Conejo Valley Audubon birder dies on CBC in Crescent City

Dr. Onik Arian, a longtime Ventura resident who worked for two decades in the emergency room at St. John's Pleasant Valley Hospital in Camarillo until moving to Northern California about a year ago, died over the weekend after a wave swept him off a jetty, officials said Monday. Arian was 61.

Arian hit his head on the jetty's rocks in the Sunday morning accident in Crescent City and died of blunt-force trauma, the Del Norte County Sheriff's Department said.

Arian, an avid bird-watcher, was swept off the jetty while taking part in the Audubon Society's holiday season bird count in Crescent City, located in the northwest corner of the state about 20 miles south of the Oregon border. His body was recovered almost immediately, said Sheriff's Cmdr. Bill Steven.

The story was reported in the Ventura County Star. For more click here

Chapter Committee of Audubon California Board selects Outstanding Chapter Volunteers

The following chapter leaders were nominated by their chapters and selected Outstanding Chapter Volunteer by the Chapter Committee of the Audubon California Board of Directors. The Chapter Committee is composed of the five regional chapter representatives elected by chapters in their region.

The Outstanding Chapter Volunteers will receive a free registration to the Audubon Assembly in Asilomar in Monterey Bay on March 15-17,2009, and will be acknowledged at that event. They will also be included in the Volunteer Hall of Fame on the Audubon California website.

Congratulations to these volunteers who do so much for Audubon chapters, birds and their habitat.

1. Tam Taafe, La Purisima Audubon 

Tam continues to serve on the Board of Directors as Treasurer of the La Purisima chapter as she has for the last five years. During this period, she has been the main force for changing LPAS from a bird club to a chapter dedicated to local conservation issues. At a time when volunteerism is down, her full time dedication has kept LPAS from folding during this challenging transition. She has shown her enthusiasm and leadership in projects such as

• the restoration of the Waterfowl Natural Resources Area, “the Ponds,” on Vandenberg AFB
• the Beach Ecology Program, an educational outreach program
• the restoration of the Santa Ynez River Estuary, an Audubon California Important Bird Area, through grants including an outreach grant in 2009 from Audubon to engage local citizens in a campaign at the Estuary that La Purisima calls PRIDE (Proud Residents Investing in a Diverse Estuary).
• Advocacy with Santa Barbara Audubon and Los Angeles Audubon for two years on the Lompoc Wind Project to minimize the impacts on birds and bats.

La Purisima Audubon is now a dynamic and conspicuous force for north Santa Barbara Countyconservation thanks to Tam’s willingness to volunteer a full-time work schedule for the last several years towards that goal. 

2. Mike Prather, Eastern Sierra Audubon 

Mike is past President of Eastern Sierra Audubon and a leader in the conservation of birds and habitat in the Owens Valley. He led the process which resulted in the designation of Owens Lake as an Audubon California Important Bird Area, citing its importance as a breeding area for Snowy Plover and stopover for migrating shorebirds. He has documented more than 250 species within the Important Bird Area and organized the first Big Day at the Lake in 2008. It is Mike’s enthusiasm, constant good humor and devotion to the Eastern Sierra and its birds that is leading the effort to develop a long term conservation plan for the area. Mike travels far and wide throughout Californiaspeaking at Audubon chapters and other groups on behalf of Owens Lake and its birds.  He has done all this using his own resources.  

3. Nick Freeman, Los Angeles Audubon 

Nick Freeman has been Fieldtrip Chairman and Fieldtrip Leader for Los Angeles Audubon Society for nearly 20 years.  On top of organizing trips to such popular locations as the Sierra Nevada in California to southeast Arizona, he often leads or co-leads the trips himself infecting participants with his enthusiasm and knowledge of birds and and habitat and not to mention herps. His fieldtrips have been one of the most important factors that have kept LAAS a very active Audubon chapter by bringing in new members and raising funds to help support the Ralph Schreiber Grant Fund for non-professional researchers in ornithology. .He is currently the compiler of the Lancaster Christmas Bird Count and participates in the Malibu and Los Angeles Christmas Counts, the three CBC counts sponsored by the LA Audubon Society.   

4. Marilyn Waits, Redbud Audubon 

Redbud Audubon is a small rural chapter serving Lake County, an agricultural and tourism area north of the Napa Valley around the 100-mile shoreline of Clear Lake. Marilyn has served as chapter President for five years. During her term of office, she has developed new activities and programs that energized longtime members, attracted new members, drew in new volunteers, and created a strong financial base for future growth. She has raised Audubon’s public profile in Lake County and developed creative partnerships with local conservation and nature education groups. She strengthened a mutually-beneficial bond with Audubon California and helped reestablish the Northern California Regional Council as an active participant in statewide chapter communications.

Here are a few of Marilyn’s accomplishments:

• Increased chapter assets by 703% in five years. Cash assets grew from $5,931 when she became President to $49,270 in June 2008.

• Partnered in the annual Heron Festival and increased attendance by 333% from 300 to 1,300, with 37% coming from outside Lake County
• Expanded festival volunteers by 462% from 35 to 197 and identified and recruited new chapter leadership from these volunteers.
• Increased festival net profit by 712% from $890 to $7,224.
• Obtained a total of $24,000 over three years for festival advertising and marketing support paid by the County of Lake Marketing Department.

Marilyn’s special passion in children’s nature education activities, and she started programs such as the “Fifty Species Challenge,” “Wild Things, Inc.”, “Raptor Speak” and the Jeanne Wall Fund for Children’s Nature Education where she raised over $ 50,000 and she partnered with the Children’s Museum of Art and Science for a day camp at Anderson Marsh State Park for 120 local schoolchildren. 

5. Steve Ferry, Santa Barbara Audubon 

Steve Ferry has been on the Board of Santa Barbara Audubon since 2003 and currently serves as Conservation Chair and Membership Chair. He was elected in 2006 by the Central Coast Chapter Council to sit on the Audubon California Board where he serves on the Chapter Committee and the Finance Committee. As Conservation Chair of Santa Barbara Audbuon, he is vigilant and tireless working with La Purisima Audubon and Los Angeles Audubon to minimize the impacts of the Lompoc Wind Project through two years of advocacy, and working with Assembly member Pedro Nava (D-SB) and Audubon California to ban lead ammunition in Condor Country.  You’ll see Steve on the ground as a volunteer as Condor nest-watcher for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service at Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge, or at Coal Oil Point as a Snowy Plover docent educating the beach-going public about sharing the beach with these wonderful birds. 

6. Robin Winslow Smith, Sequoia Audubon 

Robin Smith has been active in the Sequoia chapter of Audubon on San Francisco Bay for over 20 years as President, Conservation Chair, Education Chair, field trip leader and Annual Bird Count complier. Some of her victories include leading the fight to save Blair Island and opposing high rise buildings along the Bay in Redwood City. She was an active member of the Committee to SaveBayfront Park election in 2006. Currently Robin is active in the Redwood City measure to protect the wetlands along the edge of the Bay that Cargill Salt wants to develop. Robin travels widely, always birding.  Her chapter says it is the enthusiasm that underlies all she does that draws people to the Chapter.

