Celebrating over TWO DECADES of LOCAL wildlife education and rehabilitation. You play a vital role in Wildbird Recovery’s mission and your support will ensure our fundraiser is a successful one. Please help by supporting Wildbird Recovery’s biggest fundraising event of the year!
Wildbird Recovery’s 13th Annual Fall Migration Festival will be held at Stormy Oaks Nature Conservancy (120 Forsythe Road, Valencia, PA 16059) on Sunday, September 15, 2024 from noon to 4 PM. The Fall Migration Festival Fundraiser is our annual fundraiser where our supporters of ALL AGES spend time outdoors, enjoy delicious food, and learn about different aspects of our local wildlife. Guests can learn about mushrooms from our keynote speaker, Stephen Bucklin. Mr. Bucklin is a Naturalist Educator with Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy and Mycologist and Past President of the Western Pennsylvania Mushroom Club. We will also have educational booths about bats, native plants, reptiles, and more! We welcome you to experience our unique fundraising event.
Tickets for the event are able to be purchased (in-person) the day of the event. There is the option to purchase admission tickets in advance under the section “admission tickets” below at a discounted price between August 14, 2024 through September 4, 2024.
Wildbird Recovery is a 501(c)(3) organization so your charitable donation is tax deductible.
Continue to check back for frequent updates! Most recent update made on 9/13/2024 11:40 PM.
Visit our Supporting Our Work website page for a listing of individuals and businesses who helped to make this event possible.
There is an important navigation update when leaving our event. If you plan to make a Left turn onto State Route 228 W to connect with Route 8, please plan to make a Left out of our driveway to connect with Harbison Road. If you make a Right out of our driveway to connect to Davis Road, PennDot has put up NO LEFT TURN signage from Davis Road to State Route 228 W.
Where to park? Please plan to use our second driveway located across from 119 Forsythe Road, Valencia, PA 16059. This driveway will take you to our field for parking. There will be volunteers to assist with parking. Handicap and accessibility parking is available. If needed, please let our volunteers know and they will direct you on where to park.
What to wear? This event takes place on a mowed lawn surface. Please dress based on the weather forecast for the day. It is helpful for children to wear closed-toed shoes for exploring Stormy Oaks Nature Conservancy. Also, there is a 40×60 (white) tent for the keynote speaker presentation, basket raffle, silent auction, and light refreshments.
Methods of payment? Cash, check, credit card, and Venmo are all forms of payment accepted at the event. Cash and check do not have fees associated with payment. Also, please be mindful of the slight wait time for payments processed by credit card or Venmo. We will do our best to quickly get you checked-in to the event!
Tentative Festival Schedule
You are encouraged to stop by any time over the course of the Fall Migration Festival event!
12:00 PM – Check-in, Light Refreshments, Silent Auction and Basket Raffle opens
12:00 PM – 12:15 PM – Visit with Princess, our Red-shouldered Hawk, near the Medicine Wheel
12:15 PM – Property Tour (Meet us outside the front of the classroom to start the tour.) Lucy Wynn of Girl Scout Troop 28836 will reveal her Silver Award project during the tour!
1:00 PM – Keynote Presentation (The food table will be closed during the presentation.)
2:10 PM – 2:30 PM – Visit with Zelda, our Merlin Falcon, near the classroom
2:30 PM – Wildbird Recovery Special Update (Meet us at the picnic table next to Teris’s enclosure. We will then walk to the field behind the barn.) Also, Sarah Lattari, Lyla Grum, and Elizabeth Beeghly of Girl Scout Troop 28836 will reveal their Silver Award project!
3:00 PM – Last bids on Silent Auction and tickets for the Basket Raffle
3:15 PM – Silent Auction and Basket Raffle winners will be announced (The winner does not need to be present to win.)
3:45 PM – Visit with Ash, our Red-tailed Hawk, near the woodshed
4:00 PM – Cash Out for Silent Auction, Goodbyes
Please note that Face Painting with Patty Ewing will take place from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM.
