Briar Bush has had a great run of the monthly staff and volunteer grounds days. Beginning in October, the education staff worked outdoors with volunteers and Friends of Briar Bush board members to accomplish several goals. These included moving an enormous pile of wood chips, getting lots of native plants in-ground before the cold weather arrived, completing more sections of the Nature Playscape and much more. The final one of these grounds days for the year will be on December 3rd from 1-4 p.m. Anyone is welcome to join for as much time as they can committ. Please dress for the weather since we'll be working outdoors.
Thanks so much to all those who have helped! We'd also like to thank the Huntingdon Valley Garden Club, which donated $500 in native plants and even put them in the ground for us!
Friday, November 20, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Thank you for feathering out nest!
Thank you to all of those who supported the Friends of Briar Bush with the 19th annual Feather Our Nest silent auction and gala. The event was successful in raising funds to support the programs and projects at Briar Bush and in the community.
A new feature during this year’s auction was “Fund the Need.” Guests were asked to make pledges toward specific projects: the butterfly house and the nature playscape. There will be continual costs of plants and butterflies for the house, and a few large items remaining to complete the playscape.
Despite questions regarding the state of the economy, many donations were received for the auction, ranging from small price items to beautiful jewelry and even an entire Thanksgiving dinner from Whole Foods for the live auction.
The staff and board members are incredibly thankful to all those who donated, supported or were involved in the success of the auction in any way. Without members, volunteers and supporters, we could not accomplish all that we do!
A new feature during this year’s auction was “Fund the Need.” Guests were asked to make pledges toward specific projects: the butterfly house and the nature playscape. There will be continual costs of plants and butterflies for the house, and a few large items remaining to complete the playscape.
Despite questions regarding the state of the economy, many donations were received for the auction, ranging from small price items to beautiful jewelry and even an entire Thanksgiving dinner from Whole Foods for the live auction.
The staff and board members are incredibly thankful to all those who donated, supported or were involved in the success of the auction in any way. Without members, volunteers and supporters, we could not accomplish all that we do!
Friday, October 16, 2009
Great Escape: Cranberries!
On Wednesday, educator Anne-Marie led a curious group of Great Escapers to Double Trouble State Park in Bayville, NJ. The park is home to Double Trouble Historic Village, once a small cranberry growing and packing village. The group was met by Andrew, a historian for the park. With his guidance, the group was given a glimpse of past lives from the intense labor of working the bogs, to the sorting and packing process, as well as life in general in the village. Several of the buildings have been preserved, including living quarters, a school house, the saw mill (cedar was also harvested here) and the packing plant. Inside the packing plant are all the tools and machinery that were used when the village was active. There are still bogs on site which produce cranberries that are used for sauce or dried cranberry products.
After the village tour and the education of how cranberry bogs were worked in the past was a trip a few miles away to active, modern cranberry bogs. The harvest at Double Trouble Historic Village was finished on Tuesday, but the harvest was at its peak in the modern bogs. All stages of the harvest were seen - a bog that had berries but wasn't harvested yet, a bog that was just being flood, a bog that was partially flooding with the machines working to knock the berries off the vines, and a bog that was fully flood with berries knocked off the vines, rounded up and being pumped into a processing truck.
A common question of cranberry harvest is "Do cranberries really grow under water?" Cranberries grow on vines and produce delicate flowers that turn into the berries. All fo the vines are planted to grow in the same director for easier harvesting. Once the berries are ready, the bog, a large square depression in the ground, must be flooded. It is first flood with 1-2 feet of water so that the "knockers" or "beater" machines can begin knocking the berries off the vines. These are tractors with rotating metal loops on the front of the tractor. After the knockers have gone through the bog, it is fully flooded and the berries are gathered. Cranberry harvests can happen in a matter of days, so there was very fortunate timing with this trip!
After the village tour and the education of how cranberry bogs were worked in the past was a trip a few miles away to active, modern cranberry bogs. The harvest at Double Trouble Historic Village was finished on Tuesday, but the harvest was at its peak in the modern bogs. All stages of the harvest were seen - a bog that had berries but wasn't harvested yet, a bog that was just being flood, a bog that was partially flooding with the machines working to knock the berries off the vines, and a bog that was fully flood with berries knocked off the vines, rounded up and being pumped into a processing truck.
