UPDATE: Organizers announced on Thursday that this event is being rescheduled due to wildfire smoke conditions and potential thunderstorms. The event will now be held on Saturday, September 26, at the Callicoon Depot.
CALICOON, N.Y. — This Saturday, visitors to the historic Callicoon Depot will be invited to roll up their sleeves, build native seed balls, dissect owl pellets, sample local honey and learn how simple actions can help protect birds and pollinators.
The free “Birds and Bees” event, running from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., is designed as an interactive celebration of the Upper Delaware’s natural environment while supporting the restoration of the 1896 Callicoon Depot into a future visitor center and community gathering space.
David Krantz, acting program manager for the Upper Delaware Scenic Byway and organizer of the event, said the idea grew from both a passion for birds and a desire to highlight the region’s native plants and wildlife.
“We’re just a couple bird nerds,” Krantz said.
While many regional festivals celebrate the Delaware River itself, Krantz said organizers wanted to shine a spotlight on the plants, birds and pollinators that make the river valley ecosystem thrive.
The event also ties into ongoing efforts to expand pollinator habitat and help restore declining monarch butterfly populations.
Why native plants matter
Native plants play a critical role in maintaining healthy ecosystems, Krantz said, particularly as invasive species continue to spread throughout the region.
Japanese knotweed, now common along many riverbanks, is one example of an invasive plant that can displace native vegetation. Native plants, Krantz said, do a better job of stabilizing soil and managing water, helping reduce erosion and the impacts of storm surges.
Protecting native habitats also has economic value, he said.
The Upper Delaware region attracts growing numbers of birdwatchers, hikers and other outdoor enthusiasts. Maintaining healthy ecosystems supports the area’s ecotourism economy while preserving the landscape residents and visitors enjoy.
Learning by doing
Rather than relying on lectures or displays, organizers built the event around hands-on experiences. Among the activities planned are native seed ball workshops, owl pellet dissections, honey tastings and children’s educational stations. Participants will also be able to create native seed bombs to take home and plant.
“I vividly remember dissecting an owl pellet in second grade and I vividly remember the first time of someone opening a bee’s nest and hearing hearing the the bees hum for the first time,” Krantz said. “So I think it’s important as an educational tool and some of the hands-on stuff will allow people of all ages, even adults, to bring something home with them.”
Krantz said those experiences are intended to engage both children and adults while encouraging future environmental stewardship.
“I think it’s imperative that we mobilize the youth and give them the skills to try to help battle some of the issues we have now,” he said.
Bringing attention to bird collisions
One featured workshop addresses a problem many people don’t realize is so widespread: birds colliding with glass.
Krantz said more than one billion birds are killed each year by window collisions.
Sullivan County Audubon Society member Mara Muller will lead a workshop connected to a nationwide public art project. Participants will recreate birds that will become part of a stitched tapestry expected to travel across the country.
Muller will also share techniques and transparent window films that homeowners can use to help reduce bird strikes.
Building traditions
The event also includes a birdhouse design contest, with organizers hoping the winning entries become part of the Depot grounds.
Krantz said the contest is intended to encourage community participation while laying the groundwork for what organizers hope becomes an annual tradition.
“I could see the contest just getting a little more intricate each year,” he said.
Image: A seed ball workshop hosted by ENGN will be part of the activities at the “Birds and Bees” event at The Callicoon Depot on July 18. (Ontario Science Centre)