Wilson's Snipe by Bob Keener
During the upcoming seasons of flu, COVID-19, and RSV, we encourage you to be safe. We urge you to check on an event’s status via the Calendar on this site before you attend.
Attention all young people between the ages of 5 and 18: Conococheague Audubon Society is conducting two different contests designed with you in mind. This is your chance to win a cash prize! Both our “Longest Bird List of the Year” and “Best Bird Photo of the Year” contests involve your love of nature and your keen observation skills. The contests will be judged in two different age groups – ages 5 to 15 and ages 16 to 18.
Details about the current contests can be found here.
Winners of the 2022-2023 contests can be found here.
Conococheague Audubon Society is pleased to offer scholarship support for educational activities in keeping with our mission: promoting the conservation of wildlife and the environment by appreciating, studying, and observing nature. Please see the Scholarships page for information about how to apply.
- October 2024 from the President
We needed rain, and we got it. We’re ready for a little sunshine now, please. Our thoughts are with those who really got hit by Hurricane Helene; we were lucky. Fall migrants are still passing through. A Swainson’s Thrush stopped by to eat Burning Bush berries in my back yard. I look forward to seeing one or two every fall.
This year the Big Sit is scheduled for the weekend of Saturday, October 12, 2024 starting at 12 a.m. midnight and closing Sunday, October 13, at 11:59 p.m. You may bird anywhere. But, all observations must be made from within a circle no more than 17 feet (5.2 meters) in diameter. To participate, register your circle and report your observations via eBird. Learn more by visiting the Big Sit website: https://www.thebigsit.org/. It’s fun to spend several hours sitting in a birdy place, visiting with your co-birders and noshing on snacks.
We’ve signed up to host a display table at Tayamentasachta Environmental Center’s Apple Festival on Saturday, October 12 from 9 – 3. Please contact Terri Kochert at terri.kochert81@gmail.com or 717-264-3692 to help.
Entries for our Youth Contests are due at the October 14 general meeting. Entries for the “Best Bird Photo of the Year” and “Longest Bird Species List of the Year” contests will be accepted for two age groups: 5 to 15 and 16 to 18. Winners for the cash prizes will be announced at our November 11 meeting. Please arrive a few minutes early for the October meeting so you can submit your entries to Terri Kochert. At the meeting we’ll hear from Andy Markel about Adrenaline Birding; Big Day/Big Months/Big Years. As usual, the meeting will be held at St. Luke Evangelical Lutheran Church at 7 PM.
Five members led 90 seventh-graders from Greencastle-Antrim Middle School on bird walks September 19 at Tayamentasachta. The highlight of the day was a very cooperative Great Horned Owl. Nine members worked to clean up a stretch of Route 997 on September 28. Thanks to all our volunteers! If you would like to help at some future event, please contact Terri Kochert.
If you haven’t already, please consider donating to Conococheague Audubon to keep things rolling. Mail your donation to CAS at PO Box 20, Fayetteville, PA 17222. Good birding!
