Valley Forge Audubon Society
This local chapter of the National Audubon Society serves members in southern Philadelphia, Delaware, western Montgomery and eastern Chester counties. An all-volunteer organization, its goal is to educate the public about the importance of local birds and other wildlife, while preserving their habitat and connecting the community to nature. Its sister organization is the John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove in Audubon.
green initiatives: Activities include hikes, bird walks, plant walks and more, plus new courses in photography and art with an emphasis on the natural world. A recent project involves setting up nest boxes for American kestrels, small falcons in serious decline throughout the Northeast.
local bragging rights: With a grant from the Toyota TogetherGreen program, the society worked with the Willistown Conservation Trust and the state’s Audubon Society to promote early successional scrub habitats with walks, workshops and plantings at Rushton Woods and Ashbridge preserves, plus Ridley Creek State Park.
green dream: “Our hope is that, through our walks and programs, people take something back that they can apply to their daily lives and homes,” says Rob Evans, president of the society. “If people learn to appreciate a wild space containing critical habitat, they’re more likely to fight to preserve that space if it’s ever in danger.”
contact: www.valleyforgeaudubon.org.
