Offering a grassroots invitation

All welcome at 10th Annual Meadow Party MILANVILLE - The Delaware Highlands Conservancy invites one and all to the 10th Annual Meadow Party to be held along the shores of the Delaware River near Milanville, on Saturday, Sept. 16 from noon until 5:00 p.m. “Once again our annual Meadow Party promises fun for all ages with live music, contra dancing, wildlife presentations, kids’ activities, horse and buggy rides, environmental exhibits, a silent auction and more,” said Sue Currier, executive director of the Conservancy. “Bring your friends and family and help us celebrate. Admission is free. All money raised from the day’s activities will help support the Conservancy’s work.” Sounds and words of the Upper Delaware will abound with a variety of short perfomances including: readings, poetry and skits by the Writers’ Guild, musician Bill Engel on the hammered dulcimer, Barbara Yeaman and Jan Hirsch with their harps and Sandy and Amy Long on guitar. This year’s main act, the Biodiesel String Band with Dan and Roger Brinkerhoff, Kurt Knuth, and Aldo Troiani, will lead the lively Contra dancing at 3 p.m. At 1 p.m., Don Hamilton of the National Park Service will discuss the diversity of local aquatic life illustrated with a tank of live specimens from the Delaware River. He will then lead a river walk. Bring your old shoes for this one. At 2 p.m., the Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation Center’s Kathy Dubin-Uhler will discuss wildlife first-aid, safe handling, and rehabilitation with live animals including owls and hawks. Activities for children include story reading, a kids’ craft tent, a puppet theatre, bird house building, and more. Throughout the day local environmental groups will display information about their own work. Representatives from the Alliance to Keep Pike Green, the Eagle Institute, the Lacawac Sanctuary, the Lackawaxen River Conservancy, the National Park Service, the Northeast Pa. Audubon Society, the Pocono Avian Research Center, Trout Unlimited, the Upper Delaware Preservation Coalition, the Upper Delaware Visioning Committee, and more are expected. “Let’s not forget the wonderful food,” reminded Sue Currier. “Each year local restaurants and grocers generously donate a dish or two to our famed food buffet. This is a rare opportunity to sample the best dishes of many local restaurants and pick up a map to direct you to their dining locations.” The suggested donation for the food buffet is $10 per Adult, $3 per child. Any restaurant wishing to participate is asked to telephone the Conservancy at the number below. At 4 p.m., the winners of the Annual Kayak Raffle will be drawn. Alice’s Wonderland in Greeley donated a sparkling yellow/orange Necky “Sky” kayak for the first prize. Second Prize is a 3-room Texport dome tent, and a $50 gift certificate to Alice’s Restaurant is the third raffle prize. Proceeds from the silent auction, the kayak raffle, and the food buffet go directly to the Conservancy’s conservation efforts in this region. The organizing committee is now soliciting donations of services or gift certificates from local businesses for the silent auction. To donate an item, to volunteer to help with the event, to purchase raffle tickets, or for directions, please call the Conservancy at 570-226-3164, e-mail info@highlands.org or visit the Web site at www.delawarehighlands.org .