The Third Annual Breeding Bird Blitz for Conservation organized by the Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology is now underway!

Now through June 19 teams will be competing to raise funds and document birds during the nesting season.

Projects To Be Funded

The 2023 Blitz aims to raise $16,000 to support the following bird conservation projects:

-- Foundation for Sustainable Forests (FSF), Erie County: Habitat management and public education at the Floraroze Forest, a preserve owned by FSF. Invasive understory shrubs will be removed from 25 acres as part of a forest management plan to enhance habitat for nesting songbirds. FSF will also create a video for other forest landowners to learn options for conservation of their lands.

-- South Middleton Township Parks and Recreation, Cumberland County: Wetland and grassland enhancements along Yellow Breeches, to include planting of native reed species in wetlands, establishment of a native meadow, and installation of predator guards on dozens of nest boxes.

-- Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, statewide: Support of the Third Pennsylvania Bird Atlas. Efforts are well underway for the kickoff of the state’s third atlas, a critical tool for conservation planning and action. Funds raised in the Blitz will support the development of educational and training materials for use by volunteers when the Atlas begins data collection in 2024.

In its first two years, the Breeding Bird Blitz for Conservation has raised more than $25,000 in support of six projects.

Visit the Breeding Bird Blitz for Conservation website to make donations and for updates on the event.

NewsClips:

-- WESA/LehighValleyNews: How A Statewide Study Of Wildlife Corridors Could Impact PA

-- Scranton Times: Wildlife Experts Banded Together With Alliance Landfill To Study Kestrels

-- Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Museum Of Natural History Opens Chirp, Chitter, Caw - Surrounded By Bird Song Experience

-- Penn State Researchers Study Biodiversity Through Science And Art At Berks & Lehigh Valley Campuses

-- Wildlife For Everyone Foundation Great Outdoor Picnic June 24 At Penn’s Cave & Wildlife Park, Centre County

-- Lancaster Farming: What Else Can Game Commission Do To Protect Crops From Deer Damage?

-- TribLive: Efforts Underway To Help Free Deer In Fox Chapel Area From Plastic Bucket Stuck Around Its Neck

-- York Daily Record - Brian Whipkey: Looking For Bass In PA?  Here’s How And Where To Find Them

Related Articles:

-- PA Natural Heritage Program Newsletter Spotlights Ecological Value Of Floodplains; Other Updates On PA’s Rarest Species  [PaEN]

-- Jennings Environmental Ed Center Celebrates The Bloom! July 29 In Butler County, PA’s Only Prairie With Native Blazing Star, 224 Other Species  [PaEN]

-- Pennsylvania Firefly Festival: Lights Out For Lightning Bugs!  June 24-30  [PaEN]

[Posted: June 8, 2023]

6/12/2023