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Across the Road Again
Blogger's note: Reporters have a love/hate relationship with press releases. They often convey necessary information and they all too often offer the temptation of copying them word for word and then slapping your by-line on top so you can play solitaire for the rest of your shift.
Other times, they are so poorly written, lacking crucial information like a date, or so obtuse as to be completely useless.
What appears below is none of those.
Arriving in my e-mail box was information on an event unique to North Coventry that I was hard-pressed to improve. Also being hard-pressed for time, I chose simply the dreaded "copy and paste" option and present it below unchanged from its original, well-written form.
Hats off to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection not only for providing this vital information about Norco's famous salamander and frog migration, but also for putting out a cleverly worded press release. (I suspect it was written by a former reporter.)
Why did the salamander cross the road? (a) To get to the vernal pool; (b) To ensure survival of the species; (c) To watch humans run across the road in reflective gear carrying buckets of amphibians; or (d) All of the above.
If you answered (d), you know it’s that time of year again, when Friends of Amphibians gather in North Coventry Township, armed with flashlights and buckets, to help hundreds of salamanders and frogs cross St. Peters Road without mishap.
The migration usually occurs at the end of February or early March, when temperatures are above freezing and weather conditions are damp or rainy. Unfortunately, humans never know when amphibians will choose to migrate, so the Green Valleys Association, which coordinates the migration, is looking for motivated volunteers with flexible schedules.
Traffic does not stop during the assisted migration, so only adult volunteers may participate.
In 2008, the group assisted 299 spotted salamanders, 27 Jefferson salamanders and 228 wood frogs over a three-night period.
Adult friends who would like to participate in this year’s migration may contact Kim White at kim.a.white@gmail.com.
Why did the salamander cross the road? (a) To get to the vernal pool; (b) To ensure survival of the species; (c) To watch humans run across the road in reflective gear carrying buckets of amphibians; or (d) All of the above.
If you answered (d), you know it’s that time of year again, when Friends of Amphibians gather in North Coventry Township, armed with flashlights and buckets, to help hundreds of salamanders and frogs cross St. Peters Road without mishap.
The migration usually occurs at the end of February or early March, when temperatures are above freezing and weather conditions are damp or rainy. Unfortunately, humans never know when amphibians will choose to migrate, so the Green Valleys Association, which coordinates the migration, is looking for motivated volunteers with flexible schedules.
Traffic does not stop during the assisted migration, so only adult volunteers may participate.
In 2008, the group assisted 299 spotted salamanders, 27 Jefferson salamanders and 228 wood frogs over a three-night period.
Adult friends who would like to participate in this year’s migration may contact Kim White at kim.a.white@gmail.com.
Labels: Green Valleys Association, North Coventry, Pennsylvania DEP, salamander, wood frog
posted by Evan Brandt at
10:36 AM
1 Comments:
How'd you even come up with the idea that a reporter would wish to spend part of his shift playing Solitaire? That is just a preposterous notion.
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