Tag: wildlife

Snow More Geese

Wolf and Webb Realtors like to provide our clients personalized experiences where we not only work to help you sell or buy your home but also provide you ideas, suggestions and tips for the process and your time after. One way we provide tips is through our suggestions of things to do or ways to get involved in Lancaster County, this week we want to share with you more about Snow Geese!
Snow Geese…what are those you ask. Snow Geese are native to North America and there are white and dark ones. These beautiful birds migrate each year in our backyard, it is an experience like no other! Migrating is when animals move from one habitat to another typically depending on the season. If you are looking to see this for yourself look no further than Middle Creek located at 100 Museum Road in Stevens, Pennsylvania.

Are you curious about homes that are currently on the market, our website is a great spot to start your search!

Middle Creek is a wildlife management area providing Lancaster residents hiking trails, conservation trails, Non-motor boat experiences, events and a heritage museum. Their website provides PDF documents of trail maps, tours, checklists, area maps, newsletters, curriculum, and more. Before scheduling your trip be sure to check it out to ensure you have everything you would need. 

This past weekend we took a trip to Middle Creek to watch the Snow Geese migration and it was remarkable! Before going to watch the Middle Creek Snow Geese Migration we tuned in to the video made by Middle Creek’s manager providing us all the information we needed to know in order to view the snow geese safely. 

Getting to Middle Creek in February or March is a great way to get the family outside, learn something new about wildlife and have an experience you will truly remember forever. Every year thousands of snow geese make a pit stop in Middle Creek. They are here in the winter months but leave in February or March this is why now is a great time to go. When you go to Middle Creek in March there is a chance you see the birds migrate, watching the geese fly with their white wings in the sky is a sight like no other. When we went to view the Snow Geese this past weekend we went to Willow Point Trail, a great spot to see the birds. Before packing up the family for an afternoon out it is important you dress warmly, bring your mask and something to capture this beautiful sign of nature! One suggestion from the Middle Creek employees is to visit in the early hours, that will provide less of a crowd when you go and would most definitely be breathtaking as the sun comes up!

It is important to follow the migration tracking on their website to ensure you go when you will be able to see these birds. If you are unable to get there this weekend it is definitely an activity you MUST add to your bucket list. Viewing these birds in real life will be jaw dropping, an experience you will not want to miss! Hopefully you and your loved ones can enjoy this magnificent experience soon!

If you cannot make it to the migration this year do not worry you can livestream from Pennsylvania Game Commission’s website. This is a great way to share the experience with your family and friends from the comfort of your own home. It is also a creative way to have your children learn, if you are a teacher maybe tune in to the live stream with your class while explaining migration? This could be a fun and creative way for your students to learn something in any subject and base it off of their own backyard of Lancaster County. If you do this definitely let me know, I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the Snow Geese Migration!

When it is not migration season that does not mean to stay away from Middle Creek, actually it means visit again and again! Middle Creek is open all year and provides patrons the opportunity to get out into nature in fun and different ways. If you and your friends want to enjoy the warm weather that is upon us heading over to Middle Creek for a hike is a great option or kyacking! Getting out on the water is a wonderful opportunity to destress and enjoy the breeze. Head out for a morning hike with a nice cup of coffee or pack up lunch for a day out on the water. Be sure to pack up what ever you pack to bring in, to ensure safety of wildlife and keeping our natural preserves clean! Great ways to get out and experience beautiful Lancaster in new ways, and more ways where you will want to just keep coming back for more. If you fall in love with our incredible County consider making it your home, here at Wolf and Webb we can assist you in buying a home. We pride ourselves in personalized experiences, afterall we are~

 Contact Mary Sue Wolf to look at homes and properties where you can enjoy seeing the snow geese flock every year….you will love it here!

For more information on wonderful homes in Lancaster County like 1130 North Bristol call Mary Sue at 717-333-9653 or visit her website at www.WolfandWebb.com

Howl’ You Doin’

What is absolutely wonderful about where we live is all that Lancaster has to offer. There truly is something for everyone be it movies and plays, cuisine and restaurants, clothing and shops or activities! A unique feature of Lancaster County is the wolf sanctuary, a space for wolves to seek refuge for treatment cultivating a life that is protected will provide the space for natural instincts and growth to occur. What is unique about a sanctuary is animals that go to these will spend the rest of their lives in that space.

