Visit us on Facebook
Welcome
Welcome to the Presque Isle Audubon Society web site. PIAS is a chapter of the National Audubon Society and a member of Audubon Pennsylvania serving northwestern Pennsylvania including Erie, Crawford and Warren counties. It is named after Presque Isle, a peninsula on the shores of Lake Erie near the city of Erie.
Our mission is to promote the conservation and protection of wildlife, plants, soil, and water in relation to human activity; to initiate and carry out plans and activities which would contribute to the conservation and protection of these natural resources; and to provide opportunities to become more aware and appreciative of our physical and biological environment.
Activities
The Presque Isle Audubon Society provides educational and recreational activities throughout the year which are centered around the natural world and open to the public. PIAS holds meetings on the third Friday of the month in September, October, November, January, February, March, April and May. A wide variety of field trips are offered throughout the year. PIAS publishes a newsletter, Tern of Events, every month except in January and July.
In addition to field trips and monthly programs, the Presque Isle Audubon Society is involved in other nature-related activities. PIAS conducts the Erie, PA Christmas Bird Count and hosts the "Festival of the Birds" in May. PIAS owns and maintains the 50-acre Laura Olsen Memorial Sanctuary in Crawford County, the 33-acre Fern Wood Sanctuary near Fairview, and is co-owner (with the Botanical Society of Western Pennsylvania) of the 89-acre Titus Bog Sanctuary in Erie County. PIAS maintains a collection of nature books at the Nash Library of Gannon University and was instrumental in establishing the Presque Isle Research Library at Presque Isle State Park.
The Presque Isle Audubon Society provides volunteer services to the Erie National Wildlife Refuge and co-sponsors a biennial nature photo contest with the Refuge. As part of the Important Bird Area Program, PIAS monitors breeding birds at Roderick Reserve.
Erie National Wildlife Refuge, Pool 9
PIAS is a member of the Erie County Environmental Coalition. The Society is also a member of the annual Allegany Nature Pilgrimage held at Allegany State Park, NY in June. PIAS participates in the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's Adopt-A-Highway program. The Society's Education Committee provides free subscriptions to Audubon Adventures to numerous classrooms and school libraries in northwest Pennsylvania.
Allegany State Park, NY
"Wings, Sand & Song: Presque Isle's Habitat,"
Award Winning Documentary Available on DVD
Awarded an Honorable Mention in Natural Sound at the prestigious 33rd annual International Wildlife Film Festival, the documentary film "Wings, Sand and Song: Presque Isle's Habitats" created by filmakers Tracy Graziano and Benjamin Koncewicz of Moonfire Film Productions is now availble on DVD. DVDs can be purchased at PIAS monthly meetings, at the Big Green Screen Theatre concession stand at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center, and at the Erie Wild Birds Unlimited store. You may also mail order. Click here for an order form.
Tracy filming on Pine Tree Trail © Benjamin Koncewicz
As you watch the film you will journey through the unique habitats of Presque Isle during all four seasons to view some of the most intimate moments of bird life: watch a Yellow Warbler build her nest, a Killdeer clutch hatch and take their first steps, Baltimore Oriole fledglings fed by their parents and a multitude of other species who call Presque Isle State Park their home - either for a brief moment during migration or all year long. For more details about the film click here.
2012 Festival of the Birds at Presque Isle
Coming soon! The 2012 Festival of the Birds at Presque Isle will be held the weekend of May 11-13.
If you missed the deadline for pre-registration, you may register on Friday, May 11, from 2:00 to 7:00 PM in the lobby of the Tom Ridge Environmental Center where the festivities will already be beginning.
Check out our festival webpage for lots of info at www.presqueisleaudubon.org/festival. You can download a Festival brochure, a map of Presque Isle State Park, a concise Checklist of Birds of Erie Co., or even an annotated list of hiking trails.
