Holiday Chapter Connection 2009
Upcoming Chapter Events
Washtenaw Audubon Society Fieldtrip
December 5, 2009 / 9 am Gull Trip to Salem Landfill (Leader: Rob French)
Because access to the landfill is highly restricted, a van is rented for the trip and a limited number of participants can go. WAS members are given priority, but a list of nonmembers who want to go will be contacted if there is room. This trip will take about 4 hours. Those who wish to attend this trip need to send their name and a contact phone number to fieldtrips@washtenawaudubon.org.
Sault Naturalists Fieldtrip
December 12, 2009 / 9 am East Lake Hike / Potluck
Join members of the Hiawatha Shore to Shore (HSS) Chapter of the North Country Trail Association for a joint hike near East Lake. Bring a snack for the trail and then join Kay and Stan Kujawa at their home for a potluck holiday get together. Contact jwillehman@gmail.com for more details.
Christmas Bird Count
Most chapters will be hosting a Christmas Bird Count. There is a one month time frame to hold this one day event so you can participate in more than one. For instance Capital Area Audubon Society will hold their count on December 19, but Grand Rapids Audubon Club holds theirs on January 2.
Michigan Audubon Chapter Information
Upcoming Michigan Audubon Field Trips
New Year's Birding in South Texas
Join Michigan Audubon on a week-long birding tour of south Texas, December 27 - January 3. Led by Michigan Audubon guide Skye Haas, we will be looking for a wide variety of birds ranging from wintering water birds along the Texas coast to the Rio Grande sub-tropical specialty birds that are typically only found north of the border in this corner of the United States. Over 200 species are expected.
The cost for the trip is $500 which does NOT include airfare, food or hotel. We've made arrangements for rooms at the Fairfield Inn at Weslaco, TX. They've given us a special birding rate of $62 for double/king rooms, suites are $72. Participants will be traveling by passenger van between birding sights and the hotel. A deposit of $150 is due with registration; the remaining fee is due December 21. Hurry! The registration deadline is December 4. To register, contact Wendy Tatar at 517-886-9144 or follow this link:
Complete Texas Itinerary
2010 Birding Hot Spot Field Trips @ Sault Ste. Marie
Looking to add a Northern Hawk Owl, Sharp-tailed Grouse, Pine Grosbeak, or Boreal Chickadee to your Life List? Chuck and Colleen MacDonald will be leading two field trips around the Sault Ste. Marie area for winter birding at its best. Chuck and Colleen, long-time Michigan Audubon members from the Sault area, know where to find the birds in that region. Start your year off right by adding some of these northern species to your list. Everyone has a great time on these caravanning adventures.
There are two weekend trips planned; January 16 - 17 and February 13 - 14. Each trip is limited to 12 participants and fills up fast. The fee for the trip is $60 for Michigan Audubon members and $90 for non-members (includes a basic one-year membership in Michigan Audubon). The trip fee does not include meals or lodging. Contact Wendy Tatar at 517-886-9144 or follow this link:
Sault Field Trip Information & Registration Form
Christmas at the Lake Bluff Bird Sanctuary
Don't miss this winter's Chickadee Christmas at the Lake Bluff Bird Sanctuary. The fun filled event will take place from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 5th. Join members of the Manistee Audubon Society for guided nature walks around the property, make a bird feeder from pine cones, or place a bid on an evergreen wreath or other items during the silent auction. Work of local wildlife artists will be on display and there will be homemade chocolates for sale.
Chickadee Christmas is part of Manistee's annual Victorian Sleighbell Parade and Old Christmas Weekend. For more information on that event and its numerous activities, visit the Manistee County Chamber of Commerce website at Manistee Chamber of Commerce. For more information on Chickadee Christmas contact Wendy Tatar at 517-886-9144 or Rich Krieger at 231-723-4042. Make sure to check out the latest details on the festival page of our website.
Please Respond to Conservation Request
Chapter Presidents were sent a survey by Michigan Audubon Conservation Director Tom Funke regarding participation in conservation programs in 2010. Please remember to respond by January 1. If you did not receive this survey, please contact Tom at tfunke@michiganaudubon.org.
Long-time Michigan Audubon Member turns 100
Some of you may know Bob Whiting. Bob has been a Life member of Michigan Audubon since 1971! Many of you may have become Life members through Bob, as he was a great salesman for the organization. On Friday, November 27 Bob will be turning 100! There will be an open house for Bob that day from 1:30-3:30 in the Rose Room at the Vista Grande Villa Health Center in Jackson. Just go in the front door and turn right. Stop in and wish him a Happy Birthday. If you can’t make it to the party but would like to send a card, send it to Vista Grande Villa Health Center, Attention Kelly Mason, for Bob Whiting, room 1103, 2251 Springport Rd, Jackson, MI 49202.
Wigeon to Grace 2010 – 2011 Duck Stamp
Artists submitting their works to the prestigious Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest had five species of ducks to select from: American Wigeon, Blue-winged and Cinnamon Teal, Gadwall, and Wood Duck. Over 230 art entries were submitted with almost 60% being renditions of the Wood Duck. The winning artwork, however, depicted an American Wigeon. Robert Bealle of Waldorf, Maryland, created the winning piece. His painting of a male American Wigeon will appear on the 2010-2011 Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation [Duck] Stamp (to be released in July 2010), with 98% of the proceeds of the sale of the stamp going directly to secure wetland and grassland habitat for the Refuge System. Help support this important cause. Stamps can be purchased at your local post office.
Online Chapter Event Calendar
Add your chapter events to the Michigan Audubon online calendar. To see the calendar listings for chapters go to:
Chapter Programs & Activities
Send your chapter program schedule to birds@michiganaudubon.org or submit individual special events by using the on line form found here:
Submit Your Chapter Event
The website also has an area dedicated to information about chapters. Each chapter is listed and there is a link to an information splash page. If your chapter has a website, there is a link to it from your splash page. We can add additional information to these pages. Just let us know and we will gladly post contact information or other details about your chapter. To check your chapter’s listing go to:
Chapter Information
Michigan Audubon Website |
As always, please let us know if there are ways we can assist your chapter. We recently attended the Central Region Chapter Leaders' meeting where chapters shared information about growing membership lists, using social media, and more. Overall, we were very pleased with the results and are happy to assist your chapter and members with these endeavors. Give us a call or drop us an email.
Sincerely,
-- Michigan Audubon |
