Springside School: Free Garden Advice, Other Earth Week Activities You Should Consider

The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association, in conjunction with Springside School and Audubon Pennsylvania, invite the community to attend one of their free upcoming Earth Week events.

 

On April 20, Dr. Steve Kress of Cornell University will offer a public lecture at Springside at 7:30 p.m. on "Practical Advice on Creating Habitat for Birds." Learn how properly nurtured native plant communities can create beautifully thriving natural landscapes filled with color and bird song the whole year through.

 

Kress will discuss how native plants attract birds with sweet fruits in the summer, fatty foods just in time for migration, fruits high in carbohydrates over the winter, as well as nesting sites and shelter from extreme weather in all seasons.

 

Dr. Kress, a fellow at the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, is on the pinnacle of global ornithological research. He is Vice President of Bird Conservation for the National Audubon Society and has written a number of popular Audubon Society guidebooks that have provided great advice and assistance to enthusiastic birders across North America. His seabird restoration work off the coast of Maine has expanded to at least 60 agencies in 12 countries worldwide.

 

The public is also welcome to join Springside Lower and Middle School girls as they work with David Bower of Friends of the Wissahickon in the woods adjacent to the school on April 23 between 9:00 - 9:45 a.m., 10:30 – 11:15 a.m., or 2:00 – 2:45 p.m. Boots and long pants are highly recommended. Call Springside School at 215-247-7200 for more details.

 

Enjoy great food and the satisfaction of working together to beautify the environment at the Creek Cleanup & "Talkin Trash" picnic on April 25 from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon, which is sponsored by the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association.

 

Over 250 volunteers are scheduled to clean sections of the Wissahickon Creek, its tributaries, and the Green Ribbon Trail. Following the cleanup, the volunteers will enjoy food donated by Whole Foods of North Wales at Ft. Washington State Park, Militia Hill. To volunteer, please send email to: info@wvwa.org or call Bob at 215-646-8866, ext. 14. Groups or individuals are welcome.

 

Or join WVWA's birding experts Jamie Stewart and Amy Johns for a Birding Walk in the Gorge on April 26 from 8:00 – 10:00 a.m. Meet on Forbidden Drive at Bells Mill Road in Chestnut Hill for this educational and easy walk.

 

One other opportunity is open to the community, but limited due to seating constraints. Come join Bill Konstant, Executive Director of the Elmwood Park Zoo, when he shares his work in Panama to save the golden frog and discusses the worldwide amphibian crisis with Middle School students at Springside School. gJungle Jewelsh will be offered on Tuesday April 21 from 1:20 – 2:00 p.m. at Springside. Please reserve a free spot by sending email to: mtinari@springside.org.