The York Land Trust is celebrating the "Year of the Owl" to honor such birds as this barred owl, which can be found in such areas as the trust's preserved properties in York.
Photo courtesy of Jeffrey Kaplan.
YORK - In honor of the many owls that call York Land Trust properties their home, the trust is celebrating 2008 as the Year of the Owl.
"Owls require large expanses of unfragmented habitat in order to live and breed successfully in York," explained Dyanna Smith of the York Land Trust. "The work of the land trust, and other conservation organizations that preserve unfragmented lands, protects habitat that helps our owl populations remain stable."
The greater York area is home to a number of owl species, many of which are more visible at this time of year as they begin their mating season, or as the deeper snow brings them out into open areas for more successful hunting.
Just as was organized last year for the Year of the Otter, this year, join the York Land Trust on one of the four seasonal owl treks being planned and be a part of other activities offered in celebration of the Year of the Owl.
The York Land Trust has also put together a special section of its website at http://www.yorklandtrust.org/ with information about owls, including photographs and descriptions of the types of owls likely to be seen in the local area. The site also includes features that will allow its visitors to listen to examples of owl calls and to become more familiar with the noises they may hear while exploring land trust properties at dusk or in the evening.
Have you had any owl close encounters this winter? Share your stories and owl sightings with us by logging onto the website at http://www.yorklandtrust.org/.
"We'll post local sightings as they come in, so keep an eye on the webpage for updates," Smith noted.
Founded in 1986, The York Land Trust is a member-supported, nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving and protecting lands of ecological, historic, scenic, agricultural and cultural significance in the greater York area.
For more, visit the website or call 363-7400.
