Sylvan Heights Celebrates International Migratory Bird Day

This Saturday, May 14th, Sylvan Heights will be celebrating International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD). Developed by the non-profit, Environment for the Americas, this program is the only international education program that highlights and celebrates the migration of nearly 350 species of migratory birds between nesting habitats in North America and non-breeding grounds in Latin America, Mexico, and the Caribbean.

Migration is simply defined as the seasonal movement from one place to another. The main reason that birds (or most animals, for that matter) migrate is to find food. You might be surprised to learn that many species, like songbirds, shorebirds, and some waterfowl, migrate (fly) at night when the air temperature is cooler and predators like hawks are less active.

And since most waterfowl are migratory species, this makes Sylvan Heights the perfect location for learning about the migration process. In addition, before coming out to the park on Saturday, you might enjoy visiting the official IMBD website and downloading some of their free education materials. The website is a WEALTH of information for both adults and children. There you will find fact sheets, coloring pages, as well as games & activities on a variety of topics including bird basics, migration, and habitats, to name a few.  Be sure to investigate the themes of previous years, as you will find additional educational resources on those webpages, too.

Here are some additional lesson plans on the topic of bird migration:

• Hopscotch Migration (Grades K-6)

• Bird Migration (Grades 5-8)

• Songbirds at the Crossroads of Migration (High School)


You can also learn a lot at the online Smithsonian's Migratory Bird Center. (I love their Migration Game!)

And finally, here are some great books on this topic:

For Children-

 Whistling Wings

by Laura Goering

Skylar

by Mary Cuffe-Perez

Whoop Dreams: The Historic Migration (Legends and Wonders)

by Jane Duden

 For Adults-

 

The Migration of Birds: Seasons on the Wing

by Janice M Hughes

 

 

 

Bird Migration and Global Change

by George W. Cox

 

   

Atlas of Bird Migration: Tracing the Great Journeys of the World's Birds

by Jonathan Elphick and Thomas E. Lovejoy

A Mother's Day Gift From Us..

Black swan with cygnets

Mother's Day is just two days away, and if you haven't thought of a special gift to give yours, then we're here to help! This Sunday, May 8th, if you bring your mother to Sylvan Heights, we'll let her in free (with the purchase of at least one regular admission)! This is a unique gift that allows your mother to spend some fun quality time with her family in beautiful surroundings.

So pack a picnic lunch, grab a blindfold, and surprise your mother with a joyous outing she won't soon forget!

Mark Your Calendars for Waterfowl Reunion

Another reason to become a Sylvan Heights member! All members are invited to join us for the 2011 Waterfowl Reunion on April 30th from 9am to 12pm. Meet our education program birds face-to-face, and see our new hatchlings! Author David Gessner will be giving a presentation on the migration of ospreys, based on his book, Return of the Osprey, after the event at 1:00 p.m.

We hope to see you all on the 30th! And if you plan to attend, please RSVP by April 27th to enjoy complimentary gifts and refreshments.

Congratulations to our Chili Cook-Off Winners!

All photos by Katie Gipple.

March’s “supermoon” shed an abundance of light on this year’s chili competition at Sylvan Heights.

On Saturday, March 19th, the Friends of Sylvan Heights (FOSH) hosted the Park's 2nd annual Chili Cook-Off from 6-9 p.m. Nine chili cooks entered a variety of chili recipes that included everything from sweet potato to pineapple. And the event attracted about 200 visitors who came to support the Park and act as “taste-testers” by voting for their favorite recipe.

Among the entrants were: Karen and Bill Bunn, with their “Southern Spice” chicken and pineapple recipe; Michelle Hawkins’ “Hot Momma’s Chili;” Kevin Hawkins’ “Fireduck;” Reginald Newsome and his spicy “Sweet Temptation Remix;” Medoc Mountain’s “Fire on the Mountain;” and “Dead-Eye Dick’s Chili” by Hunter Letchworth.

