Dayton Audubon Society, 1375 E. Siebenthaler Ave., Dayton,
OH 45414-5398
Photo by Jim Simpson
2007 DAS Annual Meeting
Dayton Audubon's 2007 Annual Meeting will take place on June 20 at Wegerzyn Garden Center, 1301 East Siebenthaler Avenue from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.. Officers and Directors will offer reports of the past year's activities, and what is planned for the future. We will also elect Officers and Directors for the coming year (see below).
Long-time DAS member Marilyn Frye, who is active in both the Tri-Pod Camera Club and Focus Photo Club, will be on hand to share slides from her recent photo safari to Kenya. Her first-hand account of this magnificent East African country will make a fascinating program.
Elections
The Nominating Committee has recommended the following candidates:
President: Mike Coogan
1st Vice President: Jennifer Monahan
2nd Vice President: Barbara Keegan
Recording Secretary: Betty Leve
Other nominations will be presented by the committee at the meeting, and nominations from the floor will also be accepted.
This will be a casual, pleasant evening, and a good opportunity to meet other members and share some light refreshments. We meet in the lower level at Wegerzyn - entry is via the ramp to the west of the main entrance. Parking is free. Please join us!
Audubon Launches Major Initiative on Global Warming
The National Audubon Society launched a major new initiative to combat global warming at a meeting of over 175 national, state and chapter leaders last May. Leaders assembled in Park City, Utah to review the science and policy options, and to create strategies to increase the scope of Audubon's role in the effort to limit global warming and its harmful impacts on birds, other wildlife and their habitats.
The group focused most of its time and attention on strategies for moving forward. Audubon President John Flicker reminded the attendees that the science was now largely settled - there is no longer any reasonable doubt that global warming is occurring, largely as a result of human practices, and that substantial harm to flora and fauna will happen unless significant reductions are made in emissions of carbon dioxide.
Flicker outlined a four-part strategy:
* Audubon will seek the enactment of federal legislation to reduce U.S. emissions of carbon dioxide by two percent per year below current levels, until a reduction of 80 percent from current levels is achieved. Many scientists believe that reductions of this magnitude are necessary to make meaningful changes in the amount of projected global warming. Legislation to achieve such a reduction has already been introduced in Congress.
* Audubon will seek the enactment of state and federal legislation to mandate "Renewable Portfolio Standards." Such standards require utility companies to generate a certain portion of their power - typically between ten and twenty percent - from renewable sources such as solar, wind and geothermal energy. About half of the states in the U.S. currently have such legislation (some stronger than others) on the books. Ohio does not -- yet.
* Audubon will educate the public about personal consumer choices in a wide variety of areas that will allow people to contribute to the prevention of global warming through individual actions, such as replacement of appliances with more efficient models, planting trees, changing thermostat settings, and switching from auto-based commuting to alternative methods. Audubon will focus on choices that allow consumers not only to help combat global warming but to achieve financial savings and improvement in quality of life.
* Audubon will work with partners to ensure that new sources of energy, such as wind power, are implemented in ways that reduce or avoid harmful effects. Wind power will get substantial attention in Ohio because Ohio has great potential for harnessing energy from wind, and because Ohio industry can produce many of the components that are critical for the generation and transmission of electricity derived from wind.
A Second Breeding Bird Atlas for Ohio
The Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas II is now in its second year. Like Ohio's first atlas, this project offers volunteers a way to learn about the breeding birds of Ohio while generating an immense amount of new information necessary for the effective conservation of birds in the state. This large-scale effort is made possible only though the assistance of hundreds of citizen volunteers, and other in-kind contributions from conservation groups, and federal, state, and local governmental agencies in Ohio.
Atlas Goals
Using the help of Ohio's extensive birding community over the next five years (2006-2010), the Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas II will:
* Document the current distribution of breeding birds in Ohio by surveying all 4584 blocks in the state.
* Assess changes in the breeding distributions of birds over the last 20 years.
* Provide new measures of abundance of breeding birds throughout Ohio.
* Identify important areas that support high diversity or species of concern.
* Collect statewide information on the distribution of species that are difficult to survey, such as owls, nightjars, and wetland species.
* Generate new information on the status of Ohio's rare, threatened, and endangered birds.
Your Participation is Needed
The BBA II can still use help. The ultimate success this atlas depends on the active participation of birders and outdoor enthusiasts from throughout the state. Every participant can make valuable contributions, and your efforts and dedication as an atlas volunteer will help to make this first field season a big success!
For more information and periodic updates on atlas developments, or to volunteer for the Atlas, please check our website, http://www.ohiobirds.org/obba2/. If you do not have Internet access or would like further information, please get in touch with us by telephone or regular mail. We look forward to working with you over the next five years!!
