NCTC Volunteer Opportunity

PVAS to Sponsor Birding Station at NCTC Open House


The National Conservation Training Center will hold its annual open house on October 23.

The event will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., rain or shine.

The theme of this year's open house will be focused on birds. NCTC's 538-acre campus includes a rich variety of bird habitats, from eastern hardwood forest to edge areas, hedgerows, meadows and Potomac River waterfront. It also includes a Bald Eagle nest which has been active for five seasons now.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is hoping visitors will take this opportunity to learn more about our fascinating feathered friends.

PVAS will be sponsoring a "Take a Child (and Adult) Birding" station at the event.

From there, we will be conducting short (10 to 20-minute) bird walks on the NCTC campus throughout the day, providing binoculars for those who do not have their own to see birds up close.

We will also have informational displays, including a "please touch" table, and people on hand to answer questions. We would also like to offer visual bird identification games and bird song quizzes for children.

We will need volunteers willing to help staff this PVAS station and lead birding walks.

If you would like to volunteer and/or have other ideas for activities for our station, please contact Joette Borzik of NCTC at 304-876-7207 or joette_borzik@fws.gov as soon as possible.