A panel of three judges blind-tasted each chili for appearance, texture, flavor, and aroma. There were also marks for best presentation. Elizabeth Murphy with her sweet potato and black bean chili came in 2nd place with the judges, while contestants Kathy and Chris Lewis won the grand prize of $250 for their “Poppa's Original Recipe” chili.

The People’s Choice award was given to the contestant who received the most votes from the guests. The Scotland Neck Lion's Club came in second place, and the $100 top prize was also awarded to Kathy and Chris Lewis!

The contestants were set up around the Multinational Pond, a layout that allowed for greater accessibility, which everyone liked. Thankfully, the weather cooperated and it was a beautiful evening for such a fun event.

The Chili Cook-off is a fundraiser organized by FOSH, with all proceeds of the event going to help meet the daily needs at the Park. To date, more than 20,000 visitors have toured the Park so far this year.

Plans are already being made for next year's event, which promises to be bigger and better. Mark your calendars now for the 3rd annual Sylvan Heights Chili Cook-Off, March 17, St. Patrick's Day. Plan to come and enjoy the chili or be a contestant - either way you're a winner and the Park wins, too.

The Second Annual Sylvan Heights Chili Cook-Off

Does the mere mention of your chili bring tears of joy to your family's eyes? Do dinner guests magically appear at your door when you are in the kitchen stirring a bubbling pot of chili? Then maybe you should think about entering the second annual Sylvan Heights Chili Cook-Off!

The Grand Prize winner will take home $250, and a second $100 prize will be awarded to the winner of the People's Choice.

What's that you say? You can't cook worth beans, but you are a chili-lover at heart? Or maybe you are on a deadline and can't enter your winning recipe this year? Then never fear, you can still join us and bring all your friends to cast your votes for your favorite chili. We'll supply the tasting cups, you supply the taste buds.

The event takes place on March 19th, at Sylvan Heights from 6 to 9 pm. Tickets are now available for $15 at the Park's gift shop. For more information and contest rules, send an email to info@shwpark.com or call 252.826.3186

We hope to see you ALL there!

The Great Backyard Bird Count

This weekend, people all over the United States and Canada will be participating in the 14th annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC). This year, the GBBC runs Friday, February 18th, through Monday, February 21st.

Sylvan Heights is happy to welcome local students who will be counting our native birds at the park on Friday at 10 a.m. And we invite all of you to come out and visit us this weekend.

Our location has attracted a wide variety of bird species over the last few years, including pileated woodpeckers, prothonotary warblers, yellow-rumped warblers, bald eagles, red-shouldered hawks, and many, many more. Just a few weeks ago, a small group of sandhill cranes were seen regularly around the park.

The four-day count takes place every February, and averages 10 million bird observations. People of any age can participate and no experience is necessary. Contrary to its name, you do not have to count birds in your own backyard, but can elect to count them anywhere - at a local park, school, etc. The project itself is as easy as 1, 2, 3:

• First, participants commit to counting birds for at least 15 minutes during one or more days of the count.

• Second, during your count, you record the highest number of birds of a single species (i.e., 5 cardinals, 8 house finches, 2 chickadees, etc.) that you see at one time.

• Last, submit your data by going to the website and entering your checklist.

A joint effort between Cornell University and the Audubon Society, as well as Bird Studies Canada, this Citizen Science Project is a valuable tool for scientists studying local bird populations. The data recorded help them to monitor the effects of changing weather patterns or diseases on bird populations, compare migratory behaviors to previous years, and monitor "irruptive" species (birds that appear in great numbers some years and not in others).

To learn more about the Great Backyard Bird Count, visit their website at http://www.birdcount.org/.  It has a wealth of information and includes games and activities for kids like puzzles, coloring pages and bookmarks. You can also learn more about birds, flip though their photo gallery, and even see last year's bird count results.

We Are Open Again!

The park is now open once again. Our South America exhibit will remain closed until all the repairs have been made, but all other areas of the park are now accessible to the public. Hope to see you all here soon!