ASWP Events Calendar
August 2006
Wednesday Walks
Wednesdays, August 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
Stroll our footpaths with professional naturalists.
Ages: All
Free
Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve, Fox Chapel, 9:00 am
Good Morning Todd!
Wednesdays, August 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
Patrol the sanctuary on an exhilarating morning hike with our 2006 naturalist.
Ages: All
Free
Todd Sanctuary, Sarver, Butler County, 9:00 a.m.
Babes in the Woods: Water Wanders
Wednesday, August 2
You're never too young to start learning about nature! Infants and toddlers, as well as parents, will delight in using sight, sound, touch and smell to discover nature's wet side. Your naturalist will lead you past pond and stream teaching you simple activities that you and your baby can replicate on your own. We recommend bringing baby in a stroller or backpack for a more enjoyable time!
Ages: 2 wks-3; each child must be accompanied by a parent or guardian
Free per member pair; $5 per nonmember pair
Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve, Fox Chapel, 10:00-11:00 a.m.
Reservations required; Limit: 12 parent/child pairs
NatureFest 2006 at Todd Sanctuary
Saturday, August 5
Celebrate your family with ASWP's family! Join us for a fun-filled day of nature hikes and activities for all ages! Begin your morning with a bird hike or end your day with a twilight stroll through the sanctuary. Come early, come late, or stay all day. Bring a picnic lunch. No registration. All Ages! FREE!
NatureFest 2006 Schedule of events:
8:00 AM Early Morning Bird Walk - rise and shine with the birds of Todd Sanctuary, as Brian Schema (ASWP Director of Sanctuaries) identifies them by sight and song.
9:00 AM Fern Walk - fern expert Dennis Hawley from the Crooked Creek Environmental Center will be introducing you to the variety of fern species found at Todd Sanctuary
10:00 AM Buffalo Creek Valley Watershed Presentation with Charles Bier of the Western PA Conservancy. *Meet in the parking lot to car pool to the site to learn about this important watershed and explore it's aquatic life. Wear shoes that can get wet!
12:00 PM Picnic Lunch (B.Y.O.F.) - Bring a blanket and your favorite foods for a lunch with the birds and the butterflies in the cabin meadow
1:00 PM Conservation and the Community - Jim Bonner, Director of ASWP, will be giving a presentation on the importance of area residents being involved in the conservation of their region's natural habitats, as well as unveiling future plans for improvements at the sanctuary.
1:00 PM Children's Hike - Kerri Villani, ASWP Summer Naturalist, will be leading a hike for young outdoor enthusiasts while Mom and/or Dad attend their conservation program
2:00 PM Geology Exploration - hike through time with geologist Jeff Thomas as we explore the ancient geological history of the sanctuary
3:00 PM Birds of Prey - up close and personal with live hawks and owls! Presented by Scott Detwiler, ASWP Environmental Educator.
4:00 PM Snakes of Pennsylvania - Herpetologist Terry Laux will have his "friends" along for an encounter with some slithery forest denizens.
5:00 PM Stream Hike - Gabi Hughes, ASWP Environmental Educator, will leave no stone unturned as we search for salamanders, crayfish, frogs, and other inhabitants of the sanctuary's pristine Hemlock shrouded ravine. Wear shoes that can get wet!
6:00 PM Campfire Dinner (B.Y.O.F.) w/ live musical entertainment - Bring a blanket and enjoy your favorite foods while Chris & Jessie Snyder play their unique blend of acoustic art-folk-rock
7:30 PM Evening Bird Walk - see what the birds of Todd Sanctuary are up to during this other most active time of day for them, with Gabi Hughes, ASWP Environmental Educator
8:30 PM Owl Prowl / Night Hike - Garrett Fabian, 2006 Todd Sanctuary Naturalist, will introduce you to the creatures of the night as we search for bats, lightning bugs, screech owls, barred owls, and the "Flying Tiger"!
Ongoing activities, which can be enjoyed at your leisure throughout the day:
- Nature Store Kiosk - pick up a new field guide for the day!
