In a world saturated with such vast technological advances as ours, there is something to be said of appreciating the more basic and primitive skills of survival in the wilderness. One group of such primitive survival skills is that of different fire making techniques. Among our talented environmental education interns, Shaver’s Creek’s very own Nora…
The Naturalist Notebook
Welcome to the Shaver’s Creek blog! The entries here are posted by staff, interns, and volunteers, and aim to keep you informed about the programs, updates, and natural history happenings here at the Creek. Enjoy!
The Birding Cup isn’t the only exciting event happening this weekend. Come celebrate the arrival of spring and return of wildflowers at Shaver’s Creek on Saturday, May 4, from 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. with the Central Pennsylvania Native Plant Festival! Bring friends and family for educational walks, programs, and resources, including guided walks of our native plant…
Whether you have gone birding or not, you have probably enjoyed the captivating sight of American Robins scavenging for insects or Turkey Vultures circling and wobbling overhead. As a newer birder, I too have enjoyed these delights and have recently begun to focus my energy on preparing for an upcoming event at Shaver’s Creek. Bird…
It’s that time of year again—the time of the salamander migration. A few nights ago, after a heavy rain, I ventured out to find some friendly amphibians. Walking hunched over around a vernal pool, I suddenly saw one. My flashlight caught the glimmer of a beautiful spotted salamander. These amphibians are striking in size and…
As the weather warms up this week, it may be the perfect time for a weekend hike. You’re invited to walk with the experts at Shaver’s Creek—in a Vernal Pools Walk on Saturday, April 13th from 1:00 p.m.–3:00 pm. Join Penn State ‘s Dr. Jim Julian and Jerod Skebo from Shaver’s Creek to investigate these small temporary ponds, the pockets…
In the spring of 2011, I first reported on a family learning research study taking place at Shaver’s Creek. In the year and a half since that first blog posting, a lot of time, energy, and hard work has gone into the research endeavors supported by the partnership between Penn State’s College of Education and…
Since beginning my environmental education internship at Shaver’s Creek, I have been fortunate to grow acquainted with the fiercely feathered residents of our lively raptor center. The diversity among the species of our raptors here is especially intriguing to me. The physical traits of each species represent adapted mechanisms for stealth, speed, and survival. From…
The Shaver’s Creek Maple Harvest Festival is coming up, and we’re putting out the call for any volunteers who want to join in the fun and food! This year’s festival is on Saturday, March 23 and Sunday, March 24, from 10:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m. As you may know, the Maple Harvest Festival has been celebrated here at…
Here at Shaver’s Creek, we are gearing up for the exciting new season of Kids Corner! This season’s theme, ‘Nature on the Go’, will give you and your child the opportunity to explore and discover different methods of movement that are utilized by our very own native wildlife of Pennsylvania. Guided by our enthusiastic staff…
As the fall season winds to a close here at Shaver’s Creek, we’re getting excited to start watching our bird feeders! November 10th marked the beginning of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Project FeederWatch, a nation-wide citizen science program whose goal is to monitor the movement and distribution of birds during the winter months. Many…