\u201cWhat’s good for birds is good for people, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
Heidi Shiver, president of Bird Town Pennsylvania<\/p>\n
An annual certification focused on community-based conservation, the program aims to create a healthier, more sustainable environment for birds, as well as other wildlife and residents.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe work at the municipal level, working with municipal leaders to address the threats to birds, because of the populations really continuing to decline across all species,\u201d Bird Town Pennsylvania President Heidi Shiver said.<\/p>\n
\u201cReally trying to work with municipal leaders to let them know about that, and using that information to engage with them and educate their residents about what they can be doing to support birds. <\/p>\n
“Like I always say, we’re not just about birds \u2014 we’re really about healthier habitats. What’s good for birds is good for people, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018Everyone works at their own pace\u2019<\/p>\n
Starting the process to become a Bird Town is relatively simple. After contacting Bird Town Pennsylvania for an application toolkit<\/a>, municipal officials have five steps to complete.<\/p>\n They are scheduling a meeting to discuss the process, creating a Bird Town Committee, passing a Bird Town municipal resolution, completing the application and paying a one-time $100 fee.<\/p>\n The application fee helps offset costs for Bird Town street signs, Shiver said. Once approved, municipalities get two, each costing $60.<\/p>\n Stephanie Sigafoos<\/p>\n \/<\/p>\n LehighValleyNews.com <\/p>\n Bethlehem has posted a Bird Town Pennsylvania sign at Third Street between Founder\u2019s Way and Buchanan Street.<\/p>\n \u201cSome municipalities act very quickly on it \u2014 sometimes it takes a year,\u201d Shiver said. <\/p>\n \u201cIt really is just informing them about the program, educating their commissioners or supervisors or councils about the process and what it’s about, getting them on board and then moving forward.\u201d<\/p>\n Each year, municipal officials \u2014 oftentimes through an EAC \u2014 will check off projects and tasks from the program\u2019s Goal and Activity Worksheet. <\/p>\n Depending on how many are completed, points are calculated to determine an annual designation.<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s a four-tier program,\u201d Shiver said. \u201cThey come in at the green level, but we really want them to move up to bronze, silver or gold within the first year.<\/p>\n \u201cWe’re checking in with them, making sure they know what to do, guiding them on things that they can be doing to help them along.<\/p>\n “We understand there’s only so many volunteers and so much funding, so everyone works at their own pace.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018Valuable opportunities to network\u2019<\/p>\n Allentown in 2011 was the first city in the Lehigh Valley to become a Bird Town, said Tinku Khanwalkar, co-chairwoman of the city\u2019s EAC.<\/p>\n \u201cAs the first city in the Lehigh Valley to become a Bird Town, Allentown is pleased to see its numerous community-based stewardship programs recognized by Bird Town PA,\u201d Khanwalkar said in an email.<\/p>\n \u201cThe city does not yet have systems in place to capture all data on community-based environmental actions, but even the limited data shows that in 2024 the city had at least 815 volunteer hours, 118 participants, managed 1,500 acres of park lands and planted at least 300 trees.\u201d<\/p>\n Notable projects included a monthly environmental education workshop for children at the Allentown Public Library and installing an education banner on bird strikes at Muhlenberg College\u2019s Fahy Commons for Public Engagement<\/a>, among others.<\/p>\n The goals of the program align well with the EAC\u2019s mission to promote community-based environmental programs, Khanwalkar said.<\/p>\n \u201cBird Town provides valuable opportunities to network with other municipalities in promoting such programs,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cIn fact, shortly after Allentown became a Bird Town, the Allentown EAC spear-headed an effort to create an informal network of other municipalities and organizations [called the Lehigh Valley Bird Town Coalition] with a shared goal of promoting municipal environmental stewardship.\u201d<\/p>\n The Lehigh Valley Bird Town Coalition posts activities on Meetup, an online event platform.<\/p>\n \u2018The program is doing great\u2019<\/p>\n The Bird Town program has been active in the commonwealth for more than a decade.<\/p>\n![\"Bird](\"https:\/\/static.lehigh-v.lehigh-valley.production.k1.m1.brightspot.cloud\/dims4\/default\/0c97a83\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/4032x2268+0+0\/resize\/880x495!\/quality\/90\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Flehigh-valley-brightspot.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2F7d%2F82%2Fc308cd3b4031a2e805d948fb07c4%2Fpxl-20250521-152040035.jpg\")
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