Lancaster County holds one of these incredible spaces, located in Lititz at 465 Speedwell Forge Road. The Wolf Sanctuary of PA is located on over 80 acres of natural land to provide the wolves a terrain identical to the wild they would be roaming. This sanctuary is run by the Darlington family and has been for over 40 years. Within the sanctuary you will find not only gray wolves but wolf-dogs as well which are just as the name states a mix of a domestic dog and wolf such as gray, eastern, red or Ethiopian. This space started as a private rescue but now is an educational space where patrons can learn all about wolves, their habitat, history, and so much more! 

The Wolf Sanctuary of Pennsylvania is currently home to over 60 wolves each with their own unique personality, fur coat, and ways of life. The sanctuary does an incredible job to bring to light each of the wolves personalities through detailed biographies on their website as well as wonderful photos and videos. This sanctuary is a 501 c3 nonprofit where you can fully immerse yourself in the life of these wolves through their virtual videos or through an in person visit. Visits are done through tours where you follow a walking trail through the acres of land being able to witness the life of the wolves inside. It is suggested that proper walking shoes are worn as well as attire, being outside it is important that you dress accordingly to ensure you are comfortable. While exploring the sanctuary you are allowed to take photographs but lenses cannot be longer than 5 inches, you cannot take videos or use tripods, selfie sticks or monopods. It is important when attending a tour you follow the guidance of your tour guide this ensures the safety of yourself, those around you, and these magnificent creatures. Currently the sanctuary offers 5 different tours:

  • Saturday Guided Public Tour- a 1 to 1.5 hour tour on Saturday mornings
  • Full Moon Fundraiser- a 2.5 hour tour on Saturday closest to the full moon
  • Professional Photography Session- Mondays through Thursdays with a 30 minute minimum and a 2 hour limit
  • Tuesday/Thursday Tours- morning tours that last 1 to 1.5 hours
  • Private tours- offered Saturdays and Sundays a 2 hour detailed tour

Each of these options give individuals the opportunity to pick what is best for themselves or their party and to ensure that you see all you would like, experiencing the wolves with the help of an expert by your side. Each varies in cost depending on the duration of the tour as well as it’s focus, prices can be found on their website. Tours need to be booked in advance right now and can be done on the sanctuary’s website with immediate payment options. It is important to note that during the tours you are going to be walking pack to pack around the acres of the sanctuary and will be following the tour guide taking time to pause and learn about each wolf.

After touring the sanctuary if you fall in love you are welcome to return at any time, try another tour experiencing all it has to offer! Or become a volunteer, you must visit the sanctuary at least once prior to submitting an application and be at least 18 years old. Being a volunteer gives you the opportunity to help the sanctuary run daily where you help with many facets including special events or weekends. In order to be approved as a volunteer one must participate in an orientation process and training to ensure you meet all the necessary requirements needed for this program. Being a volunteer is a wonderful way to get involved in the local community, help a nonprofit and experience a strong work environment where you will build many skills in a unique atmosphere! Talk about an incredible experience…unique and making a difference for our wildlife. 

After a visit to the sanctuary if you have fallen in love with one of the many wolves you can participate in the Adopt a Wolf program. These are symbolic adoptions where you can help to provide care for a wolf. Through a payment you can receive the adoption package which holds a personalized adoption certificate, 4×6 professional photo of your wolf, a detailed letter about the wolf, a detailed letter from sanctuary founders and a fact sheet about wolves. There are deadlines to submit adoption requests so be sure to check in with the sanctuary when looking into this process.

If you are interested in touring the wolf sanctuary be sure to go to their website and make a reservation, currently they are not able to offer walk-ins but through social media and their website you can check to see how to make a reservation and when the walk-ins will be allowed again. Visiting the wolf sanctuary can be fun for the whole family, a great outdoor birthday party through having a private tour or just a wonderful way to learn more about these incredible creatures. 

Contact Mary Sue Wolf to look at homes and properties not far from the incredible wolf sanctuary. You will love it here!


For more information on wonderful homes like: 679 Goose Neck Drive, Lititz PA 17543 overlooking the 13th-hole fareway call Mary Sue at 717-333-9653 or visit her website at www.WolfandWebb.com