WELCOME TO OUR NEW DIRECTOR/NATURALIST, CRAIG OLSEN The board would like to welcome Craig Olsen as our new director/naturalist here at Peace Valley Nature Center. Craig is not new around the nature center. He has been our assistant naturalist for over 16 years, so to many of us he is a very familiar face. As he steps into his new position, we would like to wish him well and we look forward to working with him as our director. Cindy Long "EAGLE INVASION" Most of you have probably heard of the successful recovery of the Bald Eagle under protection from the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Some of us remember back in the early 1970s when the total fall migration count at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary had declined dramatically to less than 20 birds. The end of the use of DDT, which caused eggshell thinning and reproductive failure, plus aggressive reintroduction programs under the ESA, led to slow recovery. Now, a maximum count of 18 in view at one time at Peace Valley on 3/7/06 was truly astonishing. Although Bald Eagles are now regular here and at other nearby lakes and along the river, the high counts seen at Peace Valley daily in late February through the third week of March were unprecedented. From March 1 through the middle of the month, daily counts exceeded 10, with several reports of 14 to 16, in addition to the peak of 18 noted above. What was amazing was the ability to stand in one location along the south shore and look across the lake and see 10 to 16 Bald Eagles sitting together at the wooded lake edge. Usually the birds were sitting close together, concentrated in two or three trees. The striking beauty of the adults was matched by the diversity of immature plumages displayed by the one to three year olds. No two birds were exactly alike. The peak count of adults seen at once was six, and the high ratio of immature birds indicates the current reproductive success. On at least one occasion, an adult pair was seen copulating, giving hope that nesting may occur nearby. Many visitors to the park were thrilled to see the eagles, some for the first time. Word spread and more visitors came to see the show. Often multiple birds could be seen soaring in tandem, doing aerial displays including complete rolls, as individuals seemed to be playing or maybe fighting as they locked talons or chased each other. Fishing was apparently their main source of food, as frequent flights to the lake's surface resulted in fish being picked up almost effortlessly. The Bald Eagle's physical beauty and mastery of flight were truly a joy for any nature enthusiast to behold. We can hope that their future is now secure, and that we will continue to be thrilled by similar spectacles in the coming years. August Mirabella NATURE CENTER NOTES DO YOU SHOP AT ACME & GENUARDIS? These stores will donate a percentage of your purchase to PVNC: Acme -- save your register tapes and bring to the nature center. Genuardi's - register your Genuardi's Club Card -- call us or register online at www.escrip.com or in the store. Designate the Friends of Peace Valley Nature Center, Group ID # 150301483. We'll receive a donation automatically each time you shop and use your card. WISH LIST Binoculars, in excellent condition. Circular saw, chipper and sander in excellent condition. Potential donors should call us at 215-345-7860. Thank you! NEW DATE SET FOR THE FRIENDS OF THE DOVE 10k RUN Runners! Mark your calendar for the Friends of the Dove 10K Run on Sunday, September 24th, 2006. It is two weeks later than previous years. We are also adding a 2 mile health walk this year. In the coming weeks you will see our race application at the nature center, in a bluebird box on the dam, at local sport stores, and at races. We will also have registration available through Active.com and on our website at peacevalleynaturecenter.org If you have any questions, call the nature center at 215-345-7860 and ask for Craig Olsen. 10k RACE SPONSORS & VOLUNTEERS NEEDED Consider having yourself, your company, or the company you work for be a sponsor of our September 24th 10 K race. There are four levels of sponsorship: Bald Eagle ($1,000 or more - Large logo on T-shirt, Mercer Tile) Osprey ($500 or more -- Large logo on T-shirt) -Hummingbird ($125 or more -- name listed on T-shirt) All sponsors receive recognition at the race and in our newsletter, and may set up a small booth race day. We also need volunteers to help with assorted tasks prior to and on race day. If you are interested or would like more information, please contact Craig Olsen at 215-345-7860. WANT TO BE ON OUR E-MAIL LIST? If you are a member and would like to receive updated information about PVNC and its activities via e-mail, send your e-mail address to: peacevalleynaturecenter@co.bucks.pa.us VOLUNTEER FEATURE Store Keeper Carol Connard If you visit the Sunflower shop on a Friday