Summer 2006 Drumming Log - Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art€¦ · nature, art and people...

OA Blockbuster Exhibit

F R O M T H E D I R E C T O R

SPONSORS NEEDED: If you are interested in being a Drumming Log sponsor, please contact the Center at (717) 692-3699.

ne mantra that we live by at the Center is finding creative ways to bringnature, art and people together. That’s why I am exceptionally proud of whatpromises to be a truly blockbuster exhibit in the Olewine Gallery—a retrospectiveof the life, art and birding of David Allen Sibley, whose Sibley Guide to the Birdshas sold almost three-quarters of a million copies and transformed how peoplethink about bird identification.

The exhibit, which runs from July 21 through Dec. 30, is by far the largest col-lection of his art ever shown in public.

What’s more, David will be visiting theCenter the weekend of Nov. 3 and 4 for a

series of events, including agala dinner, art class, gallerytalk, book signing andyouth art contest.

This promises to be anextraordinary event for the

Center, and I encourage you to be apart of it. David Sibley’s background—that of

a passionate artist and naturalist who was self-taught and spent years in the field—is part of along tradition stretching from Audubon toRoger Tory Peterson, and which includes NedSmith. (David’s life and work will be high-lighted in a beautiful, 32-page catalogue of

the exhibit, with essays from David and natural history writer Scott Weidensaul.)The exhibit opens just before our annual nature and arts festival July 28-29,

which promises to be better than ever, with many new attractions including aNative American dance performance, Spirit of the Eagle, by Two Otters. Theexpanded Friday night events include music, food, Mid-Atlantic Disc Dogs, John“The Mothman” Laskowski and stargazing. So come join us with your chair andblanket and be ready to be amazed.

I also always enjoy welcoming new staff, and thistime the honor goes to Kathy Balsarick, who hasjoined the Center as our first full-time assistant.Her 30 years of professional experience are coupledwith a passion for the arts and outdoors that makeher an ideal colleague.

Fondly submitted,Jerry ReganExecutive Director

I am exceptionally proudof what promises to be

a true blockbuster exhibitin the Olewine Gallery—

a retrospective of the life, art and birding of

David Allen Sibley.

Broad-tailed Hummingbird,

by David Sibley

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

INSIDE COVER From the Director2-3 13th Annual Nature and Arts Festival4-7 COVER STORY:

David SibleyBird Bum, Birding Legend

8-9 The Story of the Savage 1899/99

10-13 Susquehanna Smallies: The Picture Now

14-15 Discovery Pages16-17 Coming Events18-19 From the Gift Shop;

Membership Information20 Bioblitz No. 1: Moths

and Butterflies21 From the Collection

NED SMITH CENTER FOR NATURE AND ART176 Water Company Road

P.O. Box 33Millersburg, PA 17061 Phone: (717) 692-3699

[email protected]

Fax: (717) 692-0977

Gallery and Gift Shop Hours: Tues.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4 p.m.Office Hours: Mon.–Fri.,

8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

STAFFEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR:

Jerry ReganBUSINESS MANAGER:

Jane LahrOUTREACH & PROGRAM COORDINATOR:

Angie ZimmermanEDUCATION COORDINATOR:

Beth SandersADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTS:

Kathy Balsarick, Kathy Mull, Janet Shaffer, Dareene Titus

GIFT SHOP COORDINATORS: Bonnie Kabonick, Sue Shade

EDITORIAL COMMITTEE: Marcus Schneck, Editor

Jerry ReganMichelle Drager

Patrick von KeyserlingScott WeidensaulNEWSLETTER DESIGN:

Susquehanna Design & Printing

BOARD OF DIRECTORSPRESIDENT:

Jim DragerFIRST VICE PRESIDENT:

Wayne KoberSECOND VICE PRESIDENT: Blaine Steensland

TREASURER: Mary Johnston

SECRETARY: J. Bruce Walter

Randall K. ClineScott Dunkelberger

Linda EndersThomas Ford

Greg GrabowiczJeff Haste

Elaine HoweDee Marra

Walter E. MeshakaRobert M. “Bob” Pennell

Gerald “Gerry” PuttGlenn ResslerAllen Shaffer

Sue ThompsonPatrick von Keyserling

Steven Wilds

Drumming Log is published quarterly by the NedSmith Center for Nature and Art Inc. and is mailedto the Center’s members and supporters. Repro-duction of any part of Drumming Log withoutwritten permission from the publisher is prohibited.

The Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art is a501(C)(3) nonprofit organization, operating underthe provisions of the Internal Revenue Service. It is

dedicated to bridging the worlds of the natural sci-ences and the arts. The Center is located at 176Water Company Road, 2 miles east of Millersburgoff Route 209. Its galleries are open to the public10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.Administrative offices are open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30p.m. Monday through Friday. The Ned Smith Cen-ter lands are always open for hiking and outdoorenjoyment. Trail maps are available at the Center.

FRONT COVER: ©Scott Weidensaul 2005

Photo: ©Scott Weidensaul 2005

T

A N N U A L F E S T I V A L

Get Readyfor the 13thAnnual NSCNature andArts Festival

hirteen will be a verylucky number for enthusiastsof nature and the arts Fridayand Saturday, July 28-29, inMillersburg’s MYO Park, onthe banks of the mightySusquehanna River.

It’s the 13th annual NedSmith Center Nature andArts Festival, and it’s packedwith about 13 gazillion pro-grams, activities and enter-tainments, many of themnew to this year’s event.

Among the new pro-grams in 2006 will be NativeAmerican dance presenta-

2006Ned SmithCenter

NatureandArtsFestival

2006Ned SmithCenter

NatureandArtsFestival

Youth activities: face painting,nature journals, bluebird

box building and more.

