On Saturday September 28^th, Green Lane Park held its 9^th annual Upper Perkiomen Bird and Wildlife Festival. Presented by the Montgomery County Division of Parks, Trials, and Historic Sites, and the Upper Perkiomen Valley Chamber of

Debbie Kovitch, Director of Education with Aark Wildlife and Rehabilitation Center, shows off a baby Red Tailed Hawk to visitors at the Ninth Annual Upper Perkioimen Bird and Wildlife Festival.

Commerce and PerkUp, the event was an educational delight for children and adults.

            The Upper Perkiomen Valley is a haven for diverse flora and fauna. The Green Lane Park is a well-known natural feature of the area, but it's also abundant in open meadows, forests, clean streams and valuable farmland. The festival promotes conservation and respect for nature. It also inspires residents to create space for wildlife through simple rewarding actions.

            Kevin Crilley, an educator with the Montgomery County Division of Parks,

Aubree Blinebury uses a magnifying  glass to get a look at a Monarch butterfly in the Winged Wonders tent.

Trails and Historic sites reported that the attendance for the event was 2,782 people. The festival is about community and education. "There is a lot of doom and gloom in the world. The event is about empowering people to do something in their own backyards and to appreciate the diversity of wildlife in the Valley", said Kevin.

            The event had exhibits, vendors, demonstrations, and activities that celebrate the unique wildlife of our area and beyond. There was a hayride, live music and food trucks.

            In addition, mindfulness and self-care was promoted by Yoga Rhythms studio from Green Lane. A goat yoga exhibit, presented by Horse and Goat Yoga, was also on hand for people to engage with baby goats.  There were many other exhibitors and demonstrations for the public to engage with and learn from.

            Volunteers are an intrinsic part of the success of this event. Hereford Elementary School students performed a "Habitat Rap" kid's puppet show. Candace Reynolds and Girl Scout Troops 71890, 72441, 70621, and 71790 volunteered their time to assist with the event. Many people donated their time and energy to bring this festival to fruition. 

            AARK Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center brought a beautiful

Peggy Hentz, Director of Red Creek Wildlife Center, speaks to the crowd about Gabby, the great horned owl she is holding.

Redtail hawk and Behmerwald Nursery had a collection of native plants. The Lehigh Valley Audubon Society and the Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy were there to educate the public on the simple things that can be done do to ensure the health and survival of our vital ecosystems and community.

            A big hit was Winged Wonders Education.  Ann Lau Ward is a "butterfly whisperer" that facilitates hands-on learning with live Monarch Butterflies. Ann passionately explained the life cycle and tagging methods used to track these migratory butterflies. She also stressed the importance of creating, conserving and protecting monarch habitats. There were also scheduled releases of Monarchs throughout the day by Winged Wonders.

            Green Lane Park is known for bird watching, but this year the event focused on butterflies, bees and other important pollinators. There was an array of information on how to create a backyard habit for pollinators. Healthy pollinator populations and diversity are intimately linked to the health of ecosystems. The health of our ecosystems is reflected in the health of our communities.

            By actively managing properties, residents can assist these incredibly amazing creatures to flourish. Even a small property that grows native plants and flowers can have a big impact on their survival.