Since November, our phones and inboxes have been busy with a familiar and heartfelt question from our community: Where are all the birds? Many people have noticed fewer visitors at their feeders and quieter backyards overall. Data from our recent Christmas Bird Counts (CBCs) confirm what many of you have been observing. We recorded unusually low numbers of some of […]
KC Walters, our Associate Director of Conservation and Operations, speaks at the National Audubon Conference held in Montreal, Canada. She was honored with the “Outstanding Community Chapter Leader” Award, presented to her at the conference.
Tax Benefits of Donations By Dana Fogle, CPA, PVAS Treasurer Donating to non-profit organizations is not only a way to support causes you're passionate about but also an opportunity to maximize your tax deductions. When the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act increased the standard deduction in 2017, it affected many taxpayers by eliminating the direct tax deduction for their charitable [...]
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The annual Over the Mountain Studio Tour is coming up on Saturday and Sunday, November 9th and 10th. This year’s tour features the work of 22 artisans at 11 stops, and is open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm both days. This self-guided tour provides a unique opportunity to meet local artisans, ask questions and purchase their work. Cool Spring […]
Autumn York, Environmental Educator/Summer Camp Counselor: Autumn joined the PVAS team in March 2024 for a 6-month term. During her time with us, Autumn shared her naturalist knowledge of macroinvertebrates and fireflies and more with youth in our community and created a welcoming, inclusive space for her campers throughout the summer season. Charlotte Boncella, Environmental Educator/Summer Camp Counselor: Charlotte joined […]
SLF-spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) winged adult 4th instar nymph (red body) in Pennsylvania, on July 20, 2018. USDA-ARS Photo by Stephen Ausmus. Eliminating the Spotted Lanternfly from our area may be an impossible feat at this point. However, any efforts to reduce the population of this pesky invasive bug are still worthwhile. Essentially, we are buying time for our native [...]
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We want to highlight other organizations doing great work in the Eastern Panhandle and beyond! Read on to learn about Farmland Protection Boards and the work they do to preserve land in our area. County Farmland Protection Boards – Protecting Important Natural Resources Forever By F. Mark Schiavone, chairman of the West Virginia Association of Farmland Protection Boards Land conservation [...]
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Ellie George: PVAS Americorps service member since Fall 2022. Ellie shared and applied her many skills and abilities during her time with PVAS. Ellie is deeply curious about the world and how we understand it through science and is highly skilled at sharing that with others. At one moment, Ellie (who has a degree in chemistry) might be making chromatography both […]
We are excited to announce our slate of fall youth and family programming! Wee Naturalists This preschool program is designed for children ages 3-5 and their adult guardians to explore nature together. In addition to our Cool Spring monthly programs, we are now offering the program monthly at Yankauer. Programs will include story-time, a small hike, and crafts! Outdoor School [...]
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On March 11th , the new cohort of the Potomac Valley Master Naturalists (PVMN) attended their first day of classes at the National Conservation Training Center. The students started out the day with an introduction of the PVMN Coordinating Committee, their positions and responsibilities. Students then went into “community building” exercises, led by Jeff Feldman, where they were given the […]