Over the course of her career Sally Corrigan has worked to protect our watershed and preserve our agricultural land and scenic rural character. She served as Director at Lacawac Sanctuary, a place that remains dear to her, and most recently served as Executive Director of the Pike County Conservation District, retiring after 23 years in 2018. Sally continues to volunteer with the Lake Region Longbeards, a local chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation. On October 7, she will talk to members and guests of the Historical Society about the return of the wild turkey in Pennsylvania.
The wild turkey is a shy bird with rich brown plumage that appears iridescent in bright sunlight. Benjamin Franklin so admired the big bronze bird that he wanted it for our national emblem. Comparing it to the bald eagle, he said: “The turkey is a much more respectable bird, and withal a true original Native of America.”
Native only to North America, the wild turkey was a steady food source for the early settlers. By 1900 few turkeys were left in the eastern United States. Restoration of the species involved several steps, primarily stricter enforcement of game laws. A turkey flock uses an extensive area — several thousand acres — during a year to meet its needs. Landowners, especially if neighboring landowners will cooperate, can provide a mix of habitat types—forested, farmed and reverted farmland—to maintain a healthy resident flock.