afternoon, you will most likely be greeted by a pleasant woman at the front desk. She may crack a joke or two with you as you make a purchase or sign up for a class. She is Carol Connard, a faithful store keeper since 1997! Carol grew up in Union, New Jersey. After high school she moved to Connecticut to attend Larson College where she obtained an art degree. Carol had known Jack Connard since high school. When Jack finished his stint with the Navy and Carol graduated from Larson, they wed. They moved into a new house in Doylestown Township and raised their four children. They have lived in and tinkered with the When Carol was in her forties, she had a desire to go back to school. She attended classes at Temple University and earned an Education degree at age 47! With her degree in hand, Carol found employment from a private school, Learning Ladder in Chalfont. At Learning Ladder, Carol developed her career in teaching. She discovered Peace Valley Nature Center when Learning Ladder came on a field trip, and she fell in love with it. When Carol retired from teaching, she decided to volunteer at PVNC as a store keeper. She has also helped with our newsletter mailings and has donated a week's rental of her cottage in Maine for our silent auction. Carol loves to travel and has been to exciting places like Hong Kong and Sweden, where she has relatives. Her favorite moment at PVNC is when she brought her Swedish relatives over to the nature center for a visit. After finding few places to take a nice walk, they were thrilled that Carol brought them to Peace Valley! It was a touch of home in America. Thank you for your years of service Carol! We'll see you on Friday! OOPS! In the last newsletter we neglected to list Dot Scheingold in the yearly volunteer list. Dot has been a long time supporter of the nature center and helped with newsletter mailings throughout the year. Sorry about the oversight Dot!

A WORD FROM... OUR NEW DIRECTOR! The last issue of Dove Tales celebrated the career of our founder Carolyn Corey Jarin, who retired on February 3rd after a colorful, distinguished career. Carolyn had the energy and drive to transform her dream of starting a nature center at the east end of Peace Valley Park into reality in 1975. With her retirement, many visitors and Friends of PVNC members have wondered about the future direction of the nature center. Having been named the new Director/Naturalist, I would be delighted to share my vision! For sixteen years I was the Assistant Naturalist at PVNC. During this time I learned much about our organization and its philosophy. The foundation of the nature center's philosophy has always been to provide excellent "hands-on" education programming for area schoolchildren and the public. I intend to continue this tradition by encouraging the education staff to keep using their boundless creativity to trail blaze new paths in environmental education. Both the Friends of PVNC board and I will work to support and promote education innovation. One current proposed project is the construction of a pavilion on the nature center grounds that would serve as a lab/outdoor classroom. The pavilion will greatly benefit our 5th grade field ecology program, the summer nature adventures, and be a boon to new programs. "Hands-on" learning in an outdoor setting will always be the priority at the nature center, and the recent renovation of the solar building provides another avenue to showcase education at PVNC. New museum quality displays will be a nice introduction to Peace Valley Nature Center for first time visitors. Our long time supporters will be excited to see new displays that will add to their knowledge base. The nature center trails are always in flux and need constant care. I will pursue ways to improve them. One possibility I will investigate is the construction of boardwalks using recycled material on certain trails that are sensitive to impact. These projects are just a few that are under consideration. In the coming months myself, the staff, and the Long Range Planning Committee of the Friends of PVNC board will be looking at other possible projects. Due to budget considerations, these projects will not occur overnight, but with dedication and persistence they will become a reality in the not too distant future. I will do my best to make it happen! WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE "GREEN"? We started out with a dilapidated, leaky building and today we have a beautiful "green" space! The renovation is almost complete and everyone is very pleased with what we have achieved: A structure that is aesthetically pleasing and welcoming. More space for environmental education programs and displays. An excellent "hands on" example of what it means to build "green". ... and it doesn't leak! The finishing touch to our renovation arrived in April. A 4.8 kw array of solar panels was installed to