| MURIE AUDUBON SOCIETY CASPER, WYOMING |
| VOLUME 39 - ISSUE 4 MONTHLY PUBLICATION MAY 2005 |
CALENDAR
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May 5 – Birding Class at the Audubon Center at Garden Creek, 7 p.m. – Migrating Birds and Summer Residents at Edness Kimball Wilkins State Park.
May 6 – Murie Audubon Membership Meeting: program – Brian Rutledge, “Bush Meat.” 7 p.m. at Oil & Gas Conservation Commission Bldg., 2211 King Blvd.
May 7 – Field Trip – Identifying birds at Edness Kimball Wilkins SP.
May 10 – Murie Board Meeting, Ag Resource and Learning Center, 7 p.m. (Murie members always welcome.)
May 20-21 – Cheyenne Birding Trip/Cheyenne Big Day Count
TABLE OF CONTENTS - (Click on title to go directly to article. Click on Sage-Grouse at end of article to come back
HERE)
Brian Rutledge began his duties as Executive Director of Audubon Wyoming on March 1, and now has been busy traveling the state, meeting chapter leaders and members and getting to know his staff. Brian has served as an instructor and interpreter since childhood, leading Eco-tours to many corners of the globe. He brings a wealth of knowledge of non-profit organizations and conservation to the Audubon team. He served for five years as the President/Chief Executive Officer of Zoo New England and was Executive Director of the Maryland Zoological Society for thirteen years. He has designed and developed informative exhibits, interpretive graphics, and innovative, interactive devices for the general public. For many years Brian and his wife Kathleen have made their permanent home on the Front Range of the Rockies. Fascination with cutting horses, sled dogs and cattle has melded well with their love of the outdoors.
It is with his experiences leading Eco-tours that Brian learned first hand about the “bush meat” trade, particularly in central and southern Africa. There are many contributing reasons for the marketing of bush meat. It is a traditional source of protein for forest-dwellers and other rural people, and markets teem with bush meat from many animals, including endangered chimpanzees, gorillas, elephants (in truth, almost any species). However, this includes not just necessary protein sources, but also meat considered “delicacies.” Livestock production is increasing rapidly, but it isn't anywhere near the point where it can replace fish and bush meat. The limited availability and high costs associated with livestock production make domestic meat too expensive for most people. Over-fishing by subsidized foreign fleets receive much of the blame for depleting fish stocks, causing people who are normally dependent on fish as their main protein source to look elsewhere for their source of protein. Growing populations throughout Africa also contribute to problems caused by bush meat hunting.
Please join us as Brian shares his first hand knowledge of bush meat. He will also discuss his vision of the future for Audubon Wyoming. Our program will be May 6, 2005 at 7:00 PM at the Oil & Gas Conservation Commission Building, 2211 King Blvd. As always, the program is free and open to the public.
Bruce Walgren - Program Chair
SLATE OF OFFICERS
AND DIRECTORS FOR 2005-2006At the May Membership Meeting, we will vote on the proposed officers and directors for the 2005-2006 term. The nominees to be presented are:
President – Rose-Mary King
Recording Secretary – Donna Walgren
Vice-President – vacant
Corresponding Secretary – Lois Layton
Treasurer – Chris Michelson
Directors (terms to expire 2007)
Fred Eiserman
Marcie Andre
Ann Hines
Peg Cullen
Bruce Walgren
Stacey Scott
1. Art Van Rensselaer discussed the Wyoming Flycasters’ project for a handicapped access dock at Yesness Pond.
2. The Board agreed to have all Friends of Murie newsletter subscriptions come due in September to make bookkeeping and membership records maintenance easier.
3. A new Birdathon project was discussed: funds raised could be designated for the purchase of a laptop computer and a projector for use in PowerPoint presentations.
(Remember that Murie members are always welcome to attend the board meetings.)
Donna Walgren - Recording Secretary
Cheyenne
Big Day Count May 20-21The Big Day Count is traditionally 24 hours, so this year the Cheyenne count will officially start at 5 p.m. Friday, May 20, though birding will be on your own until 8 p.m. when we will gather at the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens parking lot in Lions Park before going out to find owls.
