How York’s Urban Bird Habitat Became a Conservation Success Story
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Asia Tabb
aired; August 24, 2026
The Kiwanis Lake Rookery in York City is an important urban habitat for wading birds, including great egrets and black-crowned night herons. The site was designated a Pennsylvania Important Bird Area in 2004 following research and review by the Pennsylvania Biological Survey’s Ornithological Technical Committee. On The Spark, we’ll talk with York Audubon President David Arrow and Mark Deckard, whose late wife, Teresa, helped establish a bird rescue program in the late 1980s. After the rookery was discovered in 1992, the couple spent decades working to protect it and caring for birds and chicks that needed help.
We’ll also explore how students, conservation groups and community volunteers have worked to improve the habitat around Kiwanis Lake and Willis Run. York City School District students from William Penn High School have helped plant native trees, shrubs and perennials to create riparian buffers, improving water quality and creating habitat for birds and other wildlife. The conversation will look at the rookery’s history, its importance to York County and the ongoing work to protect urban wildlife habitat.