The Cassatt Preserve: The Headwaters of Birding at the Upper Main Line YMCA
Club Member Brian Quindlen
The Upper Main Line YMCA in Berwyn, Pennsylvania is unlike most other YMCAs. It is situated on a 54-acre campus in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Twenty of these acres contain the Cassatt Preserve, which is part of the first conservation easement in the state of Pennsylvania. This property contains a unique history for both the habitats and the people who have enjoyed it over the last century. Serving first as a summer estate, then a Norbertine monastery, and finally a YMCA, this property would eventually be home to a robust youth birding program and environmental education center. This program is a tribute to history of the habitats, people, and birds that make this property special.
Brian “BQ” Quindlen is an avid birder, photographer, digiscoper, and educator from Malvern, Pennsylvania. As a Pennsylvania state certified K-6 elementary school teacher and K-12 environmental educator, BQ connects students with nature in a formal education setting. Also, BQ is the leader of the Garnet Valley Trailblazers nature program, an environmental education club and summer camp that takes students from first through twelfth grade birding.
Note: This meeting will be held in person at the meeting house and via Zoom. Zoom signon will start at 7:15 to enable the meeting to begin at 7:30.