2 Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art

A N N U A L F E S T I V A L

tions by Two Otters (Frank Angelo); pre-sentations on worm composting byworm farmers Pattie Olenick and CarlHursh; Pennsylvania reptiles andamphibians and the pet trade by natural-ist Pam Ulicny; beetles by 4-Hentomologist Claudia Hill; and environ-mental games led by the Center’seducation coordinator Beth Sanders.

Many of the old favorites also willbe back again this year, including theschedule of programs on the MillersburgFerry Boat; the bird walks and plantwalks along the canal towpath; the fullschedule of youth activities from fish-print t-shirts to animal tracks; a

critter-filled program by Jack Hubley,host of television’s Wild Moments; and,of course, much more.

The arts side of the program willrange from the Ryck Kaiser Trio to theDown To Earth Band, to photographyhow-to and a program on Art With Light.

The festival, which has become ahomecoming of sorts for nature loversthroughout the region and beyond, getsunder way Friday evening with theannual Twilight Tribute, starting at 5:45p.m., which includes such favorites asthe Mid-Atlantic Disc Dogs and thenighttime insect captures by John“Mothman” Laskowski.

Activities resume at 8 a.m. Saturday,with the traditional kick-off bird walk,this year led by Chris Rebert of Dauphin

County Parks, and then at 9 a.m.with the rest of the full day-pack-ing, park-filling schedule.

The entire schedule for the fes-tival can be found on the Center’swebsite at www.nedsmithcenter.organd in the annual festival tabloidavailable at locations throughoutthe region.

2006 Nature and Arts FestivalTwilight Tribute: Friday, July 28, 5:45 p.m.Bird Walk: Saturday, July 29, 8 a.m.Festival: Saturday, July 29, 9 a.m.MYO Park, Millersburg

Two Otters Birds of prey from Shaver’sCreek Environmental Center

Summer 2006 Drumming Log 3

RyckKaiser

JackHubley

Bird Bum, BirdingLegend…

DavidSibley

By Scott WeidensaulThe first time David Allen Sibley

held a living bird in his hands, the joltwas electric, and it changed not onlyhis life, but the way almost everyone inNorth America looks at birds.

As a 7- or 8-year-old, helping hisornithologist father band birds, Sibleyheld a red-breasted nuthatch, feelingthe rapid-fire heart and the warmth ofits feathers. He was already drawingbirds, tracing them from books, butthis experience lit a fire under him thatonly intensified as he grew up, one that

sent him on a continental odysseyfrom the cold, foggyAleutian Islands in

Alaska to the Florida Keys—always birding, always sketching,always painting, trying to capturethe beauty and character of eachspecies.

The result, published in2000, was The Sibley Guideto Birds, hailed as the most


Phot

o: ©

Scot

t Wei

dens

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005

Bird Bumrevolutionary field guide since RogerTory Peterson published his in 1934.Sibley’s book was an immediate best-seller. Almost a million copies are nowin print, and it’s considered the goldstandard among America’s estimated64 million birders. It’s also made Sib-ley a noun, as in, “Have you looked itup in your Sibley?”

The Center is excited to welcomethis extraordinary artist to theOlewine Gallery, where The Life, Artand Birding of David Allen Sibley willbe on exhibit July 21 through Dec. 30.The exhibit is a retrospective thattraces Sibley’s development as anartist from his earliest days to his lat-est work, as well as the evolution ofhis field guide.

The show’s opening immediatelyprecedes the Center’s annual Natureand Arts Festival July 28-29, but thereal excitement comes in November,when Sibley will visit the Center for a

weekend series of events, talks andclasses. (See sidebar on page 7.)

“This will be by far the largest andmost comprehensive show of DavidSibley’s work ever presented,” Execu-tive Director Jerry Regan said. “Itcovers David’s childhood work, a char-coal drawing of a peregrine falcon,through his most recent creations.”

The works on display range fromSibley’s latest loose, impressionisticwatercolors—including two that he hascreated especially for the show—tofield sketches, ink drawings andscratchboards.

But for birders, the highlight of theshow undoubtedly will be the largeselection of dazzling original paintingsfrom Sibley’s historic field guide andsubsequent regional editions, as well ashis heavily illustrated handbook onbird behavior. All are painted ingouache on heavy watercolor paper—

CONTINUES

Woodpecker — or not?One of the paintings by David Allen Sib-

ley included in the Center’s upcoming show isespecially timely. It’s of a pair of ivory-billedwoodpeckers, a species that placed Sibley onthe front pages of many newspapers earlierthis year.

The birding world was electrified in 2005when Cornell University and the Nature Con-servancy announced that the ivorybill, longthought to be extinct, had been rediscoveredin the swamps of Arkansas. Among the evi-dence for this was a blurry video of what wasbelieved to be an ivorybill.

However, earlier this year, Sibley andthree coauthors published an article in thejournal Science, challenging the identificationof the bird in that video, which Sibley and hiscolleagues argue was a normal pileatedwoodpecker, a similar but common species.

Cornell, for its part, published a rebuttalin the same edition standing by its originalconclusion, although its second season offieldwork in Arkansas ended in May withoutadditional evidence for the almost mythic bird.


Birding Legend


a pair of common yellowthroats attheir nest, a plate showing the almostendless variations in plumage amongred-tailed hawks, and rank after rankof colorful warblers, tanagers and ori-oles, just to name a few.