Education Ambassadors (birds and reptiles) will be out visiting throughout the event. Please be respectful of Mr. Shango, our Sulcata Tortoise, who will be mingling for the duration of the event!
The StoryWalk brought to you by the Mars Area Public Library and Stormy Oaks Nature Conservancy will be available starting at 1:00 PM. The start of the StoryWalk is by the woodshed (where you check-in for the event after parking). Also, your children are encouraged to explore our replica Bald Eagle’s nest in our Octagon play area (near the barn).
Be sure to tag us in your photo taken by our mural! The mural is on the exterior wall of our classroom. Samantha Ridgeway is a senior art educator at Carlow University and she graciously shared her skills to add a special touch to our classroom in 2023.
Admission Tickets
Email Melissa at mbrown@wildbirdrecovery.org with any questions on purchasing tickets for the 13th Annual Fall Migration Festival event. The tickets are non-refundable – this event will be held rain or shine. Children 5 and under do not require a ticket to attend the event. To become a current member of Wildbird Recovery, please visit our MEMBERSHIP page on our website prior to purchasing your admission tickets. If you do not currently have a membership with Wildbird Recovery, please do not select the “WBR Members Only” option when purchasing admission tickets. Tickets will need to be purchased for participants age 5 years and older. **Updated 9/5/24** Please kindly note that the discount to purchase your admission tickets ended 9/4/2024. Early Bird Admission Tickets were available for purchase August 14, 2024 through September 4, 2024.
You can change the number of adult or child tickets within your shopping cart by clicking the “View Cart” button. Tip: If you click “Continue Shopping >” within your shopping cart and it redirects you to the Home Page of our website, please navigate to the Fall Migration Festival Page to continue your purchase of admission tickets for the event. Any questions can be emailed to Melissa at mbrown@wildbirdrecovery.org. Thank you!
Limited Edition Festival Shirt
We’re so excited to show you our 2024 Fall Migration Festival T-Shirt. The design for this year showcases Kele, our education ambassador Barred Owl, who celebrated his 16th birthday on April 19, 2024. The T-Shirt also features native species of mushrooms, White Oak leaves, and a Spotted Salamander (a species that has been found in Kele’s enclosure). Order one of these limited edition shirts designed by Lorren Kezmoh to support our mission.
Please use the online store setup by Ink Division to order your 2024 Fall Migration Festival T-Shirt! Orders can be made now through Sunday, September 1, 2024. **Update 9/2/2024** The online store is now closed. Please email hello@wildbirdrecovery.org with any questions regarding T-shirts. There is no guarantee that a 2024 Fall Migration Festival T-shirt will be available for purchase at the event.
Sponsors, Vendors, and Donations
A non-profit organization that relies solely on donations, Wildbird Recovery is the only wildlife rehabilitation center in Butler County, Pennsylvania. We help hundreds of injured Songbirds, Swifts, Swallows, and Birds of Prey every year from all over Western Pennsylvania, with treatments costing an average of $50 to $150 depending on the species, medical needs, and length of care for each bird that is admitted. Your generous donation will allow us to provide continued assistance to the patients in our care.
To make it happen, we need your help! Wildbird Recovery needs event sponsors, business gift certificates, and/or raffle basket donations. Every donation makes a direct impact on our efforts to provide wildlife rehabilitation services and educational programming.
We value your partnership, and to show our appreciation, individuals and businesses will be listed in our newsletter, on our website WILDBIRDRECOVERY.org for one year, on our Facebook page, and recognition on event day signage.
To support Wildbird Recovery’s – Fall Migration Festival Fundraiser, please complete the Wildbird Recovery’s – Fall Migration Festival Fundraiser Google Form. Deadline is September 1, 2024 for sponsorships, vendors, and donations to be included in signage the day of the festival. Please be sure to check your spam email folder to avoid any missed communications. Email hello@wildbirdrecovery.org with any questions or even additional ways to support us throughout the year!
