Rain Garden Workshop: Presented by Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy

Rain Garden Workshop:

Rain Garden Workshop by Krista Scheirer

Krista Scheirer, Conservation Coordinator of the Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy, presented a very informative rain garden workshop on April 18, 2012 at the Lower Salford Township Building.

Target audience are those interested in implementing their own rain garden for the purposes of managing and mitigating storm water run-off caused by real-estate development and the creation of impervious surfaces, such as driveways and rooftops.

Rain gardens act as a natural means of reducing unnecessary water run off into streams and rivers, directly returning water to the ground-source wells, filtration of waste materials, and provide numerous other benefits to their property owners and surrounding local communities.

This workshop detailed how to go about building your own rain gardens and incorporate them into your property.

Online Resources:

• www.perkiomenwatershed.org

Rain Garden Design Ideas:

• www.lowimpactdevelopment.org/raingarden_design/

Rain Garden Manuals of New Jersey from Rutgers

• www.maine.gov/agriculture/pesticides/library/ppt/Master_Gardener/Rutgers_Rain_Garden_Manual.pdf
• www.npsnj.org/pages/nativeplants_Rain_Gardens.html

Rain Garden Plant Selection:

• www.plantplaces.com/raingardenindex.shtml
• www.iconservepa.org/plantsmart/plantsdatabase
• www.perkiomenwatershed.org/stormwater/pwc_nativeplantlist.aspx
• plants.usda.gov/java/
• www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/plants/invasiveplants/
• pawildflower.org/

Pennsylvania Invasive Plants:

• plants.usda.gov/java/noxious?rpttype=state&statefpis=42
• www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/plants/invasiveplants/

Stormwater Brochure (20 Things You Can Do)

• www.delawareriverkeeper.org/pdf/drns_20ways_to_protect_streams_2011.pdf

Look for your township's Stormwater Management Program:

• www.upperdublin.net/information/storm-water.aspx

Rain Garden Websites:

• www.perkiomenwatershed.org/stormwater/pwc_managingyourstormwater.aspx
• cleanwatercampaign.com/html/636.htm
• www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/pages/publicationD.jsp?publicationId=855 (case sensitive)
• www.groundwater.org/ta/raingardens.html

Call 8-1-1 before you dig!

• www.pa1call.org

Designing with Natives (by John Rogers):

• www.dwtn.net

Audubon Bird Town, PA

• pa.audubon.org/bird-town
• birdtownpa.blogspot.com
• birdtownforum.net
• facebook.com/birdtownLF
• twitter.com/BirdTownPA (@BirdTownPA)
  

Great Back Yard Bird Count Video Presentation

Steve Saffier of the Audubon Society presents a detailed explanation of the Great Backyard Bird Count Program for those interested in participating in this program.

This is the full presentation which lasts approximately one hour. This event took place in January of 2012 at the Lower Frederick Township Building and has been made available for those interested or who were unable to attend.


The Great Back Yard Bird Count Program

One line discussion can be found at the following link:

The Great Back Yard Bird Count Program

Enjoy!

Why Birds?

Scarlet Tanager

Birds are the most visible and measurable indicators of environmental health in our natural areas and of far away places from which birds travel.

Worm-eating Warbler

Pennsylvania is located within the Atlantic Flyway—one of the main "highways" for many millions of migratory birds and is key to a number of species; PA is breeding grounds for 16% of the world's Scarlet Tanagers, 10% of the world's Worm-eating Warblers, and 9% of the world's Wood Trushes.

Atlantic Flyway (purple), one of several migratory highways of North America

Pennsylvania is also home to a rich variety of resident birds that live most or all of their lives around our homes, towns, and natural areas. Habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation are the leading causes of population declines in birds and also impacts other wildlife and plant communities. Roughly 2.1 million acres of wildlife habitat nationwide are converted to residential use every year. So we now look to our own properties as resting, nesting, and refueling stations for the most common bird species and those stopping on their long migratory travels. In the process we increase our ability to live with nature rather than against it.

Lower Frederick Township, Pennsylvania (PA) Joins Audubon's 'Bird Town' Program

Audubon Society's Bird Town programs promote protecting bird sanctuaries and ecosystem education.

Read full article: Lower Frederick, Pennsylvania (PA) becomes a Bird Town

Our Vision

Five years from now, Lower Frederick will have 5% of properties & have an environmental advisory committee providing guidance & training to residents.

Welcome to...Audubon Bird Town Pennsylvania (PA) of Lower Frederick

Welcome to...Audubon Bird Town Pennsylvania (PA) of Lower Frederick Township

Bird Town is a working partnership of Audubon and municipalities in Pennsylvania (PA) to promote conservation and community-based actions to create a healthy, more sustainable environment for birds and people.

Audubon provides the tools for each municipality to engage their residents, schools, and business in making more ecologically friendly decisions, conserving energy, and in the process, saving money. A Bird Town makes efforts to restore valuable eco-system services to create a culture of conservation where everyone is a potential steward of nature in their back yard and beyond.

What are the benefits to becoming a Bird Town?

• An improved quality of ecological systems
• Community pride and increased marketability
• Vastly increased resources to native birds and native insects
• A safer, more rewarding place to live, work, and play
• Economic development of higher property values
• Maintenance costs and times reduced
• Cleaner water, cleaner air, less landfill
• Cooperation of community officials, constituents, and businesses
• Encourages exercise, recreation and community pride and cohesion
• Renewed ecosystem services (such as storm-water management)

How does my municipality become a Bird Town?

The following is required to become a Bird Town:

• A completed Bird Town application
• The municipalities agree to work with Audubon to immediately promote their Bird Town status by:
• Publishing 'The Welcome to Bird Town" article in next available news letter
• Creating a Bird Town web-page on your municipal website.
• Posting of at least five street signs (provided) and one banner (fee options below)
• Providing Audubon with local press contacts to promote Bird Town backyard workshop dates
• Making outreach materials available to the public
• Assign a "captain" or a point-person to act as liaison between the "town" and Audubon and coordinate promotional opportunities & related events.
• Presence at and promotion of a Bird Town festival. This may be a regional festival, a stand-alone municipal, or as part of an existing ecofest or community day.

How can homeowners, schools and businesses help their Bird Town?

The power of Bird Town comes from individuals taking actions on their landscape and in their home to be greener, experience nature every day, and contribute the township’s overall efforts to minimize environmental impacts. For example, by planting native plants and registering your property with Audubon, valuable data will be added to the township scorecard that will continue to improve each year. Contribute to citizen science and you and your family become key players in the world of bird conservation!

What Does Audubon Provide to a Bird Town?

• Brochures and educational materials provided for your constituents
• Articles for your newsletters and website, content for CATV
• Promotional materials for the Great Backyard Bird Count and other citizen science programs
• Backyard Ecology workshops open to the residents of Bird Towns
• Street signs for the township’s gateways proudly proclaiming your town cares about birds and the environment
• Annual analysis and reports based on collected data
• Access to experts and resources for consultations or presentatio