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Names and Faces

Letter to Editor: U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey has ‘duty’ to consider Supreme Court nominee

<p>Would it be a good idea to &#8230;</p><p>&#8230; start an area birding festival?</p><p>Yeah, yeah, we know that faithful readers of our Monday would-it-be-a-good-idea editorials might get their feathers ruffled, recognizing this is the second consecutive week we posed a question about birdwatching. But the reader responses to last week&#8217;s opinion deserve a full airing.</p><p>As a refresher, our editorial asked if Luzerne County should expand on its &#8220;natural appeal as a destination for birdwatchers.&#8221; It outlined how area habitats, such as Council Cup Scenic Overlook near Wapwallopen, might help to pull in ecotourists.</p><p>One reader expanded on the notion in an unexpected way, posting this online comment:</p><p>&#8220;While the area supports a number of small gems (e.g., Nescopeck State Park), there is not a big hook to attract birders, such as Heinz National Wildlife Refuge or the Delaware Water Gap. The area should identify one or a few areas along the Susquehanna that could be converted into large natural areas that are managed for popular wetland birds. This could serve to (1) increase ecotourism, (2) provide habitat for many rapidly declining birds, (3) increase waterfowl hunting opportunities, and (4) reduce flood risk.&#8221;</p><p>Separately, a letter writer supported the editorial&#8217;s central theme. &#8220;&#8230; I agree the area can capitalize on this interesting and beautiful resource,&#8221; he wrote. &#8220;It should be part of the tourism strategy for Luzerne and the surrounding counties. The rise of eagle sightings and other types of birds is stirring up a lot of excitement among people here. It wasn&#8217;t happening years ago.&#8221;</p><p>Yet another writer&#8217;s email message noted the region has &#8220;some great birding spots and a group of dedicated birders, as well as photographers and rehabilitators.&#8221; Collectively, they could start a birding festival, the writer suggested, if backed by &#8220;enough man/womanpower to pull it off in the manner to which it should be done.&#8221;</p><p>Picture a festival with, for example, raptors and other birds on display, nature photographer-led field trips, programs by the area&#8217;s bird rehabilitation groups and vendors representing binocular, camera and birding trip companies. Might the Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology get involved, too? The North Branch Land Trust?</p><p>&#8220;Hopefully some interested person will step in to lead this fantastic effort,&#8221; the writer concluded.</p><p>Do you think enough support exists locally for a festival to take flight? Is there a flood-prone space along the Susquehanna River suitable for a waterfowl area?</p><p>Would you lend help to either effort?</p><p>Give us your feedback by sending a letter to the editor or posting comments to this editorial at timesleader.com.</p><p>Likewise, tell us your ideas for improving the community and making area residents&#8217; lives better. Maybe we&#8217;ll spotlight your suggestion in a future editorial and ask readers, &#8220;Would it be a good idea to &#8230;&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">A bald eagle exhibition like this one, conducted by a Carbon County Environmental Education Center presenter, could be a part of an area birding festival. Avid birdwatchers in the region supposedly have talked about a festival but don&#8217;t know if the idea would, you know, fly. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_Eagle.jpg</photo0><caption0>A bald eagle exhibition like this one, conducted by a Carbon County Environmental Education Center presenter, could be a part of an area birding festival. Avid birdwatchers in the region supposedly have talked about a festival but don&#8217;t know if the idea would, you know, fly. </caption0><photoCredit0>Times Leader file photo </photoCredit0></div></div>

Our Opinion: Birding festival could take flight in Greater Wyoming Valley