- Environmental Arts & Crafts activities
- Self-guided tree hike
- Children's Scavenger Hunt
- Wildlife and Important Bird Area informational displays
Parent/Child Overnight at Todd
Saturday, August 5 thru Sunday, August 6
These special overnight programs provide opportunities for families to cook outdoors; participate in naturalist-led activities and night hikes; enjoy a campfire complete with songs and s'mores; and spend quality time with each other while camping under the stars. Fee includes a cookout dinner, snacks, continental breakfast and program materials. Participants supply camping equipment*, clothing and toiletries. * EMS Ross Park Mall provides free equipment rentals exclusively for Friends of Audubon members!
Ages: Adults and their children 6+ years
$90 per member pair; $125 per nonmember pair
Todd Sanctuary, Sarver, Butler County, 3:00 p.m. (Sat.) - 10:00 a.m. (Sun.)
Reservations required; Limit: 15 pairs
Adult Eco-Series: Monarch Monitoring
Saturday August 12
ASWP is a part of a North American citizen science project called the Monarch Larva Monitoring Project. A long term study of the distribution, breeding and mortality rates of monarch butterflies, the project engages its volunteers in observing and studying the milkweed habitat. This session will introduce you to the milkweed patch as an important habitat for monarchs, as well as help you to identify all life stages of this butterfly in the field.
Ages: Adults
Free for members; $5 per nonmember
Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve, Fox Chapel, 10:00 a.m.--12:00 p.m.
Reservations required; Limit: 15
Discovering Todd
Saturday, August 12
Join our naturalist for an informative discussion on the landscape and history of Todd Sanctuary.
Ages: All
Free per member; $3 per nonmember
Todd Sanctuary, Sarver, Butler County, 10:00 a.m. -12:00p.m.
Family WalkAbout: Butterfly Hike
Sunday, August 13
Butterflies abound on this exciting guided hike through the fields and forests of Beechwood.
Ages: All
Free per member; $5 per nonmember
Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve, Fox Chapel, 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Reservations required; Limit: 15
Fledglings Mini Camp
Tuesday, August 15 thru Thursday August 17
Camp isn't just for older kids-it's for Fledglings too! Please join us for three fun-filled mornings as we hike, snack, create and discover our way around Beechwood Farms. Each day will have a different theme, with exciting and fun activities based on the natural world! You won't want to miss it!
Ages: 3 5 years of age, with an adult or caregiver present
$32 per member pair; $40 per non member pair
Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve, Fox Chapel, 10:00 - 12:00 p.m. each day
Reservations required; Limit: 15 parent/child pairs
Western Pennsylvania Mushroom Club Meeting
Tuesday, August 15
Topic to be determined.
Ages: All
Free
Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve, Fox Chapel, 7:00 p.m.
Act 48 Professional Development: Environmental Education on the Schoolgrounds
Wednesday, August 16
1996 winner of the Three Rivers Environmental Award for excellence in advancing environmental quality in continuing education, this unique teacher workshop demonstrates how teachers can use the resources and habitats found on the schoolground to teach environmental education. Teachers attending for Act 48 hours will be required to facilitate 3 outdoor lessons with their students and submit evaluation and project documentation to ASWP.
Audience: Educators
$50
Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve, Fox Chapel, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Reservations required; Limit: 30
Owl Prowl at Todd
Friday, August 18
Spend an evening at Todd in search of screech owls, barred owls and the "Flying Tiger"! We explore areas where owls have been spotted and discuss the habits and folklore of these unique birds!
Ages: All
Free for members; $5 nonmembers
Todd Sanctuary, Sarver, Butler County, 8:00-10:00 p.m.
Reservations required; Limit: 20
Bird Identification Workshop at Harrison Hills
Sunday, August 20
If you have trouble telling a barn swallow from a barn, then join ASWP as we explore the basics of birdwatching. Professional naturalists will teach you how to identify common bird species by sight and song, and how to use binoculars and field guides. Sharpen your skills as we explore the park. Meet in the park's main parking lot.
Ages: All
Free
Harrison Hills, 2:00-4:00 pm
Environmental Issues Forum: Wind Energy
Wednesday, August 23
Many earth-friendly organizations are spinning alternative energies as the answer to inflating fuel and utility costs. Wind seems like a gusty alternative, but is it just more hot air? Watch our expert panel breeze through the facts and implications.*
Ages: All
Free
Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve, Fox Chapel, 7:00 p.m.