With October’s rainy days, autumn is in full swing: trees have turned into pockets of rust, crimson, and yellow on the mountain. White pines drop their needles that are more than one or two years old. The mornings are getting chilly, promising colder and slower days coming up. As the month stretches on, the insects…
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!
Shaver’s Creek was back on WTAJ-TV’s Central PA LIVE twice this week. On Wednesday afternoon, Joshua Potter was back on for another installment of The Naturalist Notebook, talking about changes in the plant world in autumn: http://bit.ly/NaturalistNotebook_02 Last night, Environmental Education Intern Ryan “River” Elliott stopped by the CPL studios to carve some pumpkins and…
Come on out to the Fall Harvest Festival this weekend at Shaver’s Creek and enjoy some great fall fun! The majesty of this year’s fall is in full serenade as the winds are whistling through the newly bare tree limbs and familiar crunch is back underneath walking feet. I have officially had my first cup…
No, wait, that’s not quite right – it’s a great time to be a Wildlife & Fisheries student. For the past two days, students from WFS 310 have been getting their feet wet in the water of Shaver’s Creek for a herp survey! (If you’re not familiar with the term, “herp” is short for herpetology,…
Check out this brand new show, Central PA Live, which airs weekdays from 4-5 PM on WTAJ-TV. Shaver’s Creek’s Raptor Center was featured yesterday! PETERSBURG, HUNTINGDON – Just outside of State College, just over Pine Grove Mountain, Penn State’s Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center is home to 23 raptors. Shaver’s Creek cares for injured birds,…
Spring 2012 Discovery “Block” Semester Information Session: Thursday, September 22nd, 4:15–5:00 p.m., 815 Ford Building At Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center, we believe that an integrated, experiential-based semester can facilitate powerful paths to self-discovery. Come to Ford Building Thursday afternoon to learn more about whether this 19-credit “block” of courses might be right for you. Shaver’s…
Hello everyone! On Saturday, October 1st the Nittany Mountain Biking Association (http://www.nittanymba.org/) is hosting Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day at Shaver’s Creek! The event is a nationwide push by the IMBA (http://www.imba.com/) to help get kids outside, and pass on your passion for pedaling. It will begin at 10:00 AM, and go until 3:00…
Tickets are now on sale for our second Music Festival on September 25, 2011, from 1:00 to 7:00 p.m.! Three exciting, local bands, Dreams and Bones, Poor Folk, and SkyTop Blues, will be taking the stage throughout the afternoon, and local food vendors Gemelli Bakers and Sustainable Kitchen will be on hand with delicious food…
Research shows that soil calcium limits forest songbirds Thursday, September 1, 2011 UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Acid rain and subsequent calcium depletion of forest soils in eastern North America may be limiting forest songbird populations, according to a researcher in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences. In a six-year study, Sarah Pabian, who recently received…
Greetings all, Despite the relatively sparse number of birds, a lovely morning to be out with our new intern staff and a handful of other birders. Our group of 13 ambled to the boardwalk — highlights included hummingbirds feeding among the jewelweed and a singing brown creeper. We will continue our Wednesday morning walks through…