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!
Working with Matilda, the Black Vulture, has been one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of working at Shaver’s Creek for me! I began my journey with Matilda when I first started working as a Shift Leader for animal care. She was known for being very high-strung and difficult to work with because of…
As a volunteer and then work-study “Nature Filmmaker” at Shaver’s Creek during the summer of 2020, I began work on a series of “sense of place” videos about each of the eight LTERP (Long Term Ecological Reflections Project) locations around the Creek and Stone Valley. Now in its 15th year at the Creek, LTERP seeks…
“Equinox, do you want to take the camera and snap some photos?” A Friday evening at Summer Camp, 2019. Families were gathering around for ice cream and I, a first-time Naturalist having just graduated from Penn State (with a Journalism degree, which is beside the point), didn’t have anything in particular to do until campfire…
On December 9, 2020, we will be joined by environmental activist and writer Nathaniel Popkin to discuss his new book, To Reach the Spring: From Complicity to Consciousness in the Age of Eco-Crisis, newly released on December 1, 2020. You can read the preface of To Reach the Spring in this post to familiarize yourself with Nathaniel and his work prior to the event.
Have you ever noticed animals in media acting a certain way? There are the wise old owls such as Owl from Winnie the Pooh and friendly heroic dogs such as Lassie. But have you ever wondered why we give these traits to certain animals? “Animythology” hopes to compare the mythology of animals to their actual…
This spring marked the second year that the staff of Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center (SCEC) and members of the public had the opportunity to observe a nesting pair of barn owls through a live webcam. Two webcams were mounted, one inside and one outside the nest box, for 24/7 observations of the barn owls’ activities…
Suddenly, the loud, packed bustle and strikingly bright colors of the New Delhi market started to fade like a vignette for the beautiful animal now in my focus. Tomato red wattles and a comb contrasted starkly with soft, white feathers. As I marveled at the pillow-like tufts, dry, scaly feet emerged from beneath them. I’d…
In January, I became an environmental education intern. As a certified teacher, my decision to join the team was primarily due to opportunities to teach school programs, teach at Outdoor School, or teach Kids Corner programs. Never did I truly imagine I would get to “teach” an owl. During the first two weeks of training,…
As part of Shaver’s Creek’s Human Nature Series, we work to bridge the gap between the natural world and our health through a series of public workshops. To continue these conversations, we’re providing more information and resources in our Naturalist Notebook! “Dig on for Victory!” “Food is ammunition — don’t waste it!” These, among many…
As part of Shaver’s Creek’s Human Nature Series, we work to bridge the gap between the natural world and our health through a series of public workshops. To continue these conversations, we’re providing more information and resources in our Naturalist Notebook!