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PROGRAMS |
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September 2004 through May 2005
Please join us for a terrific year of
speakers with a wide range of topics - birding in Russia (or Kenya),
hummingbirds or Costa Rica, discovering our North American owls,
prowling with the Mexican jaguar, dealing with conservation issues
in Utah and Arizona, updating on the Rio Salado Audubon Center,
exploring the Gilbert Riparian Institute and learning all you wanted
to know about the Arizona Breeding Bird Atlas.
Meetings
are held the first Tuesday of each month, September-May.
September through April meeting are held at at the Phoenix
Zoo Auditorium, on Galvin Parkway between East McDowell Road and
East Van Buren. Or May meeting is
our Annual Banquet with a location to be announced. The last
three years banquet has been held at the Shalimar Golf Club in
Tempe, but please check our web site or newsletter for the location
for the May 2005 banquet.
Meetings start at 7:30, and feature a general membership
meeting, a guest speaker, book sales, refreshments, and a chance to
socialize with fellow MAS members.
Visitors are most welcome! Although there is no charge
to attend our general membership meetings, the Annual Banquet does
require a dinner reservation and associated cost.
As always, our season will start with a potluck supper at the
Phoenix Zoo - this one will be on September 7, 2004. This
meeting only will begin at 6:00 p.m. Join us for a quiet
dinner and conversation while we discover what everyone did on their
summer vacation. A pre-meeting dinner at Pete’s 19th
Tee, 1405 N Mill Avenue, Tempe (at the Rolling Hills Golf Course),
will be in effect for the October through April meetings. Come
join us at 6:00 p.m. for a
delicious meal (no-host), meet our guest speaker and say "howdy" to
other birders. Meals at Pete's average $5.00 to $7.00.
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PROGRAM TOPICS |
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September
7, 2004
David Reesor
"Birds of Russia ant the Aleutians (Birds of Kenya)"
Welcome David back for this third year of kicking off our
season. You may recall his splendid program on Iceland
last year. well, he has now traveled to Russia and the
Aleutians Islands and to Kenya. wichever trip he
presents, you will be astounded by his superb photographs and
wonderful story telling.
October
5,
2004
Jim Burns
"North American Owls: The Birds and the Book"
Join us for a multi-media
presentation on North American Owls. Him plans to center
the program around the physical features of the owls, which
set them apart from other birds and make them uniquely suited
to the specialized niche they fill in our environment.
He will have copies of his new book available for sale and has
graciously agreed to sign books after his presentation.
This boot is AWESOME!
November
2,
2004
Rick Williams
"The Northern Jaguar Project"
Wild jaguars once roamed the Americas as far north as
Pennsylvania and Washington. Be the mid-twentieth
century, they were all but forgotten, having been purged from
their habitat in the southwestern United States by habitat
loss and extermination. In 1996, tow wild, free roaming
jaguars were photographed in Arizona and New Mexico.
come and learn about the Northern Jaguar project and these
secretive beauties. We anticipate that the book,
"Borderlands Jaguars: will be available for sale at this
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meeting. Dr. Carlos Lopez founded this project and wrote the
book with Dave Brown. Check it out visit
www.sonoranjaguar.org
learn about the Northern Jaguar project and these secretive
beauties. We anticipate that the book, "Borderlands
Jaguars: will be available for sale at this meeting. Dr.
Carlos Lopez founded this project and wrote the book with Dave
Brown. Check it out visit
www.sonoranjaguar.org
December 7, 2004
Connie Garter
"Queen Creek and the Resolution Copper Mine"
Oak Flat
Campground, Apache Leap and the surrounding public lands have
long been important recreation sites near Superior. The
"Friends of Queen Creek" are a grass-roots organization that
is dedicated to ensuring that access to Oak Flat and the
surrounding public lands be maintained. Currently, the
Resolution Copper Company is exploring development
alternatives to tap a large ore body in this area. See
how this area exists today and learn bout the development
proposals. For more information visit
www.friendsofqueencreek.com
January
4, 2005
Bob Brister
"Wild Utah: America's Red Rock Wilderness"
February 1 ,2005
Scot
Anderson
"The Gilbert Riparian Institute"
March
1, 2005
Sam
Campana
"Rio Salado Audubon Center: At the Water's Edge"
April
5, 2005
Bob Witzeman
"Hummingbirds of Costa Rica"
May 3, 2005
Troy Corman
"Arizona Breeding Bird Atlas"
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By Deva Burns |
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COMMITTEES/SUPPORT
Activist Alert:
Shawn Bauer
602-828-3607
shawnbaur@hotmail.com
Arizona Audubon
Council Rep:
Herb Fibel
408-966-5246
herbertsfibel@aol.com
Audubon Phone
408-829-8209
Book Store
Field Observations
Janet Witzeman
602-840-6089
jlwitzeman@aol.com
Hospitality
Web Page
Michell Fulton
480-968-5141
webmaster@maricopaaudubon.org
Maricopa
Audubon Web Site
www.maricopaaudubon.org
AN INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE
Bequests are an important source of support for the Maricopa Audubon
Society. Your chapter has dedicated itself to the protection
of natural world through public education and advocacy for the wiser
use and preservation of our land, water, air and other irreplaceable
natural resources.
