EAC plans Native Species Day; board hears trash concerns and agrees to remove unmaintained story boards

Faith Talnack, a member of the Environmental Advisory Committee, told the board Native Species Day will be celebrated at Brightside on May 20, with a display table open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The EAC will run a children’s art contest for residents ages 12 and under and will distribute PA native wildflower seed packets; Carol Armstrong produced instructions for sowing seeds in milk jugs to distribute to attendees. Talnack also reported that the PA Outdoor Corps removed at least 125 tree tubes and replaced them with wire cages during recent work, and that two kestrel eggs were found in two different nest boxes (one at Brightside and one on private property) with additional kestrel activity observed near three other boxes.

Carol Armstrong reported she had received an email from a park patron describing an extraordinary amount of trash at Charlestown Park. The Township Manager will email sports-team leads reminding participants to use park trash bins, and the board will include an announcement in the next township newsletter. Separately, Member Jared McFadden led discussion and the board unanimously agreed to remove a set of story boards in Charlestown Park that originated from a Girl Scout Gold project about five years ago; the boards were not maintained and interior sheets were never updated.

Stephanie Robinson said she completed spring park inspections (Jenkins property, Pickering Trail, Woolen Mill, Charlestown Park) and submitted written reports to the Township.