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!
“Bird, above the snag, a glass up!” Conversations halt as we all concentrate on locating a distant dot against the blue sky. Could it be a falcon? A Bald Eagle? Or perhaps the famed beauty of the Appalachian flyway, a Golden Eagle? The voice of raptor expert Nick Bolgiano punctuates the silence with confidence. “That’s…
I’m not a great birder. Not even a good one. I’m basically only a birder in contrast to people who’ve never even heard about birding. Ten years ago, as a naive Penn State student who had just switched from Film & Video to Parks & Rec, I was just having my first taste of birdwatching.…
Joyful? Grateful? Astonished? We’re having trouble finding the perfect adjective for our reaction to the overwhelming response to the 2020 Virtual Birding Cup! We didn’t know what to expect when we decided to put aside the competition and to embrace the camaraderie of the birding community in the face of a global pandemic, but we…
Species are often depicted in books and movies with the same characteristics. There are the wise old owls, such as Owl from Winnie the Pooh, and the friendly heroic dogs, such as Lassie. But have you ever wondered why we give these specific features to certain animals? Animythology is my attempt to explore this topic…
The Animal Care Program has exciting news. Susquehanna — Shaver’s Creek’s resident Peregrine Falcon — has laid her first egg on Friday, April 3, and another on Friday, April 10, and they’re beautiful! Eggs take a lot of energy to lay, so we are making sure Susquehanna has plenty to eat. The fact that she…
One of the biggest things that has kept me occupied during this crazy pandemic has been gardening. Working outside with your hands while listening to music or a podcast creates relaxing, refreshing experiences — especially when they’re hard to come by. And it’s always exhilarating to see sprouts peeking out of the dirt for the…
I spent some time outside yesterday. If you ask any of my friends or family about my connection to nature they would say, “Megan can’t go a day without exploring nature and telling us about it without any prompting!” However, at a time when social distancing and self-quarantining is essential, spending time outside for me…
We are sad to report that we must cancel the Maple Harvest Festival for 2020. Penn State President Eric. J. Barron and Penn State health and safety officials announced on Wednesday, March 11, 2020, that due to the coronavirus pandemic, Penn State would move to remote learning for all classes beginning Monday, March 16, through…
Barn owl (Tyto alba) populations in North America have been declining rapidly for the past two decades primarily due to limited accessibility of hollow trees, old barns, silos and suitable grassland habitat. Other reasons for declining barn owl populations include: use of pesticides and rodenticides, predation by great horned owls and suburban expansion. The barn…
I have been volunteering at Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center since the summer of 2006. Since then I have had to learn new methods to present programs to the public, especially as Shaver’s Creek has been renovated to enhance the visitor experience. For me, the one thing that has remained constant is my passion for this…
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