Jacobs Creek Watershed Association

Happy Halloween! You might see a lot of bat decorations on Halloween, but PA bats are nothing to be afraid of All of Pennsylvania’s bat species are insectivores. A single bat consumes thousands of insects each night which helps to keep our insect populations under control. Unfortunately, PA bat populations are at risk. White-nose syndrome (WNS), a fungal disease, is causing bat populations to drastically decline. WNS is often characterized by the white fungus that grows on... a bat’s muzzle, produces lesions on its wings and causes bats to awaken from winter hibernation prematurely. This activity depletes the bat’s limited fat reserves causing the bats to leave their winter home early in a vain attempt to forage for food that is not available. These bats often starve to death and there is currently no known treatment to counter the effects of the disease. There is hope though. Some resilient bats have survived WNS and hopefully these bats will pass on their coping abilities to their offspring. You can help! Bat boxes are used to provide bats who have survived WNS infection with an optimal refuge to raise their young and rest between feeding bouts. You can build one at home and mount it on a pole or on the side of a building in a setting that provides ideal summer roosting habitat. Find some bat box templates here: https://www.pgc.pa.gov//WildlifeSp/Bats/Pages/default.aspx For more bat information, check out WPC's "Species at Risk: Bats," article here: https://waterlandlife.org//species-at-risk-in-pennsy/bats/

A sneak peak at some of the items that will be up for our Virtual Silent Auction next week! All funds raised will allow JCWA to bring free or affordable education and recreational activities to our watershed community next year https://www.32auctions.com/JCWAAuction

Thank you to Tribune-Review for writing up a nice piece on JCWA's recent move and ongoing restoration projects We are excited to collaborate with West Overton Museum to both expand our outreach and help repair a stream polluted by acid mine drainage on the property. Check out the article below! https://triblive.com//jacobs-creek-watershed-group-moves-/

Have you ever been curious about the health of the streams in our watershed? Click on any stream in PA using DEP's 2020 Integrated Water Quality Report to see which streams are impaired or healthy and why! https://www.depgis.state.pa.us/IRViewer2020/

Greenlick Lake is a great place to enjoy the fall foliage My camera doesn’t do it justice! Take advantage of the nice weather today and take a trip to Greenlick Lake

Have you, or someone you know, ever wanted to do something completely different than their day job? Or, maybe you work in conservation but just want to be involved in something else Joining JCWA's Board of Directors may be the perfect option for you! As a board member, you get to share any ideas you have for future events and projects, gain new knowledge and volunteer to clean up our watershed, kayak or even just hand out raffle tickets at our events. The possibilities are ...endless. Submit your nominations today! All nominations must be turned in by this Friday, 10/23, by 5pm. Just send a name interested in joining our board to [email protected]. Nominations can be for any individual (membership status at nomination time not required) and will help fill current vacancies/expand our board. Leadership must come from our "association" of members to be a healthy nonprofit. You should always be asked who you want to represent you because you are the voices and the power behind our work! If you have any questions, please email them to [email protected].

Live Streaming from Jacobs Creek

It's that time of year again - Please consider raking your leaves into a corner of your property, putting them in a compost area or using them as a blanket ...for your flower beds until spring. Wildlife such as turtles, toads, songbirds, mammals and invertebrates rely on leaf litter for food, shelter and nesting material. Many moth and butterfly caterpillars overwinter in fallen leaves before emerging in spring. Rotting leaves are the food that feed our forests and their decomposition is an important part of our environment. Avoid gas powered leaf blowers as the blasts are strong enough to kill the smallest creatures who use leaves as shelter; plus, raking is good exercise. See more