produce electrical energy for the nature center. This project has only been possible through the dedication and commitment of many individuals and organizations. I would first like to thank the Friends whose support makes the Nature Center possible and who continually strive to make Peace Valley Nature Center the outstanding environmental educational organization we are today. I would like to thank the Bucks and Montgomery Home Builders Association for taking the chance and stepping out of their usual donation programs to work with Peace Valley. To the County of Bucks, thank you for your added support to our renovation and for your on going support of environmental education for your citizens. To our contractor, SunPower Builders, thank you for your financial support and for your attention to detail. It was fascinating to see all the ways in which materials were recycled, how waste was kept to a minimum and to see all that can be done to conserve energy in a building. I would also like to thank the McLean Contributionship, the Doylestown Nature Club, C&M Homebuilders, and the Grundy Foundation, for their support in this project and many other projects in the past. As you can see, it was a very diverse group that came together to make our renovation a reality. At times this diversity made our project very trying, but in the end our collaboration may be the best thing to come out of the renovation. Only by everyone working together will we keep our planet "green". Cindy Long A TRIBUTE TO JOAN WONSIDLER We were all saddened by the recent passing of our store manager, Joan Wonsidler. Carolyn Constable wrote this heartfelt tribute to her. When you walked through the front door of Peace Valley Nature Center, or came around the corner from the teacher's room and saw Joan with her gorgeous head of curly white hair and her friendly smile, you knew everything would go well that day. Joan was reassuring. Her presence imparted confidence. Joan could handle things. You might say Joan was Peace Valley's anchor woman. Whether it was fielding questions from a newcomer or offering grandmotherly advice to one of the teachers, Joan was there with her common sense approach to life. Quiet herself, Joan was able to deal with all sorts of people and problems in her confident friendly way. Joan was our ROCK. Every time we passed Joan at the desk, we stopped to chat and pick up some of her wisdom. Her straight-forward advice was welcome and her unassuming manner made you feel at ease. Joan was our wisdom mother and there is definitely a void there now. Joan loved gardening and she generously shared plants and produce from her garden. We appreciated her extra seedlings in the spring. When Rudibecka bloomed in our summer gardens, we thanked Joan. Her delicious cherry tomatos were enjoyed during the summer. All winter, Joan's plants - Impatiens and Browalia, added color to PVNC's solar room. Joan was a very special person. As storekeeper she touched many folks. Her ability to secure volunteers was a result of her sincerity and the admiration from the men and women who "worked" for her. Joan's kindness and consideration towards people and animals and her deep appreciation of the beauty of nature made her a wonderful woman. Joan Wonsidler will always be remembered in our hearts and her spirit will pervade our Sunflower Shop forever. We love you Joan! WOW! WHAT A GIFT! Finally, we got our wish! John Long, the husband of Friends of PVNC President Cindy Long, recently purchased a DLP projector for the nature center. Our staff was very excited! The projector attaches to a laptop computer that runs power point programs. Most speakers use power point programs in place of slide shows. Thanks to John, we will now be able to attract a greater variety of speakers and use it for numerous classes. In addition, PVNC will be able to update its outreach program with this top of the line projector. Thank you for your generosity John! TEACHER PROFILE - MONICA NORMAN For more than 9 years Teacher Naturalist Monica Norman has been an integral part of Peace Valley Nature Center. Monica's love of the outdoors and her desire to educate about environmental stewardship is done with enthusiasm supplemented with a great sense of humor. She values the needs of the children with genuineness. She imparts her knowledge in such a way that all who benefit from her teaching leave awed by what they had discovered. Her profession of nutrition has given way over the years to a passion of teaching children in the outdoors. This passion is part of her personal life. Involved with her own children and their pursuits, Monica's community activities are extensive. She was an assistant coach and Board Member of the Plumstead Baseball Association and has taught CCD classes at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish. Monica and fellow Teacher Naturalist Kerrie Garges joined forces to work with