News

VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT FOR AUDUBON AMPHIBIAN STUDY

(Bozman, MD) – The Jean Ellen duPont Shehan Audubon Sanctuary is currently conducting a research study on frogs and salamanders living in the Sanctuary. There is a growing concern over recent studies suggesting a global decline of amphibians. The range of many species has been drastically reduced and some species have even become extinct. There are a variety of causes for these declines including a loss of habitat, the fragmentation of remaining habitat, pollution, disease, climate change, and invasive species. Additionally, a significant number of frogs have recently been found with physical abnormalities. These abnormalities include missing eyes and extra sets of legs. Since amphibians generally spend part of their lives in water and they breath through their skin they are considered biological indicators of water health. Amphibians have been likened to the “canary in the coal mine” for wetland and water systems. What is bad for amphibians now could be bad for people in the future.

The intent of the Audubon Sanctuary study is to create a long-term monitoring program to examine these trends on a local level. The study will help determine what species live on the property, their abundance, and their habitat preferences. The research is being conducted in two main parts. One part is focused on red-backed salamanders. Most frogs and salamanders breath through both their lungs and their skin. However, red-backed salamanders are in a unique family of lungless salamanders that only breath directly through their skin. These abundant little salamanders also have another unusual adaptation. Unlike most amphibians, which lay their eggs in water, the red-backs lay their eggs in and under rotting logs, leaves, and rocks. During the salamander study, visual surveys are conducted by rolling over rocks and logs in designated areas. Salamanders are weighed, measured, and released and location of their eggs will be recorded. In addition to visual surveys, pitfall traps will be used to capture migrating salamanders and juvenile frogs. The pitfall traps are buckets that are dug into the ground so their tops are flush with the surface. Migrating amphibians are caught in the buckets, measured, and released unharmed.

The second part of the study is a survey of treefrog species. Treefrogs are frequently heard but often not seen, making them a difficult species to study. To facilitate the study, artificial hiding places are hung on trees to attract the frogs. The frogs crawl into these hiding places and are then easily collected, measured, and released. The results will help determine what species are on the property as well as how far from water they travel. The two abundant arboreal species in Maryland that will be the most prevalent species in this study are the gray and green treefrogs. These species spend most of their time in trees cavities or under leaf litter and are rarely encountered during most of the year. However, during their spring breeding season they are found primarily around temporary wetlands such as Delmarva Bays.

The Jean Ellen duPont Shehan Audubon Sanctuary is seeking volunteers to assist with these projects this spring. “This project is intended to get volunteers involved in what’s happening at the Sanctuary and in their community. Additionally, there is growing concern over a global decline of amphibians. A long-term monitoring project is essential to help scientists keep track of local populations,” explained Daniel Hocking a Senior Environmental Intern at the Sanctuary.

The Sanctuary staff will be conducting the singing frog survey every Tuesday from 8:30-9:30pm beginning on March 23^rd. The treefrog and salamander search will be on Fridays and Saturdays from 9 –11am beginning on March 26^th. Training will be conducted primarily in the field during the first time volunteering. Participants will learn about the biology and interactions of the local amphibians as well as the studies being conducted. Individuals or groups interested in volunteering must sign up at least one day in advance by calling (410) 745 9283.

The Jean Ellen duPont Shehan Audubon Sanctuary is 950-acres featuring ten miles of trails, eight miles of shoreline, over 300 acres of forest with many pools of water supporting turtles and amphibians, and over 200 acres of warm season grass meadows. The Sanctuary offers year-round programming for children and adults of all ages. For more information on the volunteer research or any other programs, please call Jean Ellen duPont Shehan Audubon Sanctuary at (410) 745-9283 or visit www.audubonmddc.org.

GILBERT BYRON 100TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION!

Hazel Brittingham, who worked with Byron in a Delaware school,
cuts the birthday cake. In addition to writing, Byron was a school teacher in many locations throughout the Delmarva region.

Margaret Garey, architect, and
Ken Court, builder, pose in front of
the Byron House which they are helping to restore at the Pickering Creek Audubon Center.

Jacques Baker of the Gilbert Byron Society, Jack Schroeder, illustrator of some of Byron's books and Hank Brittingham share some of their memories of Byron.

(Easton, Md.) On July 16th, Pickering Creek Audubon Center hosted a 100^th birthday party for the late author and poet, Gilbert Byron. Byron’s former students, colleagues, friends and fans gathered in Pickering Creek’s Garden Classroom to exchange stories and relive experiences they had shared with the writer. Photos, books, manuscripts and items from his home were also on display for the celebration.

Born in 1903 in Chestertown, Maryland, Byron spent almost his entire life on the Delmarva Peninsula working as a schoolteacher and a writer. Aside from his works, which include The Lord’s Oysters and These Chesapeake Men, Byron’s self-built cottage is one of the most significant remnants of his life. Like Thoreau, whose birthday is also on July 16^th, Byron lived alone in a modest, self-built cottage for nearly 45 years where he did most of his writing. The Byron House was originally located on San Domingo Creek in St. Michaels and has since been relocated to Pickering Creek where it is being restored for education programs. "The building will serve as a wonderful platform for family, adult and children’s programs," said Mark Scallion, Pickering’s Center Director. "The possibilities for combining reading and writing with nature and the arts are endless."

