PENN TWP — Getting a little stir crazy from the unrelenting winter with its sunless days and bone-chilling temperatures?

Maybe the cure for the seasonal blues is to leave off looking at the snowy landscape through a window and get out into the environment with a naturalist-led nature hike at Succop Conservancy, 185 Airport Road,

Ryan Stauffer, a naturalist at Succop Conservancy, said the hikes take place every Thursday beginning at 9 a.m. at the conservancy, no matter what the weather or the thermometer reading. “We go rain or shine,” said Stauffer, “The only time it's canceled is if Christmas falls on a Thursday.”

Stauffer said the hike covers about two miles over level terrain that is easy to traverse for even the most inexperienced of hikers.

“We encourage all ages and skill levels to come out,” said Stauffer. “We even encourage people in wheelchairs to come out.”

“The trails are flat and well-tended,” said Stauffer. “They are not going to be jumping over rocks.”

The winter weather provides hikers with a new set of experiences as the trail winds through forest, open meadow and pond terrain.

“In the snow, you can see tracks. You are going to see a lot of birds: nut hatches, wrens, crossbills. They don't migrate,” said Stauffer.

But one bird that does and has been turning up at the conservancy in large numbers this winter is the snowy owl traveling down from its normal range in the tundra regions of Alaska and Canada near the Arctic Circle.

The appearance of the owls is known as an irruption, a sudden upsurge in numbers of an animal population, especially when natural ecological balances and checks are disturbed.

“This the bird made famous in the 'Harry Potter' movies,” said Chris Kubiak, development associate for the Audubon Society, owner of the 50-acre conservancy.

“They're healthy looking,” said Stauffer. “They think that last summer was a good time for their food supply, lemmings, so the owls laid more eggs.”

“They're unusual for owls in that they're diurnal which means they can be seen during the day,” said Stauffer.

Also unusual is, that while the snowy owl may perch on roofs or in trees when hunting, the large bird nests on the ground. Stauffer said its black and white markings help it blend into a snowy background.

While in this area, the owls will prey on mice, rabbits, rats and small birds.

“Eventually they will move back into the Arctic in March and April,” said Stauffer, although if the owls were happy wintering here they may return next year, too.

In addition to the unexpected and unusual population of snowy owls, Stauffer said the conservancy grounds are also home to muskrats, squirrels, rabbits and deer.

“We have about 62 species of trees. There is an amazing amount of biodiversity in one place,” said Stauffer.

And in about six weeks, some of that biodiversity will be evident when the Succop Conservancy's 30 maple trees' sap starts to flow, when the daytime temperatures stay above freezing but the mercury dips below freezing at night, said Stauffer.

“We'll have our Maple Madness even in March,” Stauffer said. “People can come and see how pioneers and Indians made maple syrup. They can see the sap flowing.”

“We'll be tapping 30 trees, there'll be plenty for the families that come out,” Stauffer said.

WHAT: Succop Conservancy Thursday morning hikesWHERE: 185 Airport Road, Penn TownshipWHEN: Starting at 9 a.m. every Thursday year round, participants meet at the chimney swift tower next to the parking lotINFO: Dress appropriately for the weather; hike is about two miles long. For more information, call 412-963-6100. - See more at: