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!
Major congrats (and thanks) are in order for our Birding Cup teams this year! Although they braved occasional rainy hours, they came through with huge identification lists, totaling 194 species. That’s crazy awesome, and continues to show that citizen science initiatives are a powerful way of gathering data. Not only data, but funds raised for…
Who knew that “real” maple syrup was such a big deal? I mean, I knew that it existed, but it couldn’t be much better than the stuff that Mrs. Buttersworth made, right? At least, that’s what I thought, until I got a taste of the real deal in my later teenage years. Game changer. Big…
Join Shavers Creek Environmental Center in celebrating Earth Day by being outside and getting your hands dirty! This year’s Earth Day Work Day runs from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 14. Our Raptor Center renovation project is complete and there are several projects available to spruce up the grounds and trails. Spreading…
February’s Sweetheart Owl Prowl at Shaver’s Creek was another resounding success! Over fifty people attended the program (thank you to those who attended!). Nobody heard any owls out on the trails or in the woods; however, I did have another terrific opportunity to help teach people how to call out for owls. For those of…
When a new neighbor moves onto your block, it can be appropriate etiquette to welcome them with baked goods and warm regards. Other times, all they may desire is a fresh dish of water and a safe place to rest. The latter may not be something we have all experienced — that is, unless you…
“But why is it like that?,” he asked, pointing to a spider web on our walk around the block. He was always asking, always questioning, always wanting to know the answer even if he didn’t understand. He didn’t get to go outside much, and then only spent time playing on the concrete. When I babysat…
As people, we are bound to who we are by two powerful influences on our lives: nature and nurture. Nature being our genes and chemical make-up and nurture being how we are raised and the environment we are raised in. As we grow up, our lives are shaped by our nature and how our environment…
Monday began with a morning meeting, heavy eyelids, and the prospect of a rainy week. As I walked through Silvi classroom, passing by the cushy chairs of the bird-feeder watching station, my eyes caught a glimpse of the colorful cover of a book I had never seen before, Keeping a Nature Journal: Discover a Whole…
Shaver’s Creek is putting the finishing touches on what has been the biggest renovation and expansion in its history, and with it has come lots of small adjustments. But it’s easy to point to one thing that has remained constant: people love birds, and they love supporting them. The Birding Cup is Shaver’s Creek’s annual…
I feel incredibly blessed to be working at a place that encourages me to take time to connect with nature every day. One of my favorite feelings in the world is that first big breath you take when you walk outside and the weather is spectacular. The second that fresh air hits my lungs, I…