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Black-capped chickadee

 
Programs

2011–2012

   Audubon programs generally are presented on the third Tuesday of the months September through May except for December. Unless otherwise specified, program meetings begin at 7 p.m. in the meeting room of the Bellwood-Antis Public Library, 526 Main St., Bellwood. Travel directions:  Take the Bellwood exit (Exit 41) off I-99, go straight through the traffic light at the Sheetz intersection, proceed about four blocks, and turn right just before the railroad overpass. Turn left, go two blocks; the library is on the right.

   Our programs, designed for a general audience, are free and open to the public.

 

Please patronize our Corporate Sponsors.

 

February 21 — Plant Lover’s Paradise: Images from the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew

Founded in 1759, the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, in London, contain the largest collection of living plants in the world, with more than 30,000 species, in addition to an arboretum, an aerial walkway, a pair of historic Victorian greenhouses, and many other attractions. Kew also is a leading conservation and research institution, but this slide presentation by JVAS President Dave Bonta emphasizes appreciation rather than education. That’s because Dave, during his May 2011 visit to the Kew Gardens, was too busy snapping photos to jot down the names of everything that caught his eye, from cycads to cactuses to orchids and strangler figs — a riot of forms and colors that will make you gasp and leave you with a renewed appreciation for the beauty and diversity of this green planet.

March 20 — Conserving a Wildlife Corridor

ClearWater Conservancy’s Conservation Easement Manager Bill Hilshey and Katie Ombalski, a ClearWater biologist, will talk on the Halfmoon Wildlife Corridor Project that would secure a permanent connection between State Game Land 176 and Bald Eagle Mountain, in Centre County. ClearWater Conservancy has worked with multiple partners and supporters, including the JVAS, to make this conservation effort a reality. The speakers will discuss the need for, and the impact of, the protection of the wildlife corridor.

Tuesday, April 17 — Annual JVAS Spring Banquet

Where: Banquet room at Hoss’s Steak and Sea House, 170 Patchway Road, Duncansville (right off Old Rt. 220). We’ll have the full room again!
What time: Folks may arrive as early as 5:15 p.m. to donate and/or bid on silent-auction items. The wait staff will be taking drink orders at 6:00, with dining to commence at 6:30.
Who: Anyone — you need not be an Audubon member; however, everyone is encouraged to become a National Audubon member or a Chapter-only member.
Menu: A la carte.
Presentation: “Confessions of a Reluctant Birder” — In 1998, when Jennifer Schlick had been hired as program director at the Jamestown Audubon Center and Sanctuary in western New York, she left the world of computers and math to start a reluctant journey into the world of birding. In her visually delightful presentation, Jennifer will share her adventures and close encounters with birds as she participates in the Nest Box Program, shadows birdbanders at MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship) stations, tags along with researchers looking for cerulean warblers, and finds out how radio-tagging can help save endangered owls.
Silent auction: JVAS Vice President Laura Jackson will conduct a “silent auction” to raise funds to be used in conservation efforts supported by the JVAS. Members are asked to bring new or gently used nature-related items to donate for the silent auction. Books, artwork, pottery, native plants — anything related to nature will be auctioned. Bring your checkbook or cash to support this fund-raiser!
Reservations: By Friday, April 13, please contact JVAS Hospitality Committee Chair Marcia Bonta by phone at 814 684-3113 or by e-mail at marciabonta@hotmail.com to advise her of the total number in your party.
 

May 15 — An Inordinate Fondness for Mayflies

The famously short lives and standard physical appearance of mayfly adults belie the success of this ancient insect and the true diversity within the order Ephemeroptera. From menacing tusks and spines to sleek, streamlined bodies, mayflies in their aquatic stage possess unique traits that have enabled them to thrive in a broad range of freshwater habitats. Hannah Stout, a Ph.D. candidate in entomology at Penn State, will describe mayfly diversity and explain why this extraordinary insect is important to us all.

June 19 — Annual JVAS Maxine Leckvarcik Memorial Picnic at Canoe Creek State Park

Covered-dish social followed by an evening walk in the park. Meet at Pavilion 2 in Canoe Creek State Park at 6 p.m. For more information, contact Hospitality Chair Marcia Bonta at 684-3113.