Saturday morning we will meet again at the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens parking lot at 6:30 a.m. and make the rounds of the park, Wyoming Hereford Ranch and the High Plains Grasslands Research Station.
The count will finish at 5 p.m. We will have a tally party potluck at 6 p.m. at the Unitarian Church, 3005 Thomes Ave. Thomes runs north-south parallel to and three blocks west of Capitol Ave. The church is between Randall and Pershing, about 10 blocks east from Exit 11 off I-25. Please park in the lot behind the church.
At 7 p.m. Terry McEneaney, Yellowstone National Park bird biologist, will speak on Yellowstone's birds. He will also be joining us in the field during the day to look for warblers. He is the author of "Birds of Yellowstone."
We always appreciate everyone who can help us count. The more eyes the merrier! Anyone staying for the potluck can contact Barb and Mark Gorges, 307-634-0463, bgorges2_AT_junoDOTcom, about food, refrigerators, etc. as well as other Big Day information.
Barb Gorges
As I write this, we are having one of Wyoming’s spring snowstorms. Yesterday, Bruce and I were listening to the songs of Vesper Sparrows and meadowlarks while looking at blooming sand lilies and milkvetch. With limited visibility and temps hovering around freezing, birding, wildflower hunting, and other outdoor recreational activities are a bit restricted for a few days. But this storm will pass, spring will resume its march towards summer, and we can head back outdoors again!!
As we move into May, bird movement will increase. In the first week, watch for Yellow Warblers, Lark Sparrows, Lazuli Buntings, Lark Buntings, and Green-tailed Towhees. By mid-May, many of our summer residents will have returned – Gray Catbird, Bullock’s Oriole, kingbirds, thrushes, chats, Least Flycatchers, Western Wood-Pewees, and Broad-tailed Hummers to name a few. Common Nighthawks don’t usually return to the Casper area until the first week of June. The next few weeks will be a flurry of bird activity, so keep those binocs handy!!!
Yard Birds – March’s yard bird list totaled 213 selections (88 different species) from 22 states plus Thailand, Costa Rica, and the Yukon. The top pick was American Robin, Blue Jay was 2nd, and Spotted Towhee was 3rd.
In Wyoming: Casper: Pat Classen – American Robin, Jim Herold – Mourning Dove, Chris Michelson – Mountain Chickadee, Ed Whitney – Eurasian Collared-Dove, Jan Whitney – No. Flicker (yel-sh.), Rose-Mary King – Liz Rea – Blue Jay, Bart Rea – Common Redpoll, Stacey Scott – White-breasted Nuthatch, Bruce Walgren – Am. Robin, Donna Walgren – Turkey Vulture; Douglas: Billie Snell – Am. Goldfinch; Dubois: Anna Moscicki – Northern Saw-whet Owl; Evanston: Patti Gorman – Tree Swallow, Tim Gorman – Cassin’s Finch; Lovell: Glen Olsen – Blue Jay, Terry Peters – Sandhill Crane; Midwest: Cecil Foote – Mountain Bluebird; Cheyenne: Barb Gorges – Mountain Bluebird; Riverton: Bob Hargis – Harris’s Sparrow, Suzanne Hargis – Steller’s Jay; Story: Bob South – No. Saw-whet Owl; Sundance: Jean Adams – Bald Eagle.
Thanks to all who helped with the March Yard Bird Project. Migration is under way; as Lucy Rognstad would say, “It will be a birdie month.” Send your yard bird pick for April to Donna Walgren (ph. 234-7455), 4311 S. Center St., Casper 82601, or email bwalgren_AT_coffeyDOTcom.
Other Bird News – May 14 is International Migratory Bird Day, a day to celebrate (and marvel at) one of the most important events in the life of a migratory bird – its journey between summer and winter homes. The IMBD theme this year is “Collisions” – something anyone who has had the misfortune of hearing a thud from the direction of their picture window, and looked up in time to see a bird fall to the ground, can relate to. Unfortunately, the windows on our homes and office buildings are not the only obstacles for birds in flight; power lines, vehicles, wind turbines, and cell phone towers also contribute to loss of bird life. Modern technology is truly a double-edged sword, but biologists, corporations and communities are working together to develop innovative solutions to a deadly problem.
To find out what birds are being seen around the state – and other conservation-related news, call 265-BIRD (in Casper), 1-888-265-BIRD (outside of Casper).