Sibley started to follow hisfather’s footsteps into a career inornithology, but he dropped out of col-lege after just one year. He becamesomething of a bird bum—leadingbirding tours around the country,working as a hawkcounter in New Jer-sey, a natural sound recordist in NewYork and a bander in Massachusetts,among other jobs.

The idea for a field guide had beenwith him since he was a teenager, but

not until 1988 did he begin to workseriously on it. Then it took the nextsix years just to finalize the design, andanother five to com-plete the paintings.

Interestingly, Sib-ley’s first art to reach awide audience wasn’this paintings, but hismeticulous ink draw-ings. Samples of thoseinclude those he createdto illustrate Hawks inFlight, a ground-break-ing book he coauthored with PeteDunne and Clay Sutton in 1988, andthe atmospheric scratchboards he exe-cuted for Dunne’s 1995 book The Wind

Masters. Examples of both styleswill be on display in the show.

Sibley said he was influencedfrom an early age by such Ameri-can wildlife artists as LouisAgassiz Fuertes, Arthur Singer andDon Eckelberry, and later by theSwedish bird painter Lars Jonsson.

According to Regan, an uncleintroduced Sibley to the work ofNed Smith, who also was a self-taught artist with a passion forconservation and a drive to edu-cate through art and writing.

“Not only is this the largestexhibit anywhere of Sibley’swork,” Regan said, “but it’s thefirst time his paintings have beenshown in any number in the mid-Atlantic region.

“It’s an extraordinary exhibitthat goes well beyond the quality ofa famous artist and plunges deepinto the passions and life of one ofthe world’s great conservationists.”

Scott Weidensaul is the author of Returnto Wild America and other books, and aformer NSCNA board member.

David Sibley Art ExhibitJuly 21 through Dec. 30 in the Ned Smith Center for Nature ant Art’s Olewine Gallery

Sibley to visit Center in November

The highlight of the Center’s exhi-bition of David Allen Sibley’s artworkwill be a visit by the artist himself, theweekend of Nov. 3-5.

Sibley will be the featured speaker ata banquet Friday, Nov. 3, at the Harris-burg Country Club. The following day,Nov. 4, he will teach a class on drawingbirds, conduct a gallery talk for visitorsto discuss his art, and will be availableto sign copies of his field guides for visi-tors. A youth art contest, which Sibleywill judge (and with one of his signedbooks as a prize) is also being planned.

“David has agreed to create twooriginal watercolors for us to auction offat the Nov. 3 gala dinner,” said Execu-tive Director Jerry Regan. “What’s more,we’re very excited to be producing a lim-ited edition print of one of his favoriteimages, a lovely painting of a long-earedowl. We’ll have the original on display,and it’s certainly one of the highlights ofthe show.”

Some of the events will requireadvance registration. Look for detailsabout the very special weekend in the

fall issue of Drum-ming Log.

The Center hasalso published a 32-page catalogue of theexhibition, with anessay by the artist,and a review of Sib-ley’s life and work by

natural history writer Scott Weidensaul.


Photo: ©Scott W

eidensaul 2005


M O D E L 9 9 R I F L E

B Y D O U G M U R R A Y

ghe Savage Model 1899 was themost advanced design for a repeating rifleof its day. It was not just an improvementon the typical Winchester or Marlin leveraction, but included new ideas developedby Arthur W. Savage with his 1892 and1893 patent Rotary Magazine RepeatingFirearm.

Nearly 30 years ago, I became a Sav-age 1899/99 collector and student of itsmany versions. I’m grateful to be able towrite the story of these wonderful riflesthat the famous outdoor writer, illustra-tor and hunter Ned Smith shared withme during that time.

Ned was among thousands of Sav-age 99 owners across the country (andthe globe), who related stories abouttheir favorite model 99s to me for mybook, The Ninety-Nine.

Western ranchers have told of theirdaily use of their model 99s, as havemembers of many deer camps in Penn-sylvania, Wisconsin, Minnesota andother prime hunting states, where themodel 99 was popular in .303, .30-30 or.300 Savage, and even older cartridges.

Many of these guns have beenhanded down through generations ofhunters. Few are pristine examples ofcollector-grade guns, but have had scopesand recoil pads and such added to suittheir hunting owners. We see them oftenat gun shows, well-worn old-timers thathave been put to the task of hunting andshooting—exactly the tasks for whichthey were originally bought in some

small-town hardware store or gun shop.If they could only tell of the miles of

rough trails and brushy ravines they’vetraveled, and the game that was taken.

Arthur W. Savage, the inventor ofthis great gun design, never may havefully realized the significance of what hepatented in 1892 and 1893. It was clever,very modern for its day, and differentfrom all other lever actions of that time.

The first .303 Savage caliber produc-tion model of 1895 was made by theMarlin Co. to help Savage get into pro-duction. Finally, the model 1899 was infull production by Savage.

The unique rotary magazine heldfive cartridges and could use pointed bul-lets instead of the usual round orflat-tipped shells required in all the otherlever actions with tubular, under-barrelmagazines. It incorporated simple fea-tures such as the cartridge-counteropening in the left side, the safety slidethat blocked the trigger and locked thelever closed, the cocking indicator pin onthe top tang that could be felt in thedarkness of a deer-stand, and the sure-fire accuracy of a fine barrel.

Over the next 85 years many differ-ent versions of the Model 1899 (changedto the Model 99 in 1918) were produced,including military muskets, saddle-ring

A one-of-a-kind rifle, just like NedSmith’s Savage .300 deer rifle, ispart of the top prize in a raffle beingrun by the Center at $10 per ticketor three for $20. Contact the centerfor more information or tickets.

ThefàÉÜç of the

Savage1899/99

carbines, feather-weight rifles, octagon barrel,half-octagon barrel and heavy short-barrel rifles,for a total of 32 different models.

