Yearly Themes
2025 Year of Wildlife
This year marks the third year that Asbury Woods has a year-long theme for our programs and outreach activities, helping us to take a deeper look at various environmental and conservation topics as we pursue our vision for Northwestern Pennsylvania to be a place where appreciation for and protection of natural places is a deeply held personal and community value.
The Year of Wildlife is an opportunity to focus on animal species native to Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania has a rich diversity of habitat which allows an incredible array of wildlife to thrive across the State. This year we’ll look into our own backyards, surrounding forests, fields, wetlands, lakes, and streams to discover the wildlife that surrounds us.
Amongst Asbury Woods 234 acres of property alone, you can discover 344 species of wildlife (as documented on iNaturalist and eBird as of May 2023)! That means 140 bird species, 123 varieties of insects, 10 mammals and more have been spotted and identified within our borders. Several threatened species and species of concern are found at Asbury Woods, including a rare butterfly, the Baltimore Checkerspot, found during a 2022 field survey.
Jennifer Farrar, Executive Director, commented, “While learning about exotic animals in far-off places can seem more exciting than thinking about native species, a year-long focus on native wildlife is an opportunity to raise awareness about local and regional conservation issues. We hope it sparks curiosity about the natural world and encourages people to protect local habitat for the amazing variety of animal life that calls Pennsylvania home.”
In addition to programming and educational content, a key component of the Year of Wildlife will be a year-long exhibit in the Nature Center, Wild About Wildlife! Discovering Pennsylvania’s Native Species. The exhibit will feature taxidermy specimens, interactive stations, and hands-on learning. Each month a different animal will be highlighted, starting with the Great Horned Owl in February
Year of Wildlife Programming:
Family Owl Prowl
Date: Thursday, February 20
Time: 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Age: Adults and children ages 8 and up
Location: Nature Center
Supporting Donor Fee: $7
Program Fee: $9
Celebrate this month’s Year of Wildlife animal, the Great Horned Owl, during this unique program. Participants will learn about our native owl species, dissect an owl pellet, then head outside with our educator to see if the owls will answer their calls. Closed-toed shoes and weather-appropriate outerwear are recommended for all participants. This program is not for children younger than age 8
Bear Bonanza
Dates: Saturday, March 15
Time: 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Location: Nature Center
Program Fee: FREE, pre-registration
preferred
Our March animal spotlight is on Pennsylvania’s largest predator, the Black Bear. Dive into what Black Bears do all winter, learn about bear safety in Pennsylvania, and make a bear-inspired craft to take home!
Grizzly Bears of Yellowstone National Park
Join Dr. Steve Ropski of Gannon University for a presentation on the grizzly bears of Yellowstone National Park. Steve has led over 40 tour groups to the park and has written a book about it. He will discuss reproduction, hibernation, feeding, and much more!
Beavers: Nature's Engineers
Date: Saturday, April 19
Time: 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Age: All ages
Location: Nature Center
Program Fee: FREE, pre-registration
preferred
Join us at the Nature Center to celebrate this month’s animal spotlight, the American Beaver. Learn about beavers’ unique adaptations that help make them “nature's engineers" and test your building skills to see if you can make a dam of your own.
Spotlight on Beavers
Date: Thursday, April 10
Time: 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
Age: Adults
Location: Nature Center
Program Fee: Free, registration required
This month our spotlight is on beavers! North America's largest rodent can have big impacts on landscapes. Join Warden Shane Irwin from the Pennsylvania Game Commission to learn about these interesting creatures and how to manage them on your property
Previous Years
2024: The Year of Trees![The Year of Trees v2]()
Trees form the backdrop for most of the Asbury Woods property and are core to the establishment of Asbury Woods by Dr. Otto Behrend, co-founder of Hammermill Paper Company in Erie. Dr. Behrend’s family had a rich history in papermaking, and from an early age he developed a deep appreciation for the power of trees, for industry, but also for health, wellbeing, and recreation. Throughout his life, Dr. Behrend was known as an avid outdoorsman, enjoying farming, walking in the woods with his dogs, golfing, planting fruit orchards and reforesting the 110-acre tract of land he purchased in 1920, then known as Asbury Farm. Dr. Behrend planted numerous trees over the years to reforest the former farmland but also to experiment with various papermaking processes. Dr. Behrend was known as an innovator in the science of papermaking and his country estate provided the perfect place to indulge his scientific curiosity and love of trees.
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2023: The Year of Water![Year of Water cover]()
Water is one of the world’s most vital natural resources and our region’s strategic location adjacent to Lake Erie makes the topic of clean water and sustainable use of fresh water a matter of local, regional, national, and global significance. Whether we are drinking it, recreating in and on it, living on its shores, or using it for industry, Lake Erie and its watershed surrounds us and is an inescapable part of the fabric of our community. With Walnut Creek, a major tributary of Lake Erie, passing through Asbury Woods' property, water was a natural choice to kick off our yearly themes.
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