The State College Bird Club, Inc.
The State College Bird Club met on Wednesday May 28 at 7:15 p.m. at the State College Borough Building. ?? members and guests attended. President Greg Grove presided. The minutes of the April 23 meeting were read by Deb Grove and approved. Dorothy Bordner delivered the Treasurer’s Report which is given below. Dorothy also read the checklist: bird species seen within 25 miles between March 26 and April 23. ?? bird species were seen and notable sightings were:
Upcoming field trips to grasslands and Black Moshannon will be June 1 and June 8.
The Tussey Mountain Hawkwatch received $500 from the Baillee (sp?) Bird Studies Organization of Canada to be used in 2004.
Gene Zielinksi reported that 131 species were identified in the NAMC of Centre County.
A slate of officers were presented to club members and elected:
Jim Dunn as President
Roana Fuller as Program Vice-President
Returning officers are: Molly Heath as Field Trip Vice-President, Gene Zielinksi as Secretary and Dorothy Bordner as Treasurer.
Greg Grove was recognized for his leadership during the four years of his tenure.as president.
Paul Zeph, Interim Executive Director of the PA Audubon Society, was the speaker for the evening and informed the group about the Kittatiny Ridge Project. The area involved covers 11 counties and has three major uses:
1) Beauty and Scenery
2) the Most significant raptor flyway in the Northeast – 150 species use it
and
3) a Breeding area – an interior Forest habitat.
To conserve this area it is necessary to
1) Facilitate local efforts to conserve
2) Educate citizens, landowners and elected officials who are responsible for zoning.
The area has several Hawkwatching sites, hiking trails including the AT and the Tuscarora, and is a major water source for 88 creeks, 13 lakes and hundreds of vernal pools.
Concerns about the future of the Ridge are mining, development, ski resorts, over-browsing by white-tail deer, roads, powerlines, trash dumps, and pests.
Respectfully submitted,
September 24