Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program at Pitt-Johnstown

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We have succeeded! Pitt-Johnstown is the first campus to be recognized as an Audubon certified campus in PA! We aim to become a leader in environmental practices in our community, and improve every single year. 
 

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This year we saw our first monarch caterpillars on campus on the milkweed donated by Dr. Allan Walstead, Physics Professor.
UPJ students, staff and faculty annually clean up the trails  and made new trails in the natural area as part of our efforts to beautify campus!
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What is an Audubon Sanctuary Site?

Audubon International has been providing site certification  to help college's, schools, and businesses determine best practices to manage their environmental resources going into the future. We are focused on four areas: 1) Outreach and Education, 2) Resource Management, 3) Water Quality and Conservation, and 4)Wildlife Habitat and Management. To learn more about Audubon International see the link below. 

Chairs of the Resource Advisory Group

David Finney: dfinney@pitt.edu
​Christine Dahlin: cdahlin@pitt.edu

Example Accomplishments


1. A Wildlife Management Plan for our natural area prepared by Tammy Colt of the South-West Game Commission. 
2. Students annually clean and maintain trails, and new signage installed in 2018
3. Planting of native species including milkweed in 2018
​4. Annual Bird Programs that are open to the public: Great Backyard Bird Count & Global Big Day (Coordinated with Cornell University)
5. Ornithology lab student participation 
  • Window Impact survey in 2016: Five mortalities (60% dark-eyed juncos) recorded during the month of November around four campus buildings, after the peak migratory period. Conclusion: higher impacts expected during migration. Investments in window modifications to prevent collissions would be worthwhile.  
  • Citizen surveying of campus birds for ebird
6. 13.5 tons of library books recycled
7. Bridge student recycling program
 

Subcommittees: 

  1. Outreach and Education (Chair-Christine Dahlin, cdahlin@pitt.edu)
  2. Wildlife and Habitat Management (Chair-David Finney, dfinney@pitt.edu)
  3. Water Quality and Conservation
  4. Resource Management

Relevant Links