WWIA to Host Dinner and Program about Warbler Habitat
Westmoreland Woodlands Improvement Association will host a talk onnThursday,
October 11, in the Westmoreland Conservation District headquarters (the Barn behind the Donohoe
Center). The speaker is Tammy Colt, a wildlife diversity biologist with the Pennsylvania Game
Commission. Tammy will discuss how to create and manage early successional habitat to encourage
golden-winged warblers and woodcock to nest in your woods.
The talk is free to WWIA members and costs $5 for nonmembers. If you’re a WWIA
member (or former member or soon-to-be member), please join us before the program for a
combination dinner and business meeting. Come early for a social half hour at 5:30. There will be a
buffet dinner at 6:00 p.m., followed by a short business meeting. Tammy will speak at 7:00 p.m.
Bring a side dish or dessert if you like; it’s not mandatory. It’s far more important to bring
your ideas about what you’d like to see WWIA do in the coming year. Do you have a program topic
you’d like us to cover? A field trip to suggest? Other projects you want to tackle? If you plan to
attend the dinner, please call Christie at WCD, (724) 837-5271, by Monday, October 8, to register.
One lucky attendee will take home as a door prize a serving board made from Westmoreland
County hardwoods by WWIA member John Hilewick. The custom-crafted bread slicing and serving
board features edge-laminated pieces of northern catalpa and sugar maple selected for their figure
and unique character.
Tammy helps owners of woods, grassland and farmland manage their properties to improve
habitat for wildlife. She is available at no charge to provide guidance to private landowners about
how to manage their property for wildlife diversity with an emphasis on the nearly 100 bird and
mammal species of concern that breed in Pennsylvania.
Tammy was previously a habitat biologist for the PGC, mainly assisting with Conservation
Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) planning. She holds a B.S. in Animal Bioscience from
Pennsylvania State University and an M.S. in Biology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania,
where she focused on ecological herpetology. She was project coordinator and principal author
of Pennsylvania Amphibians and Reptiles: A Curriculum Guide. Tammy founded the Powdermill
Nature Reserve Fourth of July Butterfly Count and started the Loyalhanna Watershed Association's
program to monitor stream macroinvertebrates.
A reminder to members: Celebrate WWIA's 23rd anniversary by renewing your
membership. Please send your dues to Tony Quadro, Westmoreland Conservation District, 218
Donohoe Rd., Greensburg, PA 15601. Act now and you'll pay only $10 for 2013. Member benefits
include free entry to nearly all WWIA programs, plus our informative quarterly newsletter.
The WWIA’s mission is to encourage good management of woodlands for aesthetics,
timber, water quality and control, wildlife habitat, plant propagation, and recreation. The group
holds regular programs and field trips throughout the year. For more information, check out
WWIA's new website, contact Tony Quadro at tony@wcdpa.com or 724-837-5271.