We enjoyed a delicious roast turkey meal prepared by the Evangelical Lutheran Church on April 15, while chatting with friends about birds, conservation, and all things nature. The highlights of the evening:
JVAS Conservation Award to Claire Holzner for her tireless efforts to prevent construction of a Rutter’s Truck Stop adjacent to Old Crow Wetland near Huntingdon
President Michael Kensinger’s presentation to Claire:
It is my honor today to present the 2025 Juniata Valley Audubon Society Award to someone whose passion, persistence, and deep love for the natural world have made a lasting impact on our community and our environment.
Claire Holzner, your leadership in the protection of Old Crow Wetland has been nothing short of extraordinary. Through your work founding and guiding the Coalition to Save Old Crow, you gave a voice to the wetland, its wildlife, and to the people who care about preserving these wild spaces for future generations.
While we, as a group, were not successful in stopping the development of the Rutter’s gas station and truck stop adjacent to the wetland, your tireless efforts brought Old Crow into the public eye in a way that it never had been before. You organized, educated, advocated, and inspired. And that matters.
Because of you, hundreds more people now know the value of Old Crow Wetland—not just as a habitat for birds and other wildlife, but as a place of beauty, ecological importance, and peace. You turned a local issue into a regional conversation, and the ripples of your work will carry on well beyond this moment.
So today, with heartfelt gratitude, we present you with the 2025 JVAS Conservation Award, not only to thank you for your advocacy, but to recognize the resilience, determination, and hope you have given us all.
Even as bulldozers move forward, we will not turn away. We promise to continue visiting Old Crow Wetland—to walk its paths, to admire the herons, the warblers, the frogs, and the changing seasons. And we will remain vigilant. We will document what we see, we will continue to bear witness, and we will speak out when needed.
Claire, because of you, Old Crow is not forgotten. And it never will be. Thank you for your unwavering spirit. This fight has changed us—and we’re not done yet! Congratulations.
Dr. Andrew Mack, Conservation Biologist and Ornithologist who studied cassowaries in Papua New Guinea for many years, gave a thought-provoking and fascinating account of, “Ornithology Over Fifty Years: A Retrospection and Lessons for the Future”
Dr. Mack emphasized that the “old way of doing science,” i.e., collecting and preserving specimens in museums is not in favor now, but is providing invaluable sources of DNA for molecular genetic studies.
He also pointed out that long-held perceptions are often hard to debunk, since there is resistance in the scientific community to change. One example was his research on fleshy fruit. A hypothesis long held by scientists was that flowering plants developed fleshy fruit to make them more attractive to fruit-eaters since those animals would disperse the seeds. But what if fleshy fruit actually evolved to deter animals from eating the seeds, thus preventing seed loss? His research findings on this topic were rejected by several mainstream institutions…resistance to change…but finally published in the Indian Academy of Sciences.
Here’s the link to Dr. Mack’s research: https://www.ias.ac.in/article/fulltext/jbsc/025/01/0093-0097
The Silent Auction was a success
We raised $467.00! Many thanks to the artists who contributed original creations and other donors who contributed items – and to the generous bidders who took those items home with them!
Mark your calendar for next year’s Spring Banquet: Tuesday, April 21, 2026
