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!
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!
It’s common to see animals in movies and books act a certain way. 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 traits to certain animals? “Animythology” hopes to compare the mythology of animals…
As quickly as the rhythm of spring had begun at Shaver’s Creek — with a rush toward planning festivals, school programs, and camp trainings — it just as quickly came to a halt. Suddenly, the Shaver’s Creek team of interns and coworkers were forced to be physically distant. “Fine,” I thought, “it will be okay;…
“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…