Passport to Your National Parks

Hawk Mountain Sanctuary has been involved in conducting bird migration counts since 1934. Located at Kempton, Pa. on the Appalachian Flyway, the sanctuary is a refuge for birds of prey and has been long considered the destination for hawk-watch enthusiasts. Its hawk count database is one the longest-running records of hawk migration in the world and allows biologists to use long-term data to track the status of these unusually secretive birds. Open year-round, visitors can enjoy scenic vistas, 8-miles of ridge and valley trails, a visitor center, a bookstore and native plant garden. Each autumn, the sanctuary offers visitors a chance to observe large numbers of migrated hawks, eagles and falcons. Its forests provides migration stopover habitat for nearly 100 species of birds, including 16 raptors. The sanctuary also uses the annual event to train young conservation interns, teaching them raptor monitoring, record keeping and data analysis.

In March of 1945, thirty people from the West Chester and Wilmington areas got together to listen to a man named Clayton Hoff talk about the Brandywine Creek. What they heard was alarming. In many spots the creek was little more than an open sewer, the result of wastewater being dumped into the stream with little or no treatment. In addition, thousands of tons of soil were being washed into the Brandywine--choking aquatic life and diminishing water quality. Recognizing that such threats would cause permanent damage, this group founded Brandywine Valley Association, the first small watershed association in America. BVA is now more than 800 members strong and is still working to protect the picturesque and productive Brandywine Creek.