photos by Bill Reaume
2022 is the Year of Birds at Awbury!
Bird watching is an excellent way to spend time in nature, to learn about the green spaces in your area, and to appreciate the beautiful animals in our community. It is a rewarding and popular hobby for amateurs and experts alike!
The Cope family established a compound on what is now Awbury Arboretum beginning in 1849, and in 1916 when they donated the property to the public, one of the express purposes was to establish a refuge for birds. To support this plan, Awbury Arboretum was planted with many native species to provide food and cover for both year-round and migratory birds.
Today, Awbury hosts birding events, participates in Philly bird censuses, and offers Field Studies programs for children to learn about birds. Click here to view our Events Page to see if there are any upcoming birding events.
Year of Birds EVENTS:
❦ Sunday, January 2nd – New Year’s Bird Walk, with Bill Reaume
❦ Saturday, February 26th – Speaker Series with Holly Merker: “Ornitherapy: Birds, Wellness, and You”
❦ Sunday, March 13th – Bird Hike led by the Feminist Bird Club of Philadelphia
❦ Tuesday, March 22nd – Speaker Series with Debbie Beer: Women in Birding- A Force beyond Feathers
❦ Saturday, April 16th – Spring Bird Hike led by In Color Birding Club (ICBC)
❦ Tuesday, April 19th – Speaker series with Jason Hall: The History of Birding and Ornithology among Black and Brown Communities
❦ April/May – Art Show – “Wild Gardens and the Birds That Love Them,” artist Julie Zahn
❦ Sunday, May 1st – Bluebird Society of PA at the first Awbury Sunday Fun Day of the year
❦ Sunday, May 14th – Late Spring Bird Hike
❦ Sunday, May 22nd – Making Birds out of Ovals and Triangles with artist Julie Kring
❦ Saturday, June 4th – Bird Hike led by ICBCin conjunction with Black Birders Week
❦ Sunday, June 12th – Bird Tile Workshop led by Karen Singer
❦ July26th – Speaker Series with Cindy Ahern: Planting Natives for the Birds
❦ Saturday, September 17th – Late Summer Bird Hike led by the Feminist Bird Club of Philadelphia
❦ Saturday, October 15th – Fall Bird Hike led by Philly Queer Birders
❦ Saturday, November 5th – Bird Walk
❦ Sunday, November 13th – Special Birds, Great Experiences and Helpful Photography Techniques
❦ Tuesday, December 13th – Birding at Awbury Arboretum: Past and Present
Past years:
2021 – the Year of Water
2020 – the Year of Citizen Science
2019 – the Year of Natural Fibers
Corresponding article series: Awbury’s 2019 Series on Natural Fibers
2018 – the Year of the Pollinator
Corresponding article series: Pollinators– from wasps to wind
2016 – Awbury Arboretum’s Centennial
Corresponding article series: The Country in the City: Natural History in Northwest Philadelphia