Conservation and ASWP
Conservation is part and parcel of ASWP's mission to "inspire and educate the citizens of western Pennsylvania to be respectful, responsible stewards of the natural world."
One of the first conservation projects administered by ASWP was the Western Pennsylvania Coal Study, conducted in the 1980's. Requests for this valuable information continue today from professionals and Universities working in several different ecological arenas.
Audubon Center for Native Plants is an ASWP initiative which seeks to promote the use of native plants in the landscape. The program was initiated nearly 20 years ago by a dedicated group of volunteers. Tens of thousand plants are propagated onsite in Audubon Center for Native Plants facility and distributed throughout western Pennsylvania through public sales and organizational pre-orders.
While ASWP has been a steward of its land for over six decades, the past 10 years have marked a significant change in its land protection campaign. ASWP has added 158 acres to Todd Nature Reserve and has secured permanent protection of an additional 134 acres via conservation easement. These additions increase ASWP's land protection and stewardship in the Buffalo Creek Valley from 176 to 468 acres.
The recently established Director of Conservation position enables ASWP to expand its on-the-ground conservation projects throughout western Pennsylvania. Aside from land protection and stewardship, ASWP's conservation department is focused on several projects in western Pennsylvania. The Buffalo Creek Watershed Conservation Plan, completed in October, 2008, is a multi-disciplinary project focused on the development of a conservation plan for the ecological, recreational, cultural and historical resources within the watershed. This project has taken three years and hundreds of man-hours to complete. The end result is a conservation tool for local planning and stewardship of this important watershed.
To complement the ongoing use of the Buffalo Creek Watershed Conservation Plan as a planning and stewardship tool, ASWP has established the Buffalo Creek Watershed Initiative. The initiative serves as a watershed association would, but is being administered by ASWP's conservation department. Through the Initiative, ASWP is excited to work with landowners, organizations and other stakeholders throughout the watershed to undertake some of the Action Items recommended in the plan.
Also on the agenda is research involving the breed-and-release techniques for Barn Owl (Tyto alba) in western Pennsylvania. For the past several years, several other conservation organizations have spent much time and resources testing breed-and-release techniques for the conservation of this declining owl. While important information has been found regarding Barn Owls through this previous research, an effective breed-and-release protocol had not been established. ASWP's conservation department has developed a new protocol and is currently testing this method through a three-year research project. Scheduled to be completed in 2010, we hope to shed light on the effectiveness of alternative release protocols for western Pennsylvania and beyond.
Additional projects on the horizon for ASWP include development of a Western Pennsylvania Birding Trail Guide and introduction of a Western Pennsylvania Rain Garden Initiative. ASWP invites you to join us in conserving our natural resources these ways:
- Join: Become a member to contribute financially to our efforts in conservation via land preservation at Beechwood and Todd, and environmental education.
- Volunteer: From facilities and land maintenance to answering phones to leading school children on nature walks, every hand helps. A special conservation component of ASWP is the Audubon Center for Native Plants.
- Learn: Attend some of our many educational programs and events. Remember, membership is not required (but it does provide a discount.)
- Enjoy. Walk our trails at Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve and Todd Nature Reserve to see for yourself what we are doing.
Links to Conservation Organizations
ASWP is just one of many organizations in our area and the nation dedicated to conservation issues. Follow these links to find more information on how you can get involved, locally and nationally!
Local Organizations
- Western PA Conservancy
- Western Pennsylvania Mushroom Club
- Three Rivers Birding Club
- Western Pennsylvania Field Institute
- Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy
- Rachel Carson Homestead
- Rachel Carson Institute
- Amateur Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh
Other Web Directories to Local Organizations
- Three Rivers Free Net Directory of Local Environmental Organizations
- Directory of Land Trust Organizations in PA
Wildlife Rehabilitation Centers in Western PA
- Wildbird Recovery, Valencia, PA
- Animal Rescue League Wildlife Center, Verona, PA
- Skye's Spirit Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center, Harrisville, Venango Co. PA
National Organizations