We are incredibly grateful for choosing to support us. Our supporters play a vital role in our ability to continue our mission. Thank you so very much!
Keynote speaker
Stephen bucklin
Join Naturalist Educator & Mycologist Stephen Bucklin on an introduction to Kingdom Fungi. He will give an overview on this enigmatic group of organisms, share stories about common local species of mushrooms, and highlight connections between fungi and birds.
Educational booths and Vendors
Learn about Bats
Join Terry Lobdell to learn all about bats! Come and learn all about the bats of Pennsylvania and how to build and mount successful bat houses on your property. He will talk about his participation in Citizen Science with the PA Game Commission, touch base on white nose syndrome and its affect on our bats and the difference between little browns and big browns. They are as different as white tail deer are to elk!
Bird lab / Native plants
Nick Liadis of Bird Lab has been propagating and growing native plants, and will be joining us at the Fall Migration Festival. We are excited to add his expertise. Be sure to chat with Nick about native plants and check out the native plants for sale that you can add to your home!
Darner & Daisies
Darner and Daisies’ founder and CEO, Megan, is an avid and passionate gardener who sought to preserve her flowers throughout the year, especially during Pittsburgh, PA’s colorless winter months. Check out Darner and Daisies nature-themed gifts for sale at our Fall Migration Festival this year! Check out Darner and Daisies on social media.
Donna Caroline Designs
Donna is a Mosaic Artist specializing in Stained Glass Mosaic. Her beautiful artwork will be available for sale at our Fall Migration Festival this year! Check out Donna Caroline Designs on social media.
Face Painting
We are excited to share that Mrs. Ewing will be sharing her artistic skills to bring your child(ren) face painting at our Fall Migration Festival. It’s a great way to connect and show off their designs and see the creative faces that others have come up with!
Herptile Education & Rescue Program (HERP)
HERP is a volunteer-led initiative that will provide information and assistance to the communities and citizens of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania that find themselves in situations concerning both native and exotic/non-native herptiles (reptiles and amphibians). They will be teaching folks about native HERPs at our Fall Migration Festival. Check out Herptile Education & Rescue Program on social media.
Pennsylvania Game Commission
The Pennsylvania Game Commission is the state agency responsible for wildlife conservation and management in Pennsylvania in the United States. We are excited to have State Game Warden (SGW) Taylor Gunderson and SGW Jake Babilon with the Pennsylvania Game Commission at our Fall Migration Festival.
rustbelt mayberry photography
“I’m here to show you what’s special about yourself, your relationships, and your community.” – Erin Ninehouser
We are thrilled to welcome back Erin Ninehouser to our Fall Migration Festival. Thank you for sharing your gift of photography with all of us!
Stormy Oaks Nature Conservancy Gift SHop
Donations through our gifting center go directly to the care of the wildlife patients and non-releasable educational ambassadors in Wildbird Recovery, Inc.’s licensed care. There are many items in the gift shop that range from handmade to vintage that will make great gifts for family and friends. We carry the beautiful Jabebo earrings that are made from cereal box paperboard! There will be native plants available for purchase. Be sure to check out our gift shop at our Fall Migration Festival to help us save the lives of wild birds.
The BirdWatchers store
The Birdwatchers Store is a favorite destination of wild bird enthusiasts of all ages. They carry feeders, seed, houses, poles, gifts, and more! Items for feathered friends and yourself will be available for sale at our Fall Migration Festival! Check out The Birdwatchers Store on social media!
Wildlife in need (win)
Wildlife in Need Emergency Response of PA (WIN) is a volunteer, non-profit, statewide network for capturing and delivering injured, and orphaned wildlife within the state of Pennsylvania. WIN can assist in arranging for a transport relay to deliver the animal if a licensed wildlife rehabilitation center is located a long distance away. The care of wildlife will be by the licensed wildlife rehabilitation centers. Check out WIN on social media!