Birds, wildlife, people: Easton seeks certification through Bird Town Pennsylvania

EASTON, Pa. — When officials reframe cities as part of the environment, they can improve the quality of life for both people and wildlife, Brandon Sullivan said Tuesday.

“We have that social responsibility and moral responsibility to take care of every living being in the city of Easton,” Sullivan, the city’s sustainability coordinator, said.

“Bird Town not only focuses on that wildlife, but it also focuses on the people within each city. Its main purpose is to improve the quality of life for birds, wildlife and people.”

Easton late last month became the third major city in the Lehigh Valley to seek certification through Bird Town Pennsylvania, an annual designation focused on community-based conservation.

While still in the beginning stages of the five-step certification process, the effort has received support from City Council, and environmental officials are seeking residents interested in getting involved.

“We actually are forming a Bird Town Committee, and that committee does need three to five [community] members that are active in it,” Sullivan said.

He said he and City Forester Robert Christopher both will be members.

“And then, from there, we just submit the application with whatever files and documentation they require, and we're off to the races,” he said.

Bird Towns in the Lehigh Valley

Active in the commonwealth for more than a decade, Bird Town Pennsylvania is part of the Pennsylvania Audubon Council.

The certification process includes: scheduling a meeting to discuss the process, creating a Bird Town Committee, passing a Bird Town municipal resolution, completing the application and paying a one-time $100 fee, which helps offset costs for two Bird Town street signs.

Once municipalities complete the initial steps, they automatically receive a green level designation.

From there, municipal officials each year will check off projects and tasks from the program’s Goal and Activity Worksheet. Depending on how many are completed, points are calculated to determine an annual designation.

In the four-tier program, municipalities can move up from green to bronze, then silver and, finally, gold.

In the Lehigh Valley, there already are five Bird Towns. In addition to Allentown and Bethlehem, others are Lower Macungie, Whitehall and Salisbury townships.

All received gold status this year, except for Salisbury, which achieved bronze.

‘We already have a lot of points’

Getting the city designated through Bird Town Pennsylvania has been a goal for Sullivan since he was hired as the city’s first sustainability coordinator this year, he said.

And the work officials are already doing in the city, including the micro-forest, 1900 Wood Ave., as well as installing pollinator gardens, can contribute to the certification.

“When I was looking through the checklist of sections where points are applicable, a lot of those already kind of applied,” Sullivan said.

“We already have a lot of points on the table that we can acquire just for continuing to do the programs we are already doing.”

Using a template from Bird Town, edited to fit the city, Sullivan crafted a resolution and submitted it to the governing body. It was passed unanimously during the May 28 City Council meeting without discussion.

LehighValleyNews.com reached out to Mayor Sal Panto for comment.

‘A fantastic measurement of life'

Sullivan said that, “When you end up passing these resolutions and joining these organizations, you get access to different funding or different opportunities that aren't just designed for these birds.

“But these birds are a wonderful indicator of the quality of our city and air quality … So typically, when you see bird populations fall, you also have more pollutants being introduced, and as they rebound or increase, you start to see a reduction in those pollutants.

“So, they're a fantastic measurement of life, literally and metaphorically.”

While the certification process is underway, projects are already in development, including a webpage devoted to sustainability on the city’s website.

“I want to make that as in-depth as possible,” Sullivan said. “I want to be able to educate residents about our Climate Action Plan, be able to educate individuals on what projects we're doing, both in green space preservation or wetland restoration or protection, and also just on how to lessen your electricity bill.

“But part of that website will be devoted to Bird Town and providing information on Bird Town — why it matters, how it helps residents and just events that we'll be doing.

"Whether that be maybe a possible bird-watching walk in the future, or whatever other events we may come up with.”

Interested in joining the city’s Bird Town Committee? Email sustainability@easton-pa.gov.