site good for birds. Please let Terri Kochert know if you are interested in helping. Various skill levels welcome.