The Salisbury Township Environmental Advisory Council was briefed on how residents can learn more about the township’s “Bird Town” status.

Heidi Shiver, Bird Town PA chair, who spoke at the EAC Dec. 21 meeting, presented two Bird Town display signs to the township panel.

Salisbury Township Assistant Township Manager/Director, Community Development Sandy Nicolo, who chaired the meeting, said one sign might be placed in Franko Farm Park and the other sign might be placed in Lindberg Park.

“Bird Town is a working partnership of the Pennsylvania Audubon Council to promote conservation and community-based actions to create a healthy, more sustainable environment for birds and people,” according to the Bird Town Pennsylvania website.

“It really depends on the municipality as to what you want to concentrate on,” Shiver said.

Salisbury has been a Bird Town partner since at least 2014. The EAC, which spearheaded the partnership, has sponsored environment-themed events in the township, including an Earth Fair in 2014 and workshops and talks promoting native plants, rain barrels and recycling.

Salisbury is one of four Lehigh County municipalities participating in the Bird Town program. The others are Lower Macungie Township and the cities of Allentown and Bethlehem. A portion of west Bethlehem is in Lehigh County. Bethlehem is the only Northampton County municipality in Bird Town. There are 37 municipalities in Pennsylvania in the Bird Town program.

“I encourage you to collaborate,” Shiver said.

Municipalities have four Bird Town designations: green, bronze, silver and gold, depending on the number and types of activities.

“You are a bronze and the existing Bird Towns have been grandfathered,” Shiver said.

Each municipality submits an annual report to Pennsylvania Audubon Council. The next report is due Jan. 31, 2023.

STEAC member Betty Thompson said she would take the lead role on writing the report with input from council members.

The Bird Town website lists information about resources and workshops, including Bird Beat quarterly newsletter, Bird Town flyer, Project Bird Feeder, Backyard Habitat Registration and Audubon Christmas Bird Count.

“Would you say the bird population is decreasing,” STEAC member Maria Rodale asked.

“Bird populations are decreasing,” Shiver said.

“A lot of the environmental stuff goes back to eliminating pesticides,” Rodale said.

The EAC did not vote on official business for lack of a quorum.

During discussion at the 1 1/2 hour meeting, various topics and possible projects were mentioned, including Walking Purchase Park.

Rodale, who visited the park recently, observed dumping there, including that of vehicle tires.

“We are enforcing it, but we haven’t caught anyone,” Nicolo said of township dumping regulations.

“The lowlands [of the park] is where they are dumping. The uplands is one of the last pristine woods,” Rodale said of the park.

Salisbury Township Commissioner Heather Lipkin, the board of commissioners’ liaison to the EAC, talked about the possibility of placing a native plant garden in the vicinity of the community garden in Franko Farm Park.

An official of the Wildlands Conservancy might speak at the next STEAC meeting, 7 p.m. Feb. 15, 2023 in the meeting room of the municipal building, 2900 S. Pike Ave.

Bird Town information can be found at https://birdtownpa.org/.