During the 1920s and 1930s, design changesadded pistol grip stocks, checkering, better sights,shorter barrels and more. Cased sets were offered inthe early 1920s, with multiple rifle barrels, or the.410 caliber shotgun barrel for small game hunting.

A popular version of the ‘99 rifle was the take-down barrel rifle made until about 1940. That riflewas Ned Smith’s favorite in .300 Savage caliber.

The late, great Pennsylvania gun writer andeditor Jim Bashline related in a 1983 SportingClassics article how Smith converted his own ‘99to a top-tang safety for his left-handed use, a fea-ture Savage added many years later.

During the heyday of factory special-ordergun production, Savage offered many deluxe,engraved 1899s with ornate scroll work, gamescenes, carved or checkered stocks, and gold orsilver plating. Those guns today command priceswell into the $10,000 to $30,000 range.

Over 85 years, Savage made guns in 15 dif-ferent calibers. Most were in standardWinchester, Remington and Western calibers, butSavage was unique in offering their .22 SavageHigh Power cartridge in 1912; their .250 - 3000Savage cartridge in 1914 (guns are still made forit today), and the .300 Savage caliber in 1920.

Savage kept pace with other lever gun mak-ers with cartridge chamberings in .308, .243, and.358 Winchester rounds; the .284; .22-250; and.375 Winchester and 7mm/08.

Finally in 1984 Savage discontinued itsfamous rotary magazine model. The 99-C clip-magazine lever gun continued in production forsome time following.

Today’s Savage 1899/99 hunters and collec-tors enjoy the fruits of those years of production.

It was not the gun of the rifle-range shooter,but those who tramped the woods and fields ofdeer country, rain or shine or snow, like NedSmith loved to do.

Doug Murray, who had his first exposure to the Model 99 as ateenager working on a dairy farm in Hudson, N.Y., is authorand publisher of The Ninety-Nine: A History of the Savage 99Rifle, now in its third edition.

Ned Smith’s modified .300

Savage Model ’99.Ned added the

Bushnell scope,cheekpiece stock

and sliding tangsafety.

Spring 2006 Drumming Log 9


he Susquehanna River hasn’t lostits reputation as one of the best small-mouth bass fisheries anywhere, but it’salso a troubled river.

From the river’s northernmostbeginning in Otsego Lake near Cooper-stown, N.Y., 444 miles generallysouthward through the AppalachianMountains to the Chesapeake Bay,anglers are still pulling incredible num-bers of “smallies” from its waters. Butthere are indications that they are find-

ing fewer of themthan they have in recent decades.

Concern from anglers, fishingguides and others at many spots

along the river reached a fever pitchlast summer, when unusual numbers

of distressed ordead juvenile basswere foundthroughout theSusquehannawatershed.

PennsylvaniaFish and BoatCommission(PFBC) biologistsconcluded theaffected fish weresuffering fromcolumnaris dis-ease, an infection

related to a common soil and waterbacteria, Flavobacterium columnare,commonly known as columnaris.Columnaris disease is considered a sec-ondary infection brought on byenvironmental or nutritional factorsthat stress fish, weakening their abilityto cope with the bacterial agent.

Although the agency believed ithad a handle on what was happeningto the fish, it began working with part-ner agencies, like the Pennsylvania

SusquehannaSmallies: The Picture NowT


S M A L L M O U T H B A S S

Department of Environmental Protection, U.S.

GeologicalSurvey and

Susque-hanna River

Basin Com-mission to look

at factors such asriver flow,weather trendsand generalwater qualityissues that, com-

bined, may have contributed to thehigher-than-usual occurrence of colum-naris in the juvenile smallies.

The commission also continued its own investigation into the overallsituation.

Unusually high temperatures cou-pled with low dissolved oxygen levelsin the river also are believed to haveplayed a major role in the columnarisoutbreak. And, although pollution hasnot been definitively ruled out as acontributing factor, a discrete pollutantdoesn’t usually manifest over an areaas large as the affected section of theJuniata and Susquehanna rivers.

Commission biologists also foundthat despite the bacterial problem, therelative abundance of juvenile bass onthe Susquehanna and Juniata riverswas 25 percent above the long-termaverage for the system. Biologistsrecorded a 2005 average of 8.6 young-of-year smallmouth per 50 meterssurveyed, which was higher than the19-year average of 6.9.

“Young of the year (YOY) abun-dance is a key predictor of adult fishpopulations in future years,” explainedPFBC Executive Director Doug Austen.

“We were particularly interested inthe results of this year’s analysis as we

continue to look at the unusual riverconditions in 2005.

“The sampling this year took placebefore, during and after the most pro-nounced outbreaks of bacterialinfection in young smallmouth.

“So even with some young bassmortality as a result of infection, the2005 year class appears to be amongthe strongest we’ve documented in thelast decade.”

Smallmouth bass typically requirethree to four years to reach the legalsize. (On most rivers and streamsacross the state, the minimum legalsize is 12 inches from June 17 through

Oct. 31. Onwaters coveredby Big Bass reg-ulations, suchas the Susque-hanna fromHoltwood Damupriver to theFabriDam atSunbury, theminimum is15 inches dur-ing thatperiod.)

While itwill take sometime for the

2005 YOY to reach the size range thatrecreational anglers target, the presenceof a strong year class is encouragingnews for the future.

According to commission biolo-gists, heavy springtime flows in theriver contributed to poor year classesfour of the last five years, and it’sbelieved that low reproductive successis now translating into an overalldecline in adult bass abundance for

While it will takesome time for the2005 YOY (young ofthe year) to reachthe size range thatrecreational anglerstarget, the presenceof a strong yearclass is encouragingnews for the future.

