Borough of Hatboro named newest Bird Town in state, establishes brand new committee

The term “Go Birds” may have a different meaning to a few local townships in the area.

The Borough of Hatboro was the latest municipality named as the newest Bird Town, through the Bird Town Pennsylvania Program, a grassroots conservation initiative that works with local municipalities, businesses and residents to create a more sustainable environment for birds, wildlife, and people.

“Congratulations to Hatboro Borough for being a new Bird Town,” said Pennsylvania Bird Town President Heidi Shriver. “There’s Bird Cities and Bird Towns sprinkled all over the United States, and Montgomery County has the most Bird Towns in the state.”

In accordance with the partnership, the Borough of Hatboro has now established a Bird Town Committee, which is tasked with working on bird-friendly initiatives in Hatboro. This committee consists of:

• Councilwoman, Jennifer Hendrickson
• Councilman, Alex Myers
• Mike Williams
• Rita Hartman
• Ray Byrnes
• Kate Kollar
• Kelly A'Harrah
• Janet White
• Adam Hendrickson
  
  

According to the Bird Town Pennsylvania website, there are 79 Bird Towns in the state, with 18 coming from Montgomery County. Those include: 

• Abington Township
• Borough of Jenkintown
• Cheltenham Township
• Hatfield Township
• Hatboro Borough
• Horsham Township
• Lower Frederick Township
• Lower Gwynedd Township
• Lower Providence Township
• Marlborough Township
• Perkiomen Township
• Red Hill Borough
• Springfield Township
• Towamencin Township
• Upper Dublin Township
• Upper Moreland Township
• Upper Salford Township
• West Norriton Township
  
  

There are five strategy areas where Bird Town leaders are encouraged to focus their effort and attention:

• Municipal Actions
• School District and Youth-related Actions
• Community and Individual Engagement
• Organizations, Collaborations and Partnerships
• Advocacy and Promoting Awareness
  
  

The certification designations are determined by the number of points accomplished for each level under the 5 different strategies.

• Green: All new Bird Towns start here and entry level only.
• Bronze: Completed goals in 3 of the 5 strategies and achieved 6-15 points.
• Silver: Completed goals in 4 of the 5 strategies and achieved 16-24 points.
• Gold: Completed goals in all 5 strategies and achieved 25 or more points.
  
  

You can view the worksheet here.

“Birds help keep our ecosystem running smoothly,” said Shriver. “Birds eat over 400 to 500 million insects each year. Birds are important for our pollination services. Hawks and owls help keep our mice and rat population down. They also bring us beauty. They also let us know if our environment is healthy. They are everywhere.