The Brandywine Conservancy's Penguin Court & Thomas Road Farm in Westmoreland County is hosting five virtual "Winter Sleeps" programs on winter adaptations of animals in January and February.

Winter is a critical season for rest and restoration in the plant and animal kingdoms, and we’ll learn about the special adaptations select critters have to survive winter.

The programs include--

-- January 25: Amphibians & Reptiles, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.  Amphibians and reptiles have particularly unique and awesome ways to survive winter. Some create more sugar and sugar-alcohols that act like "antifreeze" in their body fluids, while turtles may breathe through their cloaca (i.e., their butt)! 

Penguin Court is delighted to host Brandon Ruhe, the statewide coordinator of the Pennsylvania Amphibian and Reptile Survey (PARS) and Director of the Mid-Atlantic Center for Herpetology and Conservation, for a virtual program about these critters. Mr. Ruhe will also share information about how you, as a citizen scientist, may contribute to PARS.

-- February 1: Bees, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Honeybees and our native bees have different methods for surviving winter, from shivering to generate heat in a colony to chillin' in hollow plant stems. Pennsylvania Master Naturalist and apiarist, Nancy Thorne, will share her knowledge of how bees make it through our winters and why it's important to not clean up your landscape in the fall.

-- February 8: Bears, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.  Black bears are a thrill to see in Pennsylvania, where they are particularly abundant.  Learn more about these large mammals and their hibernation during this virtual program hosted by Penguin Court and led by Samara Trusso, Wildlife Management Supervisor in the Game Commission's SW Region.

-- February 15: Bats, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Watching bats zip and dip through the summertime sky, knowing they are feasting on mosquitoes and other insects, is a quintessential summertime activity.  Sadly, there are far less bats today than a few decades ago. Learn about these special mammals and their overwintering techniques during this virtual program hosted by Penguin Court and led by Mollie Byrne, Wildlife Biology Technician in the Game Commission's SW Region.

-- February 22: Shrews, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Shrews may go unnoticed in our landscapes, yet they are active year-round. Discover their peculiar winter adaptations during this virtual program hosted by Penguin Court and led by Tammy Colt, Wildlife Diversity Biologist in the Game Commission's SW Region.

Click on the links above to register.   These are “Pay What You Wish” events.

Visit the Brandywine Conservancy’s Events Calendar for more information on these and other upcoming events.

For more information on Penguin Court, visit the Penguin Court & Thomas Road Farm webpage.  Click Here to sign up for updates.

For more information on programs, initiatives and upcoming events, visit the Brandywine Conservancy website.  Click Here to sign up for regular updates from the Conservancy (middle of the webpage.)  Visit the Conservancy’s Blog, Like the Conservancy on Facebook and Follow them on Instagram.

The Conservancy currently holds over 485 conservation and agricultural easements and has facilitated the permanent preservation of more than 66,000 acres of land.

[Posted: December 28, 2022]

1/2/2023