When I first arrived at Shaver’s Creek in early June, I was somewhat intimidated by the prospect of interning at nature center with so much history and such a strong community of naturalists. Thinking of ways I could contribute seemed a little daunting to me, especially because I did not have a background in wildlife…
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!
Through June and July, we hear song birds call out to the dawn and the dusk, their beautiful melodies serving as an affirmation that summer has arrived. Summer for birds is a critical time for mating and nesting. Their calls to each other primarily serve the purpose of either attracting a mate or defending territory.…
After dusk on a warm summer night in July, a magical and mystic light begins to fill the sky. These lights are a blur and flash, filling the mind with cherished mid-summer memories. Many people across the United States are very familiar with this sight. They may even have caught this magical light in a…
Wood Turtle found along Shaver’s Creek. Photo by Carli Dinsmore Through the splintered pickets of an aged locust fence in the waning light of a mellow June day, a turtle emerges from a thicket of smartweed, lumbering towards the gravel shoulder of an unpaved forest road. She appears with a suddenness which belies her cumbersome form — the…
Bats are commonly misunderstood as mean or vicious creatures, but they serve a vital role in our ecosystem. Although there are bats that eat fruit and blood, all species of bats in Pennsylvania are insectivores. At night, a single bat can eat up to 500 insects per hour. This can accumulate to 3,000 insects every…
As my last day as a spring Environmental Education intern at Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center drew near, I took some time to reflect on my different adventures and experiences this spring season. The center may be closed to the public while undergoing a major renovation project but that certainly did not hinder the opportunities, adventures…
A recap of this year’s birding big day A little bit of rain and cold can’t stop the incredible event that is the Birding Cup. Not even close. Over a hundred people took to the forests, fields, lakes, rivers, and wetlands of central Pennsylvania with binoculars in hand, some even insisting on traveling by bike or…
Every year, passionate birders gather for one of the highlights of spring: Birding Cup. As bird migration peaks here in central Pennsylvania, over 20 teams will flock to forests, fields, meadows, wetlands, lakes, and all other varieties of habitat to find as many bird species as possible. Now in it’s 28th year, the Birding Cup…
Late March and early April mark the beginning migratory flights of American Kestrels (Falco sparverius) returning to their North American breeding grounds. The hawk watchers at Tussey Mountain start to see kestrels as early as the last week in March. Some of the kestrels passing over Tussey Mountain could find themselves in Quebec or Ontario…
Shaver’s Creek is undeniably a community of bird lovers. Tales of unique birds and first of the year sightings spread among staff, volunteers, and visitors like wildfire. Because we are birders it is important for us to support the conservation of these animals. As environmental educators, we try to do that in a variety of…