CONTINUES



the Susquehanna and Juniata rivers.At a conference on the situation in

2005 and the overall health of theriver, Robert Schott, aquatic biologistwith DEP, reported that macroinverte-brate communities appeared to beunaffected by whatever was impactingthe bass.

Steve Reeser with the VirginiaDepartment of Game and Inland Fish-eries told the gathering of an evenlarger-scale problem with the small-mouth bass in the Shenandoah Riversystem, where 80 percent of the adult

fish died in more than 200 miles ofthe South and North forks of theShenandoah.

Pointing to several possible smok-ing guns, including nutrient pollutionfrom agriculture and homeowner use,pathogens, bacteria, algae, hormonedisrupting compounds, and weatherand river conditions, he wondered ifthe cause or causes in the two riversystems might be related.

At that same conference, BrianShumaker of New Cumberland-basedSusquehanna River Guides spoke of



“the serious problem that plagues thefish populations of the Susquehanna.”

Explaining that catches for theclients he guides on the river havefallen from 50-100 smallmouth bassper day to just 5-10 per trip in 2005,he warned that “a combination of pol-lutants (including nutrient run-offfrom agricultural fields, medical wasteand discharge from municipal waste-water treatment facilities) is starting tocome together.”

In addition, Shumaker noted, otherspecies, like rock bass and sunfishesalso “have all but disappeared” fromthe river. Algae blooms in the river aregrowing larger, and aquatic and shore-line grasses are in sharp decline

Although several of the speakersdetailed a much deeper environmentalproblem, some anglers attending themeeting asked the commission to

solve the problemby implementingmore restrictiveharvest and fish-ing tournamentregulations for theSusquehanna.

The commis-sion has main-tained that suchadditional regula-tions are not theanswer.

In a recentletter to a riverguide, Austennoted, “Very sim-ply these optionsafford some gains,but such gains are

likely modest in light of the severalbelow-average year classes that largelycomprise the fishable population ofsmallmouth bass.

“I’ll add that below-average classesshould not be construed as absentyear classes.

“The very conservative harvestregulations that are presently in placeserve to provide for good fishing underthese circumstances.”

However, he noted that the num-bers of intermediate-size and largesmallmouth bass in the river will bebelow average “until such time thataverage or above-average year classesare produced. We are optimistic thatthe downturn we experience as thelarge 1999 year-class passes throughthe fishery will be replaced by a futureabove-average year class.”

Austen noted that commissionbiologists will continue their monitor-ing of the bass fishery in the river thisyear. They also will conduct an anglercreel survey in the Big Bass section to“add to our understanding of river bassdynamics and perhaps add to our arse-nal of management tools providing anyneeded refinements.”

Not Native?The smallmouth bass, the most popular

sport fish in the Susquehanna River, isn’teven a native species to the river.

Its range in Pennsylvania included onlythe Great Lakes and Ohio River watershedsuntil the mid-1800s.

Writing in Pennsylvania Fishes, an excellent resource available through thePennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission,Linda Steiner noted, “When the railroadsspread around the country in the second halfof the 19th century, so did the smallmouth. It was transported by train and eventuallybecame a popular sport fish throughout theUnited States.

“It is now found all across Pennsylvania.”

“We are optimisticthat the downturnwe experience asthe large 1999year-class passesthrough the fisherywill be replacedby a future above-averageyear class.”–Doug Austen, ExecutiveDirector, Pennsylvania Fishand Boat Commission

Butterfly Discovery BoxSummer is a wonderful season to

explore the outdoors with your child.Take a little time to watch a butterfly flitthrough a field or in your garden and thenquietly observe the winged insect sippingnectar from a flower. Exploring nature is adelightful way to discover the special joysof summer right outside your own backdoor or in nearby open areas.

You can encourage your child’scuriosity with a Butterfly (Metamorpho-sis) Discovery Box, described below. It’s afun way for you to spend time with yourchild while learning about the four lifestages of butterflies.

The completed box will serve as aspecial container to hold facts about but-terflies and new bits of information thatyou and your child discover all summerlong. You can start your collection of but-terfly facts by copying the seven factsfound here and placing them in the boxfor future reference.

Adding your child’s miniature butter-fly artwork to the box is another fun wayto take pleasure during this summer sea-son of learning, fun and discovery.

Butterfly Facts• The amazing four-step transforma-

tion process butterflies and mothsundergo from the egg stage to the matureadult stage is called complete metamor-phosis. The four stages are egg, larva(caterpillar), pupa (chrysalis) and adult(butterfly).

• A caterpillar does not look anythinglike a butterfly. It doesn’t have wings, andit spends all day munching leaves insteadof sipping nectar from flowers.

• A caterpillar’s first meal is the shellof the egg from which it hatched.

• Caterpillars are often referred to as“green eating machines” since they caneat several times their own weight inleaves in one day.

• When a butterfly emerges from itschrysalis, it must pump liquid into itscrumpled wings to make them expand.The butterfly will take its first flight afterits wings have reached their full size andare dry.

• A butterfly’s colors are produced bythousands of tiny, overlapping scales fixedto its wings. The scales come off easily ifyou touch the wings with your finger. It isalways best to quietly observe nature andnot to touch wildlife so that we do notcause even the slightest bit of damage.

• Monarch butterflies in much ofNorth America fly thousands of miles inthe fall to spend winter resting in conifertrees in the highlands of Mexico.