Calendar of Events
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| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall Migrants – Heisey Orchard/Michaux SF 7:15 am Fall Migrants – Heisey Orchard/Michaux SF Sep 2 @ 7:15 am – 1:00 pm  Field Trip: FALL MIGRANTS. Bring binoculars and snack. One mile walk in wet grass at Heisey Orchard. Then by car on Michaux SF roads with additional walk(s) of up to half mile, with trip ending[...] | First Saturday Bird Walks 8:00 am First Saturday Bird Walks Sep 7 @ 8:00 am – 10:00 am SOAR (Studying Ornithology Around the Region) walks, 8:00 AM first and third Saturdays; various locations in Franklin County. Larry and Sharon Williams, 717-655-7414; see Buttonwood Nature Center, 717-762-0373 for schedule. | |||||
| Gen Mtg, Sept: Eastern Australia, A Birding Tour 7:00 pm Gen Mtg, Sept: Eastern Australia, A Birding Tour Sep 9 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm  Topic: Eastern Australia, A Birding Tour Presented by: Jeanne Verhulst Organized by: Janet Tice Available in-person or via Zoom Location: St. Luke Evangelical Lutheran Church Zoom info: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7211203928?pwd=RXNwMjZpQVNvSHJGRld3cWZFQjJiZz09&omn=86421249449 Meeting ID: 721 120 3928 Passcode:[...] | Fall Migrants – CVRT 7:00 am Fall Migrants – CVRT Sep 14 @ 7:00 am – 9:30 am Field Trip: For FALL MIGRANTS. Walk along part of Cumberland Valley Rail Trail in Chambersburg. Bring binoculars. Location: Meet at Big Lots, 184 Southgate Mall, parking lot next to Washington Street Cumberland Valley Rail-Trail. Will[...] | |||||
| Third Saturday Bird Walks 8:00 am Third Saturday Bird Walks Sep 21 @ 8:00 am – 10:00 am SOAR (Studying Ornithology Around the Region) walks, 8:00 AM first and third Saturdays; various locations in Franklin County. Larry and Sharon Williams, 717-655-7414; see Buttonwood Nature Center, 717-762-0373 for schedule. | ||||||
| Joint Executive Committee / Board of Directors Meeting, September 6:30 pm Joint Executive Committee / Board of Directors Meeting, September Sep 23 @ 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm  Joint Executive Committee and Board of Directors Meeting Committee/project chairs also invited. Others welcome. In-person or via Zoom Leader: Valerie Barnes, president Zoom info: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7211203928?pwd=RXNwMjZpQVNvSHJGRld3cWZFQjJiZz09&omn=83093055554 Meeting ID: 721 120 3928 Passcode: cardinal20 | Conservation Clean-Up 9:00 am Conservation Clean-Up Sep 28 @ 9:00 am – 11:30 am Work Day: Adopt-A-Highway clean-up on 2 miles of Route 997 (Black Gap Road) west from I-81. Pick up trash on section with wide shoulders, easy walking. Supplies provided. Meet at Scotland Park & Ride, I-81[...] | |||||
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ABOUT US
Conococheague Audubon Society
The mission of the National Audubon Society is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth’s biological diversity.
Conococheague Audubon is a chapter of the National Audubon Society based in Fayetteville in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. The group started in 1961 as the Conococheague Naturalists. Through programs, field trips, nature films, displays, and a newsletter, we promote conservation of wildlife and the natural environment with a focus on appreciating, studying, and observing birds.
We are a family-friendly organization. The membership includes over 400 people residing primarily in Franklin, Cumberland, and Fulton Counties.
Conococheague Audubon meets monthly September through May on the second Monday at 7:00 PM at St. Luke Evangelical Lutheran Church, 2695 Luther Drive, Chambersburg, PA 17202. At a pot luck supper in January, held at 6:00 PM at St. Luke Evangelical Lutheran Church, members share stories, photographs, fellowship, and home-made food.
Please make a difference in our local community by being good stewards of the earth in your daily lives. Share our passion for conservation, birding, and the natural world by coming to our meetings and films, going on field trips, helping with projects, and participating in bird counts. Our experienced birders love to teach beginners. Read Audubon Magazine and our Naturally newsletter to stay abreast of national, international, and local environmental issues. You and your family can enjoy educational opportunities at Audubon’s Nature Centers and Sanctuaries across the country. Take peaceful walks and learn the wonders of nature.
We welcome new members! Anyone who joins the National Audubon Society from our area automatically becomes a member of our chapter. Similarly, anyone who joins the local chapter can also join the national organization. To join, please go online to the National Audubon site or click here to go the Join or Renew page or contact our current membership chair, Lisa Coombs.
In 2016 the CAS leaders updated the chapter’s 10-year plan to help guide our future actions and strengthen the organization. To volunteer, please contact our current president, Valerie Barnes. To make a tax-deductible contribution, please mail your check payable to CAS.
What we do
Conococheague Audubon Society meets the second Monday each month, September through May, at 7 PM at St. Luke Evangelical Lutheran Church
Program topics focus on birds, wildlife and conservation. All are welcome.
Nature films, produced by PBS are shown each year at Chambersburg Area Middle School South.
CAS leads many free field trips throughout the year.
Projects
Norlo Park Native Plants Garden