Julie Zickefoose, noted natural history writer and artist, will be the keynote speaker at the festival banquet on Saturday night, May 12. Educated at Harvard University in biology and art, Julie worked for six years as a field biologist for The Nature Conservancy before turning to a freelance art career. Her observations on the natural history and behavior of birds stem from more than three decades of experience in the field. She has presented illustrated lectures for nature organizations and festivals across the country, and exhibited her paintings at universities, museums, galleries, and in juried shows. Illustration credits include The New Yorker, Smithsonian, Spider, Cricket, and Ladybug. She has written and illustrated articles for Country Journal, and Bird Watcher's Digest has published more than 30 of Julie's articles and 17 of her cover paintings since 1986. See her website at:
http://www.juliezickefoose.com/.
Next Meeting
"Members' Night"
May 20, 2011
This is the night when our own members entertain us. If you have a story to tell, adventure to relate, slides or art to show, poetry to read, information to impart, we would like to hear from you. To participate, call Jean at 474-3395 before Tuesday, May 15. If she is not available, please leave your name and number on the answering machine at 868-4423, and Jean will get back to you. We welcome back veteran participants and we encourage new members and those who have never participated to join our Members' Night family. And for those who do not care to participate, please come and enjoy! Light refreshments will be available.
Place: Tom Ridge Environmental Center
Address: 301 Peninsula Drive, Room 112
Social: 7:00 pm
Program: 7:30 pm
FREE and open to the public.
Allegany Nature Pilgrimage
June 1, 2 and 3, 2012
It's already time to start planning for the Allegany Nature Pilgrmage spring weekend. The Nature Pilgrmage has been providing a nature retreat in Allegany State Park, NY for over 50 years. Members, their families and friends from Buffalo, Jamestown, and Presque Isle Audubon Societies and Burroughs Nature Club gather to enjoy the outdoors and discover more about the world we live in. There is something for all ages and interests. Over 90 different field trips, adventures and classes will be held. There will be evening programs and speakers and a chicken barbecue on Saturday evening.
For lots more information and to download a brochure with registration form see the Allegany Nature Pilgrimage website at www.alleganynaturepilgrimage.com or contact Lisa at 814-898-0284 or lsdanko@hotmail.com.
The Pennsylvania Migration Count
May 12, 2012
What is the Pennsylvania Migration Count? The Pennsylvania Migration Count (PAMC) was established to gather annual data on migratory bird populations, and to help answer some fundamental questions regarding their distribution throughout Pennsylvania. PAMC is an annual one-day snapshot of bird populations within our state. Which species are present, and where are they? How many are there? Do migratory patterns change from year to year? Do populations of specific species change from year to year? Which birds are thriving, and more importantly, which are struggling? By identifying declining or otherwise at-risk species, it is hoped that steps can be taken toward assisting their future survival.
How does it work? The Pennsylvania Migration Count takes place each spring on the second Saturday in May, in conjunction with International Migratory Bird Day. PAMC is similar to the Christmas Bird Count (CBC). The difference is that PAMC takes place on a countywide basis, rather than within the confines of a CBC circle. The rules are simple: spend some time in the field counting all birds encountered in a specified area, and keep track of miles traveled and time spent counting. Participants are free to roam their favorite county birding locales at any time during the 24 hour period, starting at 12:01am, counting every bird that they find. Totals are passed along to county compilers, who, in turn, report to the state compiler. The state compiler maintains the PAMC data, and an annual report is published in Pennsylvania Birds, the journal of the Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology (PSO). Forms and information for PAMC participation are available at http://www.pabirds.org/PAMC.
Bird Banding at Presque Isle
Bird banding is sponsored by Audubon PA at Presque Isle and Erie Bluffs State Parks. You are welcome to come and watch. The banding is rotated among three sites. We typically start netting at 7 a.m and continue until about 2 p.m. We don't band in the rain or very windy conditions.
The Spring Banding Schedule is as follows: Monday - Erie Bluffs, Tuesday - Fry's Landing, Wednesday - Niagara Boat Launch, Thursday - Erie Bluffs, Friday - Fry's Landing, Saturday - Niagara Boat Launch. http://pispbirdbanding.blogspot.com
Field Trip Coming Up - Jamie's Osprey