Pickering Creek Audubon Center is a 400-acre farm and science education center near Easton, Maryland. Pickering Creek serves over 15,600 children adults each year with programs and outdoor experiences. For more information on Gilbert Byron or the Pickering Creek Audubon Center, call 410-822-4903 or visit www.audubonmddc.org.

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For More Information on Gilbert Byron, visit our "Nature Notes" page. For more information on activities at the Pickering Creek Audubon Center, visit www.pickeringcreek.org!

EXCITEMENT FILLS THE AIR AT THE 6^th ANNUAL DINE AND DANCE

Dinner Committee and auction donors of Pickering Creek Audubon Center’s 6^th Annual Dine and Dance, Mary Griffin, Jane Hawkey, John Schroeder, Christine Dayton, and Jonathan McLane. Missing from photo, auction donors Dr. Stanley and Sandy Bysshe.

Dr. Peter Stifel and Caroline Baker kick up their heels to the sounds of XPD during Pickering Creek Audubon Center’s 6^th Annual Dine and Dance.

(Easton, Md) - Over 200 guests enjoyed an evening of festivity during Pickering Creek’s 6^th Annual Dine & Dance, hosted by the Board of Trustees of Pickering Creek Audubon Center. Before the dance, eighteen intimate dinners at elegant Talbot County homes were hosted by supporters of Pickering Creek followed by desserts, savories and coffee donated by local restaurants, and dancing to music provided by the band "XPD".

" This year’s Dine and Dance was an incredible success", said Christine Dayton, Chair of the Dine & Dance Committee, "The support we received from our hosts, volunteers and local restaurants was crucial to this success. This year we faced an interesting challenge due to the inclement weather preceding the event. A special thanks to Bill and Maxine Millar, the Tred Avon Yacht Club and the Oxford Community Center for all the extra support. Everyone had a great time and plans are under way for next year’s event!"

This year’s event featured three exciting auction items: a week’s stay in Stan and Sandy Bysshe’s Costa Rica villa, a week’s visit to Jane Hawkey and John Shroeder’s cottage in St. Croix and a week’s crewed catamaran trip in Belize donated by Jonathan McLane. All proceeds from the evening benefit Pickering Creek Audubon Center’s education programs.

A special thanks to all the friends, staff and volunteers for their continuing support. Thank you to the Wyman family and the Frederick W. Richmond Foundation who, for six years, have generously underwritten a portion of the event’s expenses.

Pickering Creek Audubon Center is a 400-acre farm and science education center near Easton. Over 15,000 students and adults attend programs each year. For more information, call 410-822-4903.

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For More Information on activities at the Pickering Creek Audubon Center, visit www.pickeringcreek.org!

TEENS WORK TO IMPROVE WILDLIFE HABITAT AT ST. MICHAELS SCHOOLS

The Teen Environmental Club prices native plants at Lowe's for their project to establish a wildlife habitat in the schoolyard at St. Michaels. The habitat will include a bird and butterfly garden and a wetland.

(St. Michaels, Md.) – Every other Monday behind St. Michaels High School, you may find twelve students searching through the forest and fields for signs of wildlife. These nature detectives are members of the recently formed Teen Environmental Club. Led by the Education Department of the Jean Ellen duPont Shehan Audubon Sanctuary, the club includes middle and high school students that want to make positive contributions to their school and their community. To find a place to start, the club members meet and choose an environmental issue they would like to explore. They conduct bi-monthly meetings, research the topic and develop a plan for a related long-term project to address the issue.

The current Teen Environmental Club is working on a plan for a proposed schoolyard habitat to attract wildlife at the St. Michaels schools. The habitat will include a native plant garden for birds and butterflies and a wetland. The habitat will also create an outdoor classroom to connect students with nature. Once a month, the students have been participating in science-based field experiences to enhance their understanding of the habitat project. These experiences have included a visit to Environmental Concern to learn about wetlands and a trip to Blackwater Wildlife Refuge where they met with a Refuge Ranger to learn about the importance of various habitats in an ecosystem.

"We are so excited to have a group of highly motivated students that want to make a difference," said Carrie Barber, Audubon’s Senior Educator. "The Teen Environmental Club is a great opportunity for students to get involved in meaningful outdoor experiences while enhancing both their school and their community". The club will continue to meet throughout the summer and hope to have the schoolyard habitat ready for students by next fall.

The Jean Ellen duPont Shehan Audubon Sanctuary is a 950-acre sanctuary of the National Audubon Society and is the Audubon State Office for Maryland and the District of Columbia. In addition to special activities such as the Teen Environmental Club, the Sanctuary offers year-round education programs for children and adults of all ages. For more information about the Teen Environmental Club and other Audubon programs, call (410) 745-9283 or visit their web site at www.audubonmddc.org.

For More Information on activities at the Jean Ellen duPont Shehan
Audubon Sanctuary, please click here!

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In the News

VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT FOR AUDUBON AMPHIBIAN STUDY

	Dinner Committee and auction donors of Pickering Creek Audubon Center’s 6^th Annual Dine and Dance, Mary Griffin, Jane Hawkey, John Schroeder, Christine Dayton, and Jonathan McLane. Missing from photo, auction donors Dr. Stanley and Sandy Bysshe.
	Dr. Peter Stifel and Caroline Baker kick up their heels to the sounds of XPD during Pickering Creek Audubon Center’s 6^th Annual Dine and Dance.