Sue Tackett, Dayton Audubon Society, 937-439-3799, tackettsue@aol.com
Paul Rodewald and Aaron Boone, The Ohio State University School of Environment and Natural Resources, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210. 614-247-6458, rodewald.2@osu.edu or boone.70@osu.edu.
Scott Hull, Olentangy Wildlife Research Station, ODNR Division of Wildlife, 8589 Horseshoe Road, Ashley, OH 43003. 740-747-2525 x23, scott.hull@dnr.state.oh.us.
Get Involved!
Are you fond of birding-related activities? Are you interested in the environment? Do you wish the Dayton Audubon Society offered more for YOU? Well, we can use you!
DAS is always seeking new Officer and Director candidates. If you or someone you know is interested in helping to develop and lead your DAS, please contact President Mike Coogan, or any of the officers or Board members listed on the Organization web page. A simple commitment of time, with a wealth of satisfaction!
DAS Scholarships Available
The Dayton Audubon Society is deeply committed to education
and,in part, shows that commitment by offering scholarships annually to
individuals who can make a difference in our community. Perhaps you know
someone who might benefit from the DAS mission. Read on and, if you can,
help us find deserving scholars.
Charlie Breish Memorial Camp Scholarships
Dayton Audubon offers financial assistance for teachers and other adults to attend National Audubon's summer ecology workshops in the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming, the woodland community of Connecticut, and the coast of Maine.
While the camps and workshops are open to everyone these days, they are still especially popular with teachers. If you know of a dynamic elementary or secondary teacher, let us know about them!
National Audubon also offers a summer camp in Maine to youngsters ages 10 through 14.
The Dively Scholarship
Since 1982, DAS has offered tuition help to college students
through the Dively Scholarship Program, originally endowed in memory of
DAS member Dick Dively. Though we cannot offer a lot of money, the Dively
Scholarship has helped both undergraduate and graduate students reach academic
goals in fields that further the cause of environmentalism and conservation.
Dively scholarship recipients are not restricted to scientific fields;
other connections, such as environmental law, are possible.
The Shawen Grant
The Bob Shawen Memorial Youth Ornithology Grant was established in
memory of long-time DAS activist Bob Shawen. The goal of the program is
to provide funds, materials, and/or speakers for elementary classrooms,
youth groups, or field experience settings to promote knowledge of birds,
their habits, and their habitats.
What can you do?
Help us find scholarship candidates. Talk to interested people or people you think ought to be interested. Spread the word! To recommend candidates, apply for scholarships, or receive further information, please call DAS Projects/Memorials Chair Tom Schaefer at 937-276-2162, or e-mail him at tom@earthspeaks.org. You can also write to
Dayton Audubon Society
1375 East Siebenthaler Avenue
Dayton, Ohio 45414-5398
or e-mail us at
audubon@dayton.net
Environmental Legacy
A bequest of any size to Dayton Audubon can have a lasting effecton on
ecological concerns and environmental education in the Dayton area. We ask that you consider leaving a specific amount, a percentage of your estate, or the remainder of your estate after other bequests, to
the Dayton Audubon Society.
For more specifics on this, or other information about gift planning, please phone Tom Schaefer, 937-276-2162, or write to Dayton Audubon Society, 1375 E. Siebenthaler Avenue, Dayton, Ohio 45414-5398.
Time and Talents
Dayton Audubon is an organization of volunteers committed to education, the natural sciences, and an environmental ethic. Help and new ideas from the ranks of the membership are needed in order for the organization to reach its goals. If you would like to help in any of the following capacities, please let us know. Your involvement will be welcome.
I would like to help with:
__ Birdathon
__ Conservation
__ Education
__ Field Trips
__ Membership
__ Programs
__ Publicity
__ Yellow Warbler
__ Other:
________________________
Send with your name and phone number to Dayton Audubon Society,
1375 E. Siebenthaler Ave., Dayton, Ohio 45414-5398. You can also
call DAS President Mike Coogan at 937-438-5688, or e-mail us at
audubon@dayton.net.
As a member of the National Audubon Society, you are also a member
of the Dayton area chapter. There are no local dues, and you receive your
newsletter automatically. To find out more about the Dayton Audubon Society,
contact one of the officers whose numbers are listed in the Dayton Audubon
Society Organization webpage. Better yet, come to
a meeting or join us on a field trip!
The DAS meets at 7:00 p.m. at the Wegerzyn Center, 1301
East Siebenthaler Avenue, on the third Wednesday of every month from September
to June. See you there!
Southwest Ohio Rare Bird Alert
937-640-BIRD (2473)
Includes updated information on DAS activities.
To report unusual sightings, call Betty Berry at 937-836-3022, or
Ralph Dennler at 937-294-5086
