16th Montgomery County Community Named PA Bird Town

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA — A sixteenth community in Montgomery County has been named an official "Pennsylvania Bird Town," further underlining the county's status as one of the leading bird conservation areas in the region.

Towamencin Township is the latest honoree, recognizing a commitment by the township to conservation and stewardship of key habitats. The designation was granted by Pennsylvania Bird Town, a program spun off from the National Audubon Society, at a recent meeting.

The township's environmental advisory committee made an official application to the group's outreach committee, as well as a presentation to Towamencin's Board of Supervisors, which voted this month to approve the township's participation in the program.

Moving forward, Bird Town and the Audubon Society will help Towamencin to highlight the borough's ecological diversity and wildlife resources, as well as provide outreach and environmental education to property owners as to how they can make their yards and homes more bird friendly.

Other municipalities have received native plant pop-up gardens, community science programs, invasive species removal programs, community bird walks, and storm water management assistance as PA Bird Town members.

Towamencin is the 77th municipality in Pennsylvania to be accorded the honor, and the ninth in the last six months. It's the 16th in Montgomery County, which comprises a significant portion of all of the state's Bird Towns.

A thriving bird ecosystem has positive ripple effects across the environment. Species diversity among birds allows native plant life to flourish, and birds are a significant predator of nuisances and disease spreading creatures like mosquitoes and ticks.

In Montgomery County, the following communities are Bird Towns, in addition to Towamencin:

• Abington
• Jenkintown
• Cheltenham
• Hatfield
• Horsham
• Lower Frederick
• Lower Gwynedd
• Lower Providence
• Marlborough
• Perkiomen
• Springfield
• Upper Dublin
• Upper Moreland
• Upper Salford
• West Norriton
• Red Hill

For guidance on creating a backyard habitat, see here.