Bird Town & Tree City
Bird Town Pennsylvania works in partnership with local municipalities and like-minded organizations to promote community-based conservation actions to create a healthier, more sustainable environment for birds, wildlife and people.
The program provides support to municipalities and their residents to assist in transforming landscapes to sustainable and life-supporting habitats for everyone. It promotes environmental awareness through engagement, birding activities and community involvement.
In Lower Gwynedd, we conduct bird walks (see schedule below), lectures and workshops, movie nights, and tie-ins to existing, bird-friendly programs such as the annual tree giveaway. We work in tandem with the Wyncote Audubon Society and Bird Town PA to promote our events.
Lower Gwynedd is part of the Montgomery County Bird Town Clutch which aims to unite efforts of neighboring Bird Town communities to conduct and promote outreach activities.
There are numerous resources available on the website: www.birdtownpa.org
As one of the original municipal programs in the country, Bird Town PA is a proud partner of the Bird City Network http://birdcity.org
3nd Annual Lower Gwynedd Township Tree Giveaway
A century ago, the tree canopy (defined as the layer of leaves, branches, and stems that provide tree coverage of the ground when viewed from above) of the world was adequate to keep up with the formation of CO₂. Now, because of fewer trees and more carbon emissions (CO₂ mostly) the global tree population can handle less than 1/4 of today’s CO₂ in the atmosphere
- Trees are “natural air conditioners” reducing residential energy costs.
- Trees provide help to clean the air by producing oxygen, reducing smog, thus enhancing a community’s respiratory health.
- Trees provide economic benefits to communities. Homes landscaped with trees sell more quickly and are worth 5% to 15% more than homes without trees.
Lower Gwynedd Township is committed to playing its part in increasing the population of trees. As of 2012 LGT had about 50% of its 9.3 square mile area covered by its tree canopy. It is likely that the tree canopy has declined since 2012 due to additional clear cut development and the decline of native ash trees due to the invasive and destructive emerald ash borer.
Lower Gwynedd Township can increase the tree canopy in two ways: add more trees to township-owned property or add more trees to private property. Township public property is mostly forest and parks and there is not much that can be added there. In contrast there is a great deal of private property that has open space that can accommodate many trees.
The Township's 3rd Annual Tree Give Away will be held in the Fall of 2024. Please stay tuned for how to register and what trees will be available for this year.
