ASWP in the News

Moon Patch (Moon Township, PA) - FedEx Employees Roll Up Sleeves for New Moon Rain Garden

Butler County Community College -

The Succop Conservancy Given Today to Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania benefit held at Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - Audubon Society Hosts a night in the WOODS

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Lessons of Nature, With Syrup, at Beechwood Farms

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - Spring Brings Sweet Chances to Explore Maple Events

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - A Local Pour: Maple Syrup is Now Coming from Pennsylvania Trees

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - The Other March Madness

Fox Chapel Herald - Audubon Society Offering Residents Rain Gardens

ASWP News Releases

AUDUBON SOCIETY OF WESTERN PA ACQUIRES SUCCOP CONSERVANCY

Programming to expand as events/rentals continue uninterrupted

(Fox Chapel, PA)--Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania (ASWP) is pleased to announce the addition of Succop Conservancy, a 50-acre former farm in Butler, Butler County.

Operational control of the Conservancy was transferred to ASWP on July 1, 2011 from Butler County Community College Foundation. Succop Conservancy, a farm estate with seven buildings that includes 180-year-old mansion and historic barn, was created in 2001 through a generous gift from the Succop family. Most of the Succop staff was retained and are now ASWP employees.

“Succop Conservancy allows us to greatly expand our reach and offerings in the Butler area, helping us to connect our new neighbors with nature in a peaceful, engaging natural setting,” according to ASWP Executive Director Jim Bonner.

ASWP will continue the summer programming already lined up at Succop and will expand programming beginning in September. Site-specific programs will also be created to take advantage of Succop Conservancy’s beautiful grounds. An Audubon Nature Store is also planned for the site.

A local advisory committee will be created to solicit input on building the Conservancy’s role in the community, and volunteers are being sought for all areas of operations, including buildings and grounds maintenance, horticulture, store, and administrative support. A naturalist training program will also be established. Schools, clubs, and other organizations are encouraged to contact us to explore opportunities of partnering with Audubon at Succop.

“We are excited by the opportunities this beautiful property and facility presents to us to, and we’re looking forward to making it a vital part of the local community,” adds Bonner.

___

ASWP Named “Outstanding Environmental Education Program” at PAEE Conference

(Fox Chapel, PA) — Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania is pleased to announce that its environmental education programming has been awarded the designation of “Outstanding Environmental Education Program” by the Pennsylvania Association of Environmental Educators. ASWP’s Education Director, Trisha O’Neill, accepted the award at PAEE’s conference awards banquet.

The award recognizes “an exemplary environmental education program which could be used as a model program.”

“We are proud to have earned this honor,” states Jim Bonner, ASWP’s Executive Director. “It’s a testament to the hard work of our environmental educators and affirms that our hands-on learning programs are truly making a difference in teaching people to respect and preserve the natural world.”

For more information on Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania, please call 412-963-6100. A listing of ASWP’s environmental education programs, including summer camps, may be found at aswp.org.

___

ASWP Director of Conservation Named to PEC’s 40 under 40 List

(Fox Chapel, PA) — Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania is pleased to announce that Director of Conservation Brian Shema has been named one of Pennsylvania Environmental Council’s “40 under 40” award winners. This honor is bestowed upon environmental leaders who work to make Pennsylvania a healthier, greener place to live, work, and visit — and who have inspired others around the nation with their actions.

“As we look to the future, the Pennsylvania Environmental Council honors the next generation of environmental leaders — those who will shape the way we treat our land, air and water over the next several decades,” according to PEC.

Shema, a 1998 graduate of Penn State University, has led birding trips around the country, oversees a project to breed and reintroduce barn owls, and is the Project Director for the DCNR-sanctioned Buffalo Creek Watershed Conservation plan. He was a 2009 recipient of the National Audubon -Toyota “TogetherGreen Fellowship” and is a member of the Fox Chapel Parks Commission. 

“I am honored to be chosen for this prestigious award and will continue my work to make our area a vibrant, healthy environment for the generations to come,” adds Shema.

For more information on Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania or Brian Shema, Director of Conservation, please call Rachel Mohr Handel at 412-963-6100.