A common question of cranberry harvest is "Do cranberries really grow under water?" Cranberries grow on vines and produce delicate flowers that turn into the berries. All fo the vines are planted to grow in the same director for easier harvesting. Once the berries are ready, the bog, a large square depression in the ground, must be flooded. It is first flood with 1-2 feet of water so that the "knockers" or "beater" machines can begin knocking the berries off the vines. These are tractors with rotating metal loops on the front of the tractor. After the knockers have gone through the bog, it is fully flooded and the berries are gathered. Cranberry harvests can happen in a matter of days, so there was very fortunate timing with this trip!
Friday, October 2, 2009
Successful September Workday!
Check out the progress the BBNC staff, board of directors and volunteers made on the playscape and other areas during our September Grounds Day!
RaptorFest 2009
It's October! It's RAPTOR MONTH!
Join us this Sunday, October 4 from 1-4 p.m. to celebrate raptor month at our annual RaptorFest event. It's FREE, it's fun and it's for the whole family. Enjoy raptor-themed crafts, learn all about raptors and birds of prey, discover what owls eat and everyone's favorite - the live raptor program
This year's presentation features Victor Collazo of Skyking Raptor Rescue, a Maple Glen, PA organization. Victor will be at BBNC from 2-3 p.m. with several of his feathered friends. This program is generously sponsored by The Avian Promise.
Join us this Sunday, October 4 from 1-4 p.m. to celebrate raptor month at our annual RaptorFest event. It's FREE, it's fun and it's for the whole family. Enjoy raptor-themed crafts, learn all about raptors and birds of prey, discover what owls eat and everyone's favorite - the live raptor program
This year's presentation features Victor Collazo of Skyking Raptor Rescue, a Maple Glen, PA organization. Victor will be at BBNC from 2-3 p.m. with several of his feathered friends. This program is generously sponsored by The Avian Promise.
Photo by Anne-Marie D'Onofrio - 2008 RaptorFest presenter, Falconer Mike DuPuy
Thursday, September 10, 2009
The Friends of Briar Bush welcomes new board members
Wednesday, Sept. 9 was the annual meeting of the Friends of Briar Bush. Prior to the meeting was a potluck dinner with lots of delicious side dishes, main courses and desserts brought by our friends. During dessert, guests enjoyed the guitar playing and singing of local folk musicians Ken Yavit and Donna Ryder.
Finally, the evening ended with the business meeting, during which our newest board members were elected. The following is a list of the current FOBB Board of Directors:
Henry Geyer (President)
Stan Lexow (Vice President)
Kathy Moore (Treasurer)
Lois Reuther (Secretary)
Joe Schlupp (Secretary)
Katy Abbott (term begins in January 2010)
Dr. Leigh Altadonna
Pat Eager
Michele Kaczalek
Brooke Leonard
Norman Marcus
Mary Lynn Monaghan
Janice Park
Marsha Pearson
Henrietta Roberts
Ethan Simon
Rita Stevens
Shiloh Theberge
Marianne Tyson
Diana K. Weiner
Finally, the evening ended with the business meeting, during which our newest board members were elected. The following is a list of the current FOBB Board of Directors:
Henry Geyer (President)
Stan Lexow (Vice President)
Kathy Moore (Treasurer)
Lois Reuther (Secretary)
Joe Schlupp (Secretary)
Katy Abbott (term begins in January 2010)
Dr. Leigh Altadonna
Pat Eager
Michele Kaczalek
Brooke Leonard
Norman Marcus
Mary Lynn Monaghan
Janice Park
Marsha Pearson
Henrietta Roberts
Ethan Simon
Rita Stevens
Shiloh Theberge
Marianne Tyson
Diana K. Weiner
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Painted Lady Eggs!
While checking on the butterfly house on Tuesday, I saw one of our Painted Lady butterflies resting on the leaf of a Thistle plant. Since Thistle does not have flowers, it is not a nectar plant for adults, but instead a host plant for the caterpillars. Painted Ladies lay their eggs on the Thistle so that as soon as the caterpillar hatches from the egg, it can start eating right away.
-Anne-Marie
Check out these awesome pictures!
-Anne-Marie
Check out these awesome pictures!
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