Internationally-acclaimed Hawk Mountain Sanctuary straddles the Berks/Schuylkill county line atop Blue Mountain. Broad-wing Hawks are passing through right now. As the season progresses, expect to enjoy viewing more diversity. HMS celebrates 85 years since Rosalie Edge purchased the site as a sanctuary for hawks back in 1934.
You might know that it was one major location for the sport of shooting hawks. It was the belief at the time that you should eradicate predators to allow for more prey to hunt. Thankfully, conservation science prevailed and there is more awareness of predator/prey relationships. To acknowledge this momentous year, a PA Historical and Museum Commission official historical marker has been dedicated recently and is located at the main entrance to the sanctuary. The marker focuses on Rosalie Edge and her hard work to create the sanctuary and is one of several historical markers that have been erected to recognize the contributions that women have made to Pennsylvania given the centennial of women’s right to vote in 2020.
You will note when you visit their website, hawkmountain.org, that there is a Monarch Watch Day coming up on Saturday, September 28. Watching a monarch fly from one flower to another is literally “poetry in motion.” More and more citizen naturalists are rising to the challenge of creating pollinator gardens that benefits bees and butterflies including monarchs. It is good to see that HMS is helping to celebrate this day and you have a good opportunity to visit the site and enjoy learning more about hawks and monarchs!
A good day for the outdoors enthusiast would be to visit nearby Cabelas and then make a stop at Hawk Mountain. The book store offers a wide range of items that will pique the interest of any budding young naturalist to the savvy seasoned outdoors person.
“Porcupine Pat” McKinney is environmental education coordinator for the Schuylkill Conservation District and provides programming for people of all ages with an emphasis on schools, public programming and nature center development. “Porcupine Pat” hails from Marion, Ohio and has a BS with Distinction in Natural Resources – Environmental Interpretation from Ohio State. He is a recipient of the prestigious Sandy Cochran Award for Excellence in Natural Resources Education from the PA Forestry Association, the Schuylkill Pride Award, and the PAEE “Outstanding Environmental Educator Award.”
