Volunteering is an important part of what we do! Volunteer work is personally gratifying and offers individuals an opportunity to “give back” to our fellow citizens and to the wondrous natural world that surrounds us all. Email us at lycomingaudubon@gmail.com with VOLUNTEER in the subject line if you’d like to get involved.
UPCOMING - Community Work Day at RPANA, Saturday, April 12th, 2025 10am-1pm
Habitat Enhancement Project at the Robert Porter Allen Natural Area
Lycoming Audubon is partnering with the South Side Recreation Authority (SSRA) to remove invasive plant species in grassland and wetland habitats. Community volunteers, including members of Lycoming Audubon, the Lycoming (College) Environmental Awareness Foundation (LEAF), and other local groups are working to protect the long-term ecological integrity of the 229 acre Robert Porter Allen Natural Area (RPANA).
Please consider volunteering to help with this project!
Volunteers will be supervised by experienced habitat managers to help remove invasive plant species using various hand tools. We will primarily be targeting black locust and autumn olive that has encroached into the native grass fields. Removal techniques will include cutting and dragging small shrubs to the field edge, among others. Meet at the barn at 1722 Sylvan Dell Rd (just past the Buckeye Terminals). Wear old work clothes, gloves (leather recommended), eye protection (prescription or sunglasses are acceptable), closed toe shoes, and a smile knowing that you’re working alongside others dedicated to making RPANA a more special place. CLICK HERE to sign up and help or email us at lycomingaudubon@gmail.com. Thank you!
This project is made possible with financial support from Lycoming Audubon, the National Audubon Society, and in-kind contributions from Partners for Fish and Wildlife.
Included among the 169 bird species observed at this hotspot are Least Bitterns, Kestrels, Northern Harriers, Woodcock, and Grasshopper Sparrows. Visit RPANA’s website to learn more about this unique Natural Area.
ONGOING
Education
- Interested in education? We are always seeking volunteers to help us with our programs for youth at the Waterdale Environmental Education Center and at other locations.
- Help us spread the word! Introduce the general public to the lives of birds at one of our many Tabling Events.
Conservation
- Nest boxes - Help us maintain a number of Bluebird Trails and nest boxes for other species and monitor reproductive success. Our volunteers repair and replace nest boxes as necessary, clean the boxes at the beginning of each nesting season and check and document the nesting activity at each box as the season progresses.
- Bird Friendly Blooms - This project promotes native plants by working with area nurseries, planting demonstration gardens, and sharing information with homeowners. Enhancing bird and wildlife habitat with native species is an important objective of Lycoming Audubon.
Citizen Science
- Participate in Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count. Data collected on bird species and numbers of individual birds observed during the count days are forwarded to the National Audubon Society for inclusion in a hemispheric database which is used by many organizations and agencies to track changes in bird populations across the span of years during which the count has been done. (See our Citizen Science page for more information.)
Community Service
- Adopt-a-Highway - Four times a year Chapter volunteers cleanup litter along a stretch of Old Route 220 as part of the PA Department of Transportation’s Adopt-A-Highway roadside beautification program. We often gather afterwards for fellowship at a local eatery for food, drink and good conversation.
Injured Wildlife Transport
- Volunteer with Wildlife in Need (WIN), statewide network of volunteers who help in the rescue of sick, injured and orphaned wildlife and assist in getting them to licensed rehabilitation centers in Pennsylvania. Animal emergencies can be reported by calling 814-414-4224. If the animal is already contained, you will be provided with information on how to minimize stress, who to contact and where to transport the animal for care. If the animal is not yet contained, or it is at a place of business WIN may be able to provide capture/transport services.
- Volunteer with Centre Wildlife Care in Port Matilda. This rehabilitation center is fully licensed and endorsed by the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Once at the Centre animals receive nursing and veterinary care and if able, are released back to the wild. No experience is necessary, just a willingness to be on a call list to drive the boxed animal to the facility.