Donna Walgren
Spring migration is shifting into high gear, and
as we take to the field, looking for birds hither and yon, we are not alone. We
are birding in a world that includes non-birders – in truth, in most places
birders are a definite minority. Therefore, birders are ambassadors, just as
hunters are representatives of their activity. Pete Dunne wrote an article on
this topic in Birder’s World a few years ago, discussing how birders’ actions
may appear to the “uninitiated.” To quote Mr. Dunne, “If everyone on the planet
were a birder, life would be simple. Everyone would understand our motives and
recognize us as the generous, courteous, well-intentioned, and law-abiding folks
that we are.” He recommends that birders follow six rules.
Never trespass on private property, accidentally or on purpose. Your benign intentions do not give you leave to trespass; you can’t assume that people understand our passion or what it involves.
Be quiet near houses before 9 a.m. As hard as it is to believe, most people don’t rise before the birds.
Never, never, never stop your car in a traffic lane to study a bird. Doing so is dangerous, discourteous, and bad public relations.
Never point optics at individuals or occupied buildings.
Be courteous and deferential to people engaged in other wildlife-related pursuits.
Finally, wear your binoculars everywhere. Birders pump millions of dollars into the economy and as such are a valuable economic resource. When people in the area come to recognize this, they start thinking about ways to attract birdwatchers, and then begin to connect birds and habitat.
Please remember these rules as you start “chasing migrants” – we know that birding is a great activity – it’s fun, mentally challenging, and allows us to enjoy the company of wonderful people, and we want to illustrate this to other people.
Donna Walgren
Yesness Pond in south Casper has been a recreational fishing site for many years, especially for youth. Now the Wyoming Flycasters are planning to make it accessible to another group with the construction of a handicapped access pier. Art Van Rensselaer, chair of Wyoming Flycasters’ Conservation Committee, outlined the project to Murie’s Board of Directors on April 12. The estimated cost of construction of the dock is $20,000; to date they have raised approximately $13,000 and are actively working to reach their financial goal. Anyone wishing to donate to this project may contact Art or any Flycasters member.
It is also hoped to do some habitat improvement around the pond and perhaps some channel restoration on the eroded drainage leading from Wyoming Blvd. to the reservoir. Murie’s Board agreed to help with habitat improvement and with possible mitigation of the drainage erosion.
Over-used,
over-committed, and overdrawn – are we talking about credit cards? volunteers? –
no…..water! A recent article in Parade magazine suggests that the most
significant challenges to our national water supply are:
1. Population growth. Demand for water is exceeding supply across the nation.
2. Drought. The long-running drought gripping the West could be the worst in 500 years, scientists say.
3. Overuse. Agricultural and urban overuse threaten resources such as underground water supply and rivers.
4. Pollution. Recent assaults on the Clean Water Act threaten to lessen our water quality.
5. Aging infrastructure. In cities such as Washington DC and Atlanta, old pipelines and crumbling delivery systems are pushing water quality down.
Even here in Wyoming, the majority of the population receives their water from municipal water treatment facilities and we’re taking it for granted. So when the Casper Public Utilities department placed restrictions on water usage for the month of April, it reminded us that in this time of drought that there are many ways we can conserve this precious resource.
Water savings begins at home. The web site H2OUSE has many tips for water as well as energy conservation. The web site lists the top five actions that homeowners can take to save water.
Stop those leaks. Check your indoor water using appliances and devices for leaks. If you have an outdoor irrigation system, fix any leaks quickly.
Replace your old toilet, the largest water user inside your home. If your toilet was installed before 1992, then it is very likely that you do not have a water efficient 1.6 gallon per flush toilet.
Replace your clothes washer, the second largest water user in your home. Or when it comes time to replace your washer, consider a new model – they use 35-50% less water and 50% less energy per load.
Plant the right plants with proper landscape design and irrigation. Select plants that are appropriate for your climate conditions. Also consider xeriscaping and a more natural landscape (wildscape). Your local University Extension Service office is a good source of information.
Water only what your plants need. Most water is wasted in your garden and lawn by watering when your plants do not need water. Again, your local University Extension Service office is a good source of information.
The good news is that most homeowners can find ways to conserve water. The real challenge in the US, as well as abroad, is finding ways to help agriculture, the largest water user, conserve water while maintaining production levels. Increasing urban population and sprawl has created fierce competition for water, particularly in the dry west. Some farmers have sold their water rights as well as their land as sprawl has encroached.
Decision making about water is in the hands of hundreds of federal, state, and local agencies creating confusion. The US House of Representatives has introduced a bill to create a 21st Century Water Commission, not to create a new federal agency, but to bring together our nation’s premier experts to recommend strategies for meeting the water challenges of the future.
Obviously, there is no single solution for these complex water problems, but if everyone does a little, there is hope.
Bruce Walgren
Notes have been sent out to all of the teachers advising them of their sponsors. Hopefully, you will be receiving thank you notes from them. It is also time to think about sponsoring Audubon Adventures for a classroom for the 2005-06 school year. For those who still aren’t sure of what Audubon Adventures is – it’s a set of informative newsletters discussing various conservation topics, suitable for 3-6 grades, that teachers can integrate into their school curriculum. The cost is $41.50 per classroom.
Outdoor Women of Wyoming are again the first to sponsor a classroom of Audubon Adventures for the 2005-06 school year. We thank you for your continued support of this program!!
Ann Hines - Education Chair
PLANNING
MURIE’S FUTURE – WE STILL NEED YOUR HELP!!As you know, we have had several strategic planning sessions. Thanks to the work of several Murie members, we have come up with a mission statement, a vision statement, goals and ways to reach them. This chapter has not attempted this scope of planning before, so it has been a learning experience. I think everyone would agree that it is a “work in progress” – we are still in the first draft stage.
When National Audubon began their strategic planning process in 1994, National representatives visited with chapter members across the country, discussing ideas and suggestions for improving and/or changing National-chapter operations and communications as well as other problems. Similarly, we are trying to define Murie’s strengths and our weaknesses, determine reachable goals, and how to accomplish those goals.
In January 1995, Bart Rea (then NAS board member) wrote an article in the Audubon Leader about National’s strategic planning process in which he included some thought-provoking questions to be considered. These questions could serve as model queries for our chapter’s planning process.
What does Murie do best?
What should be Murie’s 3 most important roles?
What are the major activities by which Murie can carry out its newly defined mission?
How can cooperation between Murie and Audubon Wyoming (and other chapters) be improved?
How can Murie raise money to support its activities?
Murie’s strengths lie within its membership – we need to draw upon the talent and expertise to be found there. As we continue our chapter’s strategic planning efforts, we welcome any thoughts and comments from all of you. Please don’t hesitate to call, email, or visit with any officer or board member.
Donna Walgren
May is Birdathon month and teams will venture afield to find birds and raise money at the same time. What is a Birdathon? For those unfamiliar with the term, a “birdathon” is when teams of birders find as many species of birds as they can in a 24-hour period. Prior to doing this, the team gets pledges of X amount of money per species ($.25, $.50, $1.00, or whatever someone would like to pledge). Or you can play it safe and just pledge a preset dollar amount. Teams usually find 110 to 120 species or more during a birdathon. Each team can designate where it wants the funds raised to go. This year Murie has a new project needing funds: the purchase of a laptop computer and a multi-media projector. Many of Murie’s volunteers now give powerpoint presentations on various conservation and wildlife-related subjects; also, most of our guest speakers now give their programs via powerpoint. We usually have to borrow the laptop and projector to do this. We want to purchase these items for our use, plus we would share them with the Audubon Center at Garden Creek and Second Chance Wildlife Rehabilitation, Inc. However, this equipment is expensive (approximately $3,000 total), but as we look to the future, we need to have the necessary tools to accomplish our educational goals.
Two teams have already declared their intention to designate their money to go to this new project: the Rowdy Ruddys (Bruce and Donna Walgren) and Two Chicks and a Rooster (Ann and Wilmer Hines and Bobbie Roberts) will soon be getting pledges for their birdathons. If you would like to pledge to either of these teams, contact Bruce Walgren (234-7455) or Ann Hines (266-3160). Or if you would just like to donate to the project, send your contribution to Murie Audubon, PO Box 2112, Casper, 82602, designating the donation to the PowerPoint For Education Project.
Donna Walgren