You can invest in the future of our natural world by making a
bequest in your will to the Maricopa Audubon Society . Talk to
your attorney for more information on how this can be accomplished. |
Technology is a wonderfule thing. this issue was
organized sitting in my van in Madera Canyon using my laptop.
Jim was off sitting patiently at a waterhole. there were
only a few interruptions a Black-shinned Sparrow flew in the
back door and out the side, and a pair of Scott's Oioles
seemed to peer in wondering why I thought that was such a
strange thing. But on the flip side, it can cause
glitches..
Be sure to check out our website at
www.maricopaaudubon.org!
Although this issue of the Wrendition is labelled "Summer,"
preparation for its publication took place during the spring.
The balletic post-copulatory dance of the Black-necked Stilts
on our cover is an evocative reminder of the renewal which
spring brings to our natural world.
In this issue's two conservation articles we are reminded
that if future generations are to experience this renewal we,
the stewards of the present, must remain forever vigilant.
We must do whatever we can to see that Janet Witzeman's
"Field Observations" feature remains at two pages or expands!
A wonderful start toward this goal was made this spring with
the first Tres Rios Birding Festival.
Communities across the United States have found that
birding festivals bring dollars to their coffers and provide
education to both locals and visitors.
The Tres Rios event, conceived and designed by our new
Membership Chairman, the energetic and resourceful Mike Rupp,
is slated to be an annual affair.
MAS was one of several sponsors of the highly
successful two day event, and several MAS members volunteered
in so many helpful ways, but a special thanks goes to Cynthia
Donald who joined Mike Rupp's Planning Committee.
If you would like to help in any way with the renewal of our
vows to maintain our natural environment, check out our
website at
www.maricopaaudubon.orgor
contact an MAS board member.
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PRESIDENT'S MUSINGS
by Laurie Nessell
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Over a year ago, the MAS board initiated the Friends of
Maricopa Audubon Society
(Friends) as a means of compensating for the reduced
dues share from National Audubon Society (NAS). After a year of
this experiment, we concluded that the objectives of the Society
are not being met. The newsletter was reduced from bi-monthly to
quarterly and was only mailed to Friends. Field trip
participation dropped. Our conservation message was only
reaching some 250 members. The board struggled with these
changes and at our June meeting decided to revert to our
original policy of mailing newsletters to all MAS members on a
bi-monthly basis. Many Friends have recently re-subscribed, and
we thank you. Your interest and loyalty is greatly appreciated.
We sincerely hope that the value you receive as a Friend will
make the $20 basic membership worth the cost. Friends will still
get 10% off on books and banquet tickets and a free raffle
ticket at each meeting. We hope that our field trips,
conservation and education efforts will entice you to continue
to support Friends. We may experience other changes as our
relationship with NAS is ironed out, and we progress into the
electronic age. Our sister chapter, the Sonoran Audubon Society,
sends an email notice to its members when the newsletter is
available to download from their website. We pondered that
option but were concerned for members who don’t have computer
access.
We are back in the position of having to compensate for
the cost of the newsletter, our largest expense, without the
dues share from NAS. We will maintain the Friends option for
those who have the means and will to contribute. But we must
also find other sources of revenue. The annual spring Birdathon
was traditionally a significant fund-raiser but has languished
in recent years. As president, mea culpa. Although the thought
of fundraising creates angst, it is a basic necessity in any
non-profit organization. To paraphrase President Kennedy, ask
not what your Audubon chapter can do for you, but what you can
do for your Audubon chapter!