the kids at Tohickon Middle School on environmental service projects. They have collected trash around Peace Valley as well as around their school grounds. They have planted native plants and introduced the wonders of wetlands to children. Her family is responsible for their neighborhood streets as part of Plumstead Township's program of Adopting a Road to keep litter free. When asked to sum up why she enjoys teaching in nature's classroom, Monica replies; "I continually find myself amazed at the many discoveries that nature can provide. I love to share my excitement with each and every discovery that comes along during my classes with the kids. I can get just as thrilled to see a deer in the woods for the millionth time as I did the first time! I need to remember that it may be the first time one of my students has seen a deer and I can't help but share in that child's excitement!" ANNUAL MEETING REVIEW The Friends of Peace Valley Nature Center held their Annual Meeting at the nature center on Saturday, February 4th. Despite a rainy day, the turnout was great as members came to honor retiring Director/Naturalist Carolyn Corey Jarin. President Cindy Long called the meeting to order. Treasurer Rick Colello reported that the Friends of PVNC were in excellent financial condition Kent Baird, Rick Colello and Sean Greene, were elected to the Board of Directors. Assistant Naturalist Craig Olsen related the highlights of 2005. Cindy Long reported that the Solar Building renovation was nearing completion, but that the Friends were still looking for funds to help pay for displays and other building related items. The Bluebird Nest Box report was presented by Ray Hendrick who gave the good news of 17 fledgling bluebirds for 2005. Director of Education Gail Hill thanked the many volunteers in the audience and then recognized six volunteers with 5 years of service; Barbara Burdack, Wendy Clair, Floyd Glenn, Grace Gottschall, Rosemary Langmeier and Judy Mirabella. They were awarded a silver dove pin designed by volunteer Pat Eberhard, or a PVNC Mercer tile. The Fred Mears Memorial Birder of the year Award was presented to Ray Hendrick for his years of work on placing and maintaining bluebird boxes, keeping track of the fledglings, and presenting bluebird workshops for the public. Honors and accolades for retiring Director/Naturalist Carolyn Corey Jarin concluded the meeting. Carolyn Constable read a letter from her son Ron, a former intern, about his amazement and frustrations trying to plant trees as fast and as well as a woman more than twice his age!! The audience had numerous laughs regarding his justifications ("she must have had special training; gee! I'm really tired today", etc!). Carolyn's well worn shovel was then retired, to be given a place of honor above the spotting scope at the meeting room entrance. A beautiful power point slide presentation made by Gail Hill was then shown and brought tears to the eyes of many as PVNC's history flashed on screen to the music of John Denver. A surprise guest followed, U.S. Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick. Mike spoke of the important work Carolyn had done at PVNC and finished by presenting Carolyn with a flag that had flown over the nation's capital. It was an incredible honor! Bill Mitchell, Director of the Bucks County Parks and Recreation Department, presented Carolyn with a plaque for 30 years of dedicated and distinguished service to the Parks and Recreation Department. Ellen Haun from New Britain Township also presented a plaque. Carolyn thanked the staff, Friends of PVNC Board, volunteers, and other supporters for helping her achieve her dream of starting Peace Valley Nature Center. She then delved into her speech on the important new book "The Last Child In The Woods" by Richard Louv. Carolyn educated the audience to a disturbing trend occurring with today's children, a disassociation with the natural world. This trend has occurred for numerous reasons, ranging from television viewing and computer use to media generated fears of the outdoors. The results of this disassociation with nature include a rise in obesity, attention disorders, and depression. Though it does not represent an existing medical diagnosis, Louv defined this phenomenon as "nature deficit disorder." Carolyn related how research has shown that children who experience the outdoors through environmental education improve their test scores and increase their creativity. In concluding, she saw hope for the future in the families who bring their children to the nature center. The sight always rekindles her spirit and she encouraged the parents in the audience to take action and help their children experience the outdoors. Carolyn was given a well deserved standing ovation by the grateful audience. Click [HERE] to view back issues of our newsletter.

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