Laurelville Retreat Center hosts backyard birding event just weeks after fire in maintenance facility

Despite a fire destroying a maintenance facility at Laurelville Retreat Center in Mt. Pleasant this month, almost 70 people gathered at the dining hall Sunday afternoon for a presentation on backyard birding.

The lunch and learn on backyard birding taught attendees how to identify birds in the region, where to find them locally, how to attract birds to their yards and other tips on bird-watching. Sunday’s event came weeks after a fire broke out in the maintenance facility on Feb. 12, causing about $400,000 in damage.

“We are progressing as normally as we can with having lost what we did,” said Mary Kaufman, Laurelville’s program director.

Laurelville is a Christian camp retreat situated on about 600 acres in Mt. Pleasant. It has eight full-time employees and dozens of seasonal workers. It was originally founded as the Laurelville Mennonite Church Center in 1943. It rents hotel-style rooms, cabins, cottages and meeting space, running summer camps and other programming.

The fire, believed to have started in the furnace or compressor, took out the resort’s main base of operations where several vehicles needed for upkeep were stored, including UTVs, mowers and a tractor, as well as spare air conditioners, table saws and band saws and $4,000 worth of flooring. Nobody was injured during the incident.

Officials are now working to rebuild the facility, with the goal of having the structure up by May or June, before the center’s busy season begins.

Despite the setback, Laurelville has continued to host events, with Sunday’s lunch and learn the first of the season.

“This is an opportunity for the community to come and do something fun, learn a little bit,” Kaufman said. “Because we are all about brain health. Being out in nature is good for us, and this is a way where the weather’s maybe not so great and people are learning about the outdoors and that will hopefully encourage them to get outside.”

Several people who attended the event wanted to learn more about birds they see throughout the region.

Most wanted to show their support following the fire, with at least five people giving donations while attending the event, Kaufman said.

“I was glad that there wasn’t as much damage, that they could still have this. … I’m happy that they’re still able to hold it and get the word out that they’re still here,” said Nancy Volk, 63, of Lemont Furnace, Fayette County.

Loretta Hunker, 74, of Scottdale added that she frequents Laurelville to hike and attend events. She referred to the resort as her second home.

For Pam and Gary Poole, the resort holds a more sentimental feel.

“Our one son was actually married here,” said Pam Poole, 66. “We’re not from this community, per se, but it just really touched us. … We really feel for them because it’s such a nice center.”

The Connellsville couple purchased their tickets before the fire occurred and were hopeful they would learn tips and tricks to attracting birds to their yard.

Similarly, Betty Brdar, 68, of Bear Rocks, Fayette County, expressed how her interest in birds has grown since retirement.

“Since retiring, I’ve become involved in feeding the birds and I really want to learn more about what birds I’m seeing,” Brdar said. “I photograph them, I get joy out of that.”

For presenter Alex Busato, teaching people like Poole and Brdar is the goal of the event.

“My main goal is to try to bring it to the community in general, continue it on because in addition to it just being enjoyable and in addition to being able to have a better appreciation for what’s around you, there’s a lot of conservation work that stems directly from this field,” said Busato, who recently graduated from Bucknell University.

Throughout his presentation, Busato touched on how to make yards a bird-friendly space by mitigating potential hazards such as window collisions and cats. He also talked about ethical birding practices, where to see birds locally, how to identify birds through markings and songs, as well as their nest habitats.

According to Kaufman, given the popularity of the event, she plans to host another birding lunch and learn this year.

As for the maintenance facility, Laurelville officials already hosted a community day where about 70 people came to clean up the damaged structure, making way for construction.

Retreat leaders will now work with an insurance adjuster to figure out specifics surrounding the new building.

“The community has really just been super generous with donations. … People have opened their garages and made donations,” Kaufman said. “There’s been hardware stores that have given us tools. The outpouring of generosity is just humbling.”