Butterfly Discovery Box Materials• Waxed milk carton, pint size• Blue construction paper• Paint brush• Poster paint (brown and bright yellow)• Hole punch• Scissors• Green pipe cleaner• Dark brown pipe cleaner• Green yarn• Green construction paper scraps

D I S C O V E R Y P A G E

r *Butterflies Through Binoculars: A Field Guide to the Butterflies of Eastern N

orth America r

*Peterson’s First Guide to Caterpillars r

READ MORE ABOUT IT: You are invitedto read the books about butterflies listedaround the border of these two pageswith your child. Happy reading! NOTE: Anasterisk (*) denotes books available in theNed Smith Center Gift Shop.

r *Caterpillars, Bugs, and Butterflies r *Butterflies and Moths: The Pocket Naturalist Guide r *A Field Guide of Moths of Eastern North America r14

LearningFun forKids!

BY BETH SANDERS, Education Coordinator

D I S C O V E R Y P A G E

rW

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et Naturalist Guide r *A Field Guide of Moths of Eastern North America r

• Popcorn kernel• Spiral-shaped pasta, spinach • Shell-shaped pasta, small• Bow-shaped pasta• Tiny wiggle eyes, four• Piece of twig collected from outdoors• White craft glue (thick and tacky)• Strips of paper to record butterfly factsand illustrations

Butterfly Discovery Box Instructions

Wash milk carton and allow to dry.Cut off top of carton and keep lower halfso that you are working with a box shapefor the project.

Cut blue construction paper to coverall four sides of the milk carton box andglue into place.

Using the paper punch, punch onehole in two opposite sides in the middleof the upper edge of the box.

To form a handle for the box, threadthe green pipe cleaner through the holesand twist the ends to secure in place.Shape the pipecleaner so that itresembles a handle.

Cut a leaf shapefrom green construc-tion paper to fit onone panel of the box. Glueleaf onto one panel of the box.

Glue popcorn kernel on the leaf torepresent a butterfly egg.

On the next adjoining panel of thebox, glue several bits of green yarn to rep-resent grass and allow to dry.

Glue the spiral-shaped pasta on thepieces of grass to represent the caterpillar.

Glue two tiny wiggle eyes atone end of the caterpillar.

Paint theshell-shapedpasta brownand allow todry.

Select a small twig from outdoorsand glue it at about a 45 degree angle

to the third panel of the box. Afterthe twig is firmly attached,

glue the shell-shapedpasta onto the twig

to represent achrysalis.

Paint thebow-shaped pasta bright yellow and allowto dry. Twist a three-inch piece of darkbrown pipe cleaner around the middle ofthe bow-shaped pasta to form the butter-fly body. Twist the two ends of the pipecleaner to form the antennae. Glue twotiny wiggle eyes on the pipe cleaner bodyjust below theantennae, andallow to dry. Gluethe yellow but-terfly on thelast panel.The meta-morphosis iscomplete.

Copy theseven butter-fly facts onto paper strips, fold and placethem inside the completed box.

Occasionally review the butterflyfacts by reading the strips of paperwith your child. Add more facts to thebox as you and your child discover

more about butterflies.Glance at the list of recommended

books in the border of this Discovery Pageto learn more about butterflies and visitour gift shop to purchase the booksmarked with an asterisk.

And, for more summer learning fun,enroll your child in the summer campprograms at the Center by calling (717)692-3699. See the Center’s website atwww.nedsmithcenter.org to view a listand description of the 2006 summercamp programs.

15

C O M I N G E V E N T S

New Adventures in Nature & ArtYou may want to have your Palm Pilot, calendar or day planner handy as you check out the Center’s upcomingprograms and events. Unless otherwise noted, call the Center at (717) 692-3699 to register in advance.

Monday-Thursday, July 10-13, 9 a.m.-noon each day. Still Life Drawing Campfor ages 11-17, led by art educator Ray-mond Crum, $45 ($40 with memberdiscount). Learn the study of still lifedrawing, including drawing and shadingtechniques, compositional set-up, andmore, and use them in still-life and real-life drawings.

Tuesday-Thursday, July 11-13, 1-4 p.m.each day. Wall Collages Camp for ages11-17, led by art educator RaymondCrum, $45 ($40 with member dis-count). Learn to create 3-D wall collageswith objects found at home in junkdrawers, toy chests and boxes in theattic, combined with natural materials.

Monday-Friday, July 10-14, and Monday-Thursday, July 17-20, 6-8 p.m. each day,with performances Friday-Sunday, July21-23. Drama Camp for ages 5-12, $40,at Halifax High School. Led by the TwinValley Players, resident theater companyof the Center. Learn acting, movementand performance and then put them intoaction in a separate presentation beforeTVP’s performance of Footloose.

Tuesday, July 18, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. GeologyCamp for ages 7-11, $35 ($31 withmember discount), led by Betsy Ober-heim and Center education coordinatorBeth Sanders. Learn interesting factsabout rocks and unveil secrets of the

past in ancient fossilsthrough activities suchas mini-mines andmaking clay fossils.Each participanttakes homes a“goodie bag” ofspecimens.

Wednesday, July 19, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.Pennsylvania Flying Animals Camp forages 7-11, $35 ($31 with member dis-count), led by Jack Hubley and Centereducation coordinator Beth Sanders.Explore the relationship between Penn-sylvania’s hawks, owls and the animalsthat are their prey through nature jour-naling, live animal presentations, owlpellet dissection and more.

Thursday, July 20, 9a.m.-4 p.m. SnakesAlive and JumpingFrogs Camp forages 7-11, $35 ($31with member discount),led by Betsy Oberheim and Center edu-cation coordinator Beth Sanders. Learnthe differences and similarities betweennative and non-native species throughlive animal presentations, discovery-based activities and art projects.

Friday, July 21. Opening of the newexhibit The Life, Art and Birding ofDavid Allen Sibley in the Ned SmithCenter’s Olewine Gallery.

Friday-Saturday, July 21-29, 8 p.m. andSunday, July 23, 2 p.m. Twin ValleyPlayers Presents Footloose at HalifaxHigh School. $14 per person; $12 inadvance. The musical story of a boyfrom Chicago who moves to a smalltown in Oklahoma where dancing androck ‘n’ roll are banned—until the boyarrives. Thursday, July 27 is Ned Smith Night.Proceeds will benefit the Ned Smith Center. Doorprizes will be awarded that night.

Tuesday, July 25, 1-4 p.m. Teeth andTails, Claws and Paws Camp for ages 7-11, $15 ($13 with member discount), led


by wildlife artist Roni Dietrich. Discoveranimals that use their tails as brakes,rudders and stabilizers; animal defensesand other survival techniques through acombination of art and hands-on science.

Friday-Saturday, July 28 and 29. 13thannual Ned Smith Center Nature andArts Festival in MYO Park, Millersburg.No registration required. For moredetails, see page 2.

Thursday and Friday, Aug. 3-4, 1-4 p.m.each day. Drawing Deer/Head StudyCamp for ages 12-15, $30 ($27 withmember discount), led by wildlife artistRoni Dietrich. Learn to draw the white-tailed deer, particularly its eyes, ears,nose and antlers.

Monday-Wednesday, Aug. 7-9, 9 a.m.-1p.m. Abstract Plaster Carving Camp forages 11-17, $60 ($54 with member dis-count), led by art educator RaymondCrum. Natural objects found along thetrail will serve as an inspiration to stu-dents as they learn to sketch their objects,then use tools for sculpting the plaster.

Monday-Friday, Aug. 14-18, 9 a.m.-4p.m. each day. Gardening Camp for ages7-11, $150 ($135 with member dis-count), led by Deb Frantz and Centereducation coordinator Beth Sanders. Aweek of hands-on garden activities withsoil, seeds and plants, including activi-ties like creating your own snacks,making grow cards, keeping a gardenjournal and learning more about the animals that visit the garden.

Thursday, Aug. 10, 9 a.m.-noon. The Artof Georgia O’Keeffe Camp for ages 10-12, $15 ($13 with member discount),led by art educator Betsy Oberheim for ahands-on exploration of the life of artistGeorgia O’Keeffe and activities to pro-mote creative art making.

Friday, Aug. 25, 6-8 p.m. Scrimshawworkshop by artist Roni Dietrich. $35(10 percent discount for members. Realivory may be purchased at an additionalprice.) Often described as the only trulyAmerican art form, scrimshaw (carvingon a sperm whale tooth) was practicedon the long sea voyages of the New Eng-land whalermen. Dietrich uses authenticartifacts and re-created tools to demon-strate the hows and whys of scrimshawand whaling. Participants will make theirown scrimshaw pendent or pin.

Thursday and Friday, Sept. 14-15. Sec-ond annual Trustees Celebrity ClassicClay Shoot, Reception 6:30 p.m. Thurs-day at the Center. Shoot begins 10 a.m.Friday at Blue Ridge Sportsmen’s Club,Hummelstown. Reception will be a spe-cial evening of heavy hors d’oeuvres andcocktails, celebrities, a retrieving dogdemonstration, some of the world’s bestbird art in the David Sibley exhibition,and a chance to win a Superior II Sportsemi-auto 12-gauge shotgun donated byCharles Daly. The celebrity-packedshoot, for both men and women, will befollowed by a cocktail hour, awards din-ner, silent auction and live auction.

Saturday, Oct. 7, 11 a.m. 13th annualNed Smith Center for Nature and ArtWildlife Art Auction at the visitor centerof the Pennsylvania Game Commis-sion’s Middle Creek WildlifeManagement Area, Kleinfeltersville.

Thursday, Oct. 12, 7 p.m. Natural his-tory program by retired earth scienceteacher Jack Biddle on the evolution oflocal mountain chains.

Saturday, Oct. 21. Ned Smith CenterFall Family Fun Day.

Saturday, Oct. 28, 8 p.m. HalloweenOwls program.


C O M I N G E V E N T S

Long-Eared Owl by David SibleyFine Art Print and Art Exhibit Catalogue

N E D S M I T H G I F T S H O P


Its camouflage betrayed by itsstriking yellow eyes, thisgouache of a long-eared owlis one of David Sibley’sfavorite works—and now,this beautiful painting is avail-able exclusively through theCenter as a fine art print, in alimited edition of 300. Theimage size is 12 by 18 inches.Proceeds will support theCenter’s groundbreaking Sib-ley exhibition, and acquisitionof the original for our perma-nent collection. The Centerhas also published a 32-pagecatalogue of the exhibition,with an essay by the artist,and a review of Sibley’s lifeand work by natural historywriter Scott Weidensaul.

Ned Smith’s GameNews Covers: TheComplete Collection

A new book withan introduction by

Scott Weidensaul. A special cloth edition of 250books also will be available.Each copy will be numbered,signed and sealed. Reserve your MEMBERS’ COPY today, beforethey go on sale to the public.

M E M B E R S ’ F I R S T O P P O R T U N I T Y

NEW!

NEW!

Savage Model 99 4-Inch Heritage SeriesPatch: The Center’s HeritagePatch Series will end as it

began… with aone-of-a-kind,customizedgun to be raffled off.

The SavageModel 99 is the

sixth and final patch in thisseries. Proceeds have beenused to support the new building.

