Thanks From PVAS

Thanks to everyone for your support of PVAS this year! The new year will continue to bring strong classroom programs for kids and our summer camp, popular programs for adults, and strong conservation efforts. We're even working on ways to promote the availability of certified shade-grown, bird-friendly coffee in our region. The bottom line for us is this: everything we do is aimed at promoting greater understanding and appreciation of the natural world.

Christmas Bird Count

From December 14 through January 5 tens of thousands of volunteers -- Families and students, birders and scientists -- go out on an annual mission! For over one hundred years, the desire to both make a difference and to experience the beauty of nature has driven dedicated people to leave the comfort of a warm house during the Holiday season.  Each of the citizen scientists who annually braves snow, wind, or rain, to take part in the Christmas Bird Count makes an enormous contribution to conservation. Audubon and other organizations use data collected in this longest-running wildlife census to assess the health of bird populations - and to help guide conservation action.  From feeder-watchers and field observers to count compilers and regional editors, everyone who takes part in the Christmas Bird Count does it for love of birds and the excitement of friendly competition -- and with the knowledge that their efforts are making a difference for science and bird conservation.  To find out more about the CBC in the WV Eastern Panhandle on December 15 and January 5, go www.PotomacAudubon.org/birdcounts

Natural History Workshops for 2013

Several new Natural History Workshops for 2013 have just been added to the PVAS website. Registration is open for Backyard Birding, Project Wild Aquatic, Exploring Vernal Pools, Ecology and History of the Chesapeake Bay, and Natural History of Fish!  Go to www.potomacaudubon.org, then choose Events, Adults, Natural History Workshops.  The links there will take you to the event information.  Or, go to the events calendar and scroll through.

Feed the Birds!

Attend a free webinar designed to help you connect youth with birds through backyard feeders.  http://www.birds.cornell.edu/birdsleuth/webinars

Watershed App from EPA

Check out the free Watershed Academy webinar entitled “How’s My Waterway? and Other Water Quality Apps”on Nov. 28,  2012 from 1:00pm to 3:00pm EST.  These new apps have great potential to let users quickly learn about waterways anywhere. EPA recently launched a new app and website to help people find information on the condition of thousands of lakes, rivers and streams across the United States from their smart phone, tablet or desktop computer.  http://www.epa.gov/watershedwebcasts

Scenes from the Annual Meeting

Members of the Class of 2012.  Congratulations to you all (and those who were unable to attend).  Shown: Linda Mercer, Mary Lynn Robinson, Joette Borzik, Jen Jones, Marie VanValkenburgh.

Congratulations also to those who have achieved 5 years of active service with PVMN!
Shown: Debbie Crouse, Eldon Winston, Virginia Winston, Sandi Bloom.

PVMN Annual Meeting--Don't Miss It!

PVMN Annual Meeting this Saturday, November 10, at Orchard House (4599 Shepherdstown Rd, just 3 miles west of the 4 way stop in Shepherdstown).  Visit with old friends, meet new ones, and congratulate this year's graduates!  Come at 11 a.m. with a dish to share, an item for the silent auction, and money to bid!  All proceeds from the auction help with scholarships for next year.

Fall Bird Feeding

Most people think of stocking their feeders in the winter when nature’s bounty is scarce, but many birds begin caching seeds in fall to store for the winter ahead. Here are a few tips for making your backyard attractive to birds this fall:
Set up suet feeders: Suet (beef fat) helps birds keep up the fat reserves that they need to stay warm. If summer weather is still holding on in your area be sure to pick up “no melt” suet cakes or use one part peanut butter to five parts cornmeal which you can spread on tree bark or pine cones.
Place feeders the right distance from windows: Feeder location is very important; approximately one billion birds die in the U.S. each year from window collisions. The best way to prevent fatal collisions is to place your feeder within 3 feet or more than 30 feet from windows. Placing feeders within 3 feet of windows ensures that birds do not have much room to gain speed, reducing the number of fatal collisions.
Hummingbird feeders: Hummingbirds need to double their body mass in order to store enough energy for migration. This fall keep your nectar feeders stocked with sugar water (four parts water to one part white sugar boiled for 1-2 minutes) and be sure to place them in the shade and clean them regularly.

Go Hiking!

Join veteran trail hikers Dave and Brenda Michener for a short hike up to Jefferson's Rock at Harpers Ferry on Saturday, October 20. Meet at the Harpers Ferry train station at 9:00 a.m.  There is no fee for the hike but parking in the train station lot will cost $5.  The date of this hike is only five days short of the 229th anniversary of Thomas Jefferson's visit to the place now known as Jefferson's Rock, on October 25, 1783.  This hike will be relatively easy but it will include some steep steps. It will take about an hour. It will take place rain or shine.  Wear sturdy footwear and dress appropriately for the weather.  Pre-registration on the PVAS website is encouraged but not required.

Help With Boy Scout Merit Badges

PVAS members are invited to share expertise and passion for topics by being a merit badge counselor for local Boy Scout Troops. Counselors are needed for 130 merit badges. Topics include: Bird Study, Camping, Canoeing, Fish and Wildlife Management, Geology, Forestry, Mammal Study, Insect Study, Nature, Orienteering, Reptile and Amphibian Study, Soil and Water Conservation, Weather, Whitewater, Woodwork, Photography, Graphic Arts, Inventing...You get the idea, the list goes on. All 130 merit badge topics are available online at: scouting.org/meritbadges. Counselors may elect to present their topic at a Merit Badge University to be held at the Presbyterian Church in Charles Town, WV the first three Saturdays in March or volunteer to work with scouts on an ongoing basis. Have questions or want to volunteer? Please contact PVAS Youth Services Director, Jim Jenkins, at 571.209.7350 or jenkinsjim@vzw.blackberry.net. Scouts are sharp and superbly motivated. They will really appreciate your efforts.

Sky Rangers Workshop

Applications are now being accepted for the Sky Rangers Workshop from the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, taking place January 21 - March 15, 2013. This free online workshop provides training and a toolkit of materials for interpreters and outdoor educators who want to learn how to tell the story of the sky and bring the excitement of astronomy to their audiences. Participants of the winter 2013 workshop will also receive the Our Magnetic Sun toolkit with activities focused on the Sun and solar observing.    http://www.afguonline.org/mod/resource/view.php?id=1857

Winged Planet Premieres This Sunday!

Premiering Saturday, October 6, at 8/7c on the Discovery Channel.

Experience the astonishing physical wonders of our world from a bird's eye view.  Really, they used spy cameras on the backs of birds to do the filming and from what I have seen, it will be extraordinary!