Sometimes conservation issues get tedious and many of you
are jaded and turn a deaf ear. But what is the alternative?
Hedonistic birdwatching. Exploitation of our natural world for
ones own pleasure. Not as contemptible as developers blading
the desert, but nothing to be proud of either. In this golden
age of birdwatching, superb optics and internet hotlines makes
birding a competitive sport, while President Bush’s policies,
traditional western land use and rampant population growth are
destroying bird habitat at an explosive rate. For instance,
did you know that Oak Flat campground, where Red- breasted
Sapsucker, Lewis’ Woodpecker, Rufous-backed Robin and Varied
Thrush have been seen is now threatened by a block caved
copper mine? Hear about it at our September meeting or go to
www.friendsofqueencreek.com.
We owe it to the birds, to our children and to
ourselves to be their advocates, to fight for their existence,
be aware of the issues, write our representatives, volunteer
our time, educate the public and donate money to the cause. We
are fortunate to have on our board two of the nations top
conservationists, Bob Witzeman and Robin Silver, working
immeasurable hours, gratis, on behalf of birds and the
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environment. Listen to them. Support them. Help them. Many
of you volunteer but events are not always scheduled in time
for listing in this newsletter. Please visit the revamped
volunteer and calendar pages on our website for volunteer
opportunities such as Greg Clarks Burrowing owl relocations or
Arizona Game and Fish Desert Tortoise or Native Fish
monitoring. We are quite pleased to have a new education
chair, Doug Green, fill the position that was vacant for a
year. Doug could use help from those interested in giving
programs or birdwatching with children or adults. You can call
him at 480.998.5638.
Our new field trip chair, Marjorie Eckman, has been busy
scheduling field trips for the ‘04-’05 season. She is also
compiling email addresses from those interested in receiving
time sensitive news or alerts. We will keep separate lists for
volunteer opportunities, environmental alerts, or event
notifications, reminders or changes. These lists will remain
private. To register, contact Marjorie Eckman at
DesertjewelB77@aol.com
I also want to
welcome Krys Hammers as our new secretary and Mike Rupp, who
has been membership chair since last spring but not properly
recognized in this newsletter. I look forward to an exciting
year with our dynamic board.
After 27 years, the bylaws have been rewritten by committee
to bring them up to date. In this issue, we are printing the
revised bylaws in miniscule font in order to fit it in it’s
entirety without squeezing out our regular features. Joke
about reading the small print, but it is quite easy to read
looking through your binoculars backwards (also a good
substitute for a loupe in the field). We will have copies of
the redacted version at the September and October membership
meetings or by request from me for your perusal, and will vote
on them at the November meeting. Please feel free to address
your comments to any board member.
Arizona Native Plant Society Conference “Plants, Water,
People”October 1-3, 2004.
The Arizona Native Plant Society is holding its annual
conference at the Lake Pleasant Desert Outdoor Center.
Arizona’s native plants are crucially interconnected with our
native bird populations. Please join members of the ANPS for
an informational conference to share ideas and work together
to assure the survival of our unique native plant heritage for
future generations. Hear speakers including Drs. Robert Ohmart
and John Alcock, ASU; Brian Nowicki, Center for Biological
Diversity and Mary Irish. Topics include the relationship
between native plants and wildlife, landscaping with native
plants, the effect of drought on our landscape, and managing
threatened and endangered species in Arizona.
For more information or to register, contact MAS Education
Chair, Doug Green 480.998.5638,
azbotman@yahoo.com, Laurie Nessel , 480.968.5614,
laurienessel@hotmail.com, or the MAS or ANPS websites
www.aznps.org.
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THIS LINE IS YOUR LINE...
Maricopa
Audubon is back in the bird alert business, but the alert will
only succeed if you intrepid birders take the time to share
your interesting sightings. this system differs from out
old bird alert. It will record the first 15 sighting
reports. After that, each new report will replace the
oldest or earliest report on the tape. Please leave your
name, the date of your sighting, the name of the bird sighted,
the location of the birds sighted, and a reference phone
number, if you wish, for further information. Interested
birders reporting sightings, and looking for information on
unusual alert number - (602) 795-0762. thank you Harold
Bond for setting this up and managing it for the Chapter. |
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