From the Field - Mariton Wildlife Sanctuary

Mariton - Bear Video Postponed

The bears are still hibernating...you should too.  At least for tonight.  Due to the weather, I am postponing tonight's video on Pennsylvania's Black Bears.  I will show the video on Saturday, March 24 at 7:30 p.m.  Please call if you plan to attend on this new date (610-258-6574).

Winter weather - I don't recommend that anyone drive to Mariton today (Friday), but tomorrow should be a great day to walk in the snow.  I should have the parking lot and sidewalks cleaned up by 10:30 Saturday morning.  Dress appropriately as the forecast is calling for windy and cold.  It shouldn't be too bad in the woods.

The blog has moved!

Hello Readers!

The Mariton Blog has moved! We've combined all of the Natural Lands Trust preserve blogs into one, so any new posts will be made there. You can find that blog here.

We hope that you'll follow us to the new blog--it'll have everything that this blog has (including an archive of all the entries made on this blog), plus plenty of other interesting posts by the other preserve managers.

(Please note that this weblog will no longer be updated.)

Bear Video on Friday Night

Let me start off by saying that I am nuts about black bears.  Over the years, I have been fortunate to watch several bears foraging unaware of my presence while hiking (not at Mariton).  I have even bumped into a few bears on the trail.  Each encounter is a treasured memory.  (This photo was taken by my friend Fred, in his back yard.)

For some decades, Pennsylvania has led the nation with its bear research.  "On the Trail of Pennsylvania's Black Bears" will be the featured film this Friday night at Mariton Wildlife Sanctuary.  This video was produced by the PA Game Commission, and highlights some the ground breaking research that was started in the 1980s.  The film is still timely and introduces you to the seasons of a black bear's life.  There are still many misconceptions about black bears and this film addresses them concisely.  The wildlife photography is spectacular (you will crawl into a bear den).

I plan to start right at 8:00 p.m., as the movie is 100 minutes long.  We will take a short break in the middle.  We will serve popcorn and lemonade as refreshments.  Please call (610-258-6574) if you plan to attend, so we can plan accordingly. 

More Rainfall Trivia

I recorded 1.94 inches of rainfall at 8:30 this morning, and it was still raining.  That is about one inch more than Mariton received for the entire month last year.  Granted, March '06 was extremely dry.  (The 10 year average is 3.87 inches.)

In February, we received 2.13 inches of precipitation.  (2.82 inches is average.)  What is interesting is that we received 2.13 inches in February '06 also.  That is the first time I have recorded the same amount of rainfall for a given month.  The idea that it came in consecutive years is even more unlikely.

When it stops raining, today's total (less than 24 hours of precipitation) could come very close to the amount received for all of February.

Bio-diversity Film on Friday

"Pennsylvania:  Conserving Nature's Diversity" is the feature film on Friday evening at Mariton.  If you are trying to get a handle on what Biodiversity really means, this video explains it very well.  What is really great is that it uses specific examples from Pennsylvania.  This was produced by Pennsylvania's Wild Resource Conservation Fund and has some great video of stunning landscapes.  This is a short film, about 30 minutes long.

Following the film will be a Night Walk.  The trails should be well lit by a full moon, but we have flashlights available.  (In case of inclement weather, I will show another short video.)

The film starts at 8:00 p.m.  Please call if you plan to attend (610-258-6574).  We will serve popcorn and lemonade.