Fox Chapel sets gold standard of care for feathered friends with top Bird Town honors

Fox Chapel Parks Commission members are celebrating recognition being bestowed by a statewide environmental group.

The borough has set the gold standard in environmental preservation and educating people about birds, according to Bird Town Pennsylvania.

The borough recently received the highest municipal recognition level, Gold, from the nonprofit group just a couple months after joining.

Bird Town Pennsylvania is a statewide grassroots program that partners with local towns and organizations, such as the Audubon Society, to promote community-based conservation actions to create a healthier, more sustainable environment for wildlife, birds and people.

Municipalities can get plaques, proclamations and other recognition for their efforts to help birds and their environment as part of the four-tiered level certification program. Bird Town costs taxpayers nothing.

Towns start out at the green, or introductory, level and later get placed in a bronze, silver or gold level depending on an annual report of its conservation efforts.

Parks commissioners received word they earned top honors in late February. Fox Chapel was officially welcomed as a Bird Town in mid-December.

Several commissioners, who also served on the borough’s Bird Town committee, met at Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve on March 4 to celebrate.

“We got pretty good grades on our report card,” said Jeff Beyer, Fox Chapel Parks Commission and Bird Town committee member.

More than 100 species of birds visit the nature reserve annually, according to Beechwood officials.

One of its resident birds is an Easter screech owl. It is often a welcomed sight at various educational programs.

Bird Town Pennsylvania president Heidi Shiver said there are 76 Bird Towns across the state in 14 counties. Of those, 35 towns achieved gold status.

The distinction can be used on grant applications to get funding for environmental projects.

Participating towns must submit an annual report outlining its environmental and conservation efforts.

Towns must complete activities in five strategy areas.

Those areas are municipal action; school district and youth related actions; community and individual engagement; organization, collaborations and partnerships and advocacy.

“We tried to address all five topics,” Fox Chapel Parks Commission member and bird town committee chair Carrie Casey said.

Jim Bonner, executive director of the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania and Bird Town Pennsylvania board member, joked about possibly adding new levels of recognition for Fox Chapel and other gold members to go further.

“We have to create a platinum level now that they’ve achieved gold,” Bonner said. “We can’t let them rest on their laurels. I don’t know what comes after that. Maybe titanium or something.”

Fox Chapel report

Fox Chapel’s report was compiled by the borough’s Bird Town committee with major contributions from Melinda Guinn, parks commission and Bird Town committee member.

Highlights from Fox Chapel’s report on 2024 activities included tallying 1,685 volunteer hours with 675 participants.

Volunteers planted 1,572 trees and removed invasive plant species, including privet.

“It’s like having a goat in your canoe,” Beyer said about privet. “It’s like you’re trying to ride in a canoe; they just get in the way.”

The Audubon Society has educational programs with Fox Chapel Area School District and Shady Side Academy, including summer camps.

Volunteers read bird-themed books and gave bird feeder kits to children at the Cooper-Siegel Community Library.

Beechwood Farms also hosted bird counting activities with students from other school districts in December.

Fox Chapel’s report lists remediating erosion issues along waterways by planting, having a community clean-up and organizing a native plant sale, plant swap or native plant pop-up as part of its community efforts.

The borough also received points for its environmental advisory council, shade tree commission and establishing a native meadow as part of its municipal activities.

“People are interested in moving into a Bird Town,” Guinn said. “People are attracted to a town that has a high-quality park system and that supports wildlife.”

Other Bird Town Pennsylvania communities are able to pull ideas from the reports, and representatives are encouraged to talk about their activities and achievements during the organization’s virtual spring gathering.

“There’s lots of flexibility for new initiatives,” Bonner said. “The program has a whole bunch of suggested things, but it’s up to the community to decide what fits them. They may come up with something completely different none of us had ever thought of. … There’s always encouragement to try new things.”

This year’s gathering is set for 7 p.m. March 13 and is expected to feature a special guest from the state Game Commission.

Common ground

The feathered friends could spark friendships between people.

“Birds are liked by so many different people, and they cross just about every demographic,” Bonner said. “You’re talking age, gender, race, religion, even politics. When you start talking birds you find common ground, and it’s usually very positive. We all need a little more positivity.”

A 2022 study by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reported 96 million people — 30% of the country — who observe, feed or photograph birds, visit parks to view birds or plant natural areas at home to benefit birds.

More than $6 out of every $10 spent in 2022 on wildlife-related recreation — which includes hunting and fishing — came from bird-watching, according to audubon.org.

Last year, more than $250 billion was spent on the hobby, including the purchase of binoculars, cameras and bird food.