Frame options: walnut/tan (left), rustic/green (above)


Please cut out or photocopy this form.

UNIT PRICE QTY. TOTALVisit the Ned Smith Center Gift Shop at 176 Water Company Road, Millersburg, Pa., or call (717) 692-3699. Hours are Tues.-Sat.,

10 a.m.-4 p.m. www.nedsmithcenter.org

NEW LONG-EARED OWL by David Sibley Requested print #:____Print Only (unframed) Issue Price $95.00 ____ ______

Member Price $85.00 ____ ______Shipping/Handling ($20.00 per print) $20.00 ____ ______Framed Print (framed/mat) Issue Price $170.00 ____ ______

Member Price $160.00 ____ ______Shipping/Handling ($22.00 per framed print) $22.00 ____ ______Frame options (please select one): o Walnut/tan o Rustic/greenArt Exhibit Catalogue Issue Price $11.95 ____ ______

Member Price $10.70 ____ ______Shipping/Handling ($5.00 per catalogue) $5.00 ____ ______

AUTUMN’S LAST HARVEST Last year’s print #: ________Print Only (unframed) Issue Price $160.00 ____ ______

Member Price $130.00 ____ ______Shipping/Handling ($20.00 per print) $20.00 ____ ______Framed Print (framed/mat) Issue Price $260.00 ____ ______

Member Price $230.00 ____ ______Shipping/Handling ($22.00 per framed print) $22.00 ____ ______Frame options (please select one): o Walnut/tan o Rustic/grayFramed Giclée (framed/mat) Member Price $895.00 ____ ______Shipping/Handling ($25.00 per framed print) $25.00 ____ ______Black walnut driftwood frame. Liner (select one): o Wheat o Gray

PATCHES 4" Heritage Series (Savage Model 99) $6.00 ____ ______NEW 4" Classic Series (Waiting for Dusk) $6.00 ____ ______NEW 6" Classic Series (Waiting for Dusk) $20.00 ____ ______Shipping/Handling (50¢ per patch) $0.50 ____ ______

NEW NED SMITH’S GAME NEWS COVERS BOOK Regular Edition Issue Price $24.95 ____ ______

Member Price $22.00 ____ ______Shipping/Handling ($5.00 per book) $5.00 ____ ______Special Cloth Edition Issue Price $54.95 ____ ______

Member Price $49.95 ____ ______Shipping/Handling ($5.00 per book) $5.00 ____ ______

NED SMITH CENTER MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES o Individual $25 o *Family $40 o *Supporting $50o *Patron $100 o *Benefactor $250 o *Naturalist $500o *President’s Circle $1,000 (*household family members included)

Subtotal: (must include shipping) $ ______Plus 6% tax: (Pa. residents only) $ ______Membership: $ ______TOTAL: $ ______

Name__________________________________________Address ______________________________________City _________________________State_____Zip ______Daytime Phone __________________________________E-mail ________________________________________METHOD OF PAYMENT: Make check or money order payable to

“Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art” and mail with this form to 176 Water Company Rd., P.O. Box 33, Millersburg, PA 17061.

o Check / Money Order Enclosed o VISA o MasterCard Card # ________________________________________Exp. Date ____ / ________________________________Signature ___________________________ Date ______

Waitingfor Dusk

4-Inch and 6-InchClassic Series

Patches: One of Ned’s clas-sics depicting two foxes awaiting duskto “explore” a nearby farm. And, it’s nottoo late to start collecting this newseries! There are still a very limited sup-ply of the first two patches available,Moonlight Buck and Sting of the Hook.Don’t miss out!

Autumn’s Last Harvest2006 Annual Print: More than 250entries were submitted to name our2006 bear print. Congratulations to ourcontest winner Keith Hoy. This is yourlast chance to purchase our regular edition. There are still some gicléeprints available, too. For more details,please refer to the Center’s website orcontact us for a brochure.

NEW!

LASTCHANCE!

BIOBLITZ!BIOBLITZ!

Bioblitz (bi-o-blits) n. 1. A special kind of biological inventory. 2. Arace to find as many species as possible in a24-hour period. 3. Science, fun and education,all rolled into one fast-paced event.

In the kick-off biological inventoryof the 500 acres of land and water con-served by the Center along theWiconisco Creek and Berry Mountain,scientists and naturalists will search forand identity as many showy butterflies,hidden moths and tiny skippers as theycan from noon Friday, Aug. 11, to 5 p.m.Saturday, Aug. 12. The event goes off,rain or shine, day and night.

The public is invited to the bioblitzbase camp at the Center throughout theevent to observe the experts in action asthey search for, trap, collect and attemptto identify the insects. Demonstrationsof specialized collecting methods, for

both day and night activities will fill thebioblitz period.

The first bioblitz at the Center willfocus on moths and butterflies, but sub-sequent events—at the rate of one ortwo per year—are already being plannedto develop similar inventories of plants,fungi, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphib-ians, fish and more.

The rapid-assessment inventoriessupport the Center’s stewardship of thelands and waters, and all the species—perhaps thousands—that make theirhomes there, as well as the Center’smission of hands-on education.

Bioblitz No. 1 for the Ned Smith Center Lands:

Moths&Butterflies1st NSCNA BioblitzNoon, Friday, Aug. 11, until 5 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 12Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art


Viceroy butterfly photo: ©Scott W

eidensaul 2005

Woodchuck ink and wash, undated

This art piece was a recent gift to the Center from Jennifer and Robert McNeil in living memory of Miquette Cox.

From the collection…

Summer 2006 Drumming Log - Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art€¦ · nature, art and people...

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