Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania️ 7 hours ago

🦅🦆🐥Birdwatcher Wednesday Keep an eye out for these 3 Birds this month as you hike around Western PA. Have a favorite spot to find them? Leave a comment to help fellow birdwatchers. Golden-crowned Kinglet This tiny songbird appears highly caffeinated as it gives out a high pitch “zee-zee-zee.” It works its way through trees in search of small insects, insect eggs, and spiders. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker This medium-sized woodpecker is named for their yellowish belly and love of drinking the sap of trees. In early spring, they are known for drilling holes in neat rows in maples, birches, hickories, and fruit trees. Hooded Merganser This smaller diving duck returns to the area in November. The male has a hammerhead black and white crest. The female is a gray brown with a cinnamon crest. 📸DMendenhall

Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania️ 1 day ago

ASWP Members, this day is for you! Get a head start on your holiday shopping at the Audubon Nature Store! Find the perfect gifts for all the nature lovers on your list and maybe an item for yourself, too. 😊 🦉 20% OFF NATURE STORE MERCHANDISE 🌱 50% OFF ALL NATIVE PLANTS 🎁 FREE GIFT WRAPPING *Discount excludes optics, birdseed, and select artwork Not an ASWP member? Join today to get the deals! Saturday, November 7th from 9am-5pm at the Beechwood Nature Store. 614 Dorseyville Rd. Pittsburgh, PA 15238

Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania️ 2 days ago

ASWP has been awarded a $63,500 grant from The Grable Foundation, to help schools across Western Pennsylvania adapt to Pennsylvania’s new STEELS (Science, Technology, Engineering, Environmental Literacy, and Sustainability) Standards. Pennsylvania’s new STEELS Standards represent the most significant transformation of K-12 science education in the Commonwealth in more than a generation. For school districts across Western Pennsylvania, particularly those serving communities with greater economic needs, adapting to these standards is an important challenge. Teachers are being asked to shift from traditional science instruction to facilitating student-driven, inquiry-based learning across new domains including Environmental Literacy and Sustainability. With support from The Grable Foundation, ASWP will launch the Environmental Curriculum Enhancement (ECE) initiative. This initiative is a two-year effort to expand PA STEELS environmental education programming to K-12 students, while building teacher capacity to sustain this work after the grant period ends. Approximately 75% of partner schools will be Title I institutions that receive additional federal funding to support community needs. For these schools, ASWP will provide free programming and cover all associated transportation costs. The remaining 25% of partner schools will contribute 50% of program costs, extending the initiative’s reach while maintaining a strong equity focus. For more than 50 years, ASWP has delivered hands-on, inquiry-based environmental education programs throughout Western Pennsylvania. Drawing from more than 300 educator-developed programs and a staff with over 125 years of combined teaching experience, ASWP is uniquely positioned to help schools and students with this curriculum transition. Programming will bring students closer to birds and nature and give them direct experience with disciplinary core ideas, science and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts that now anchor Pennsylvania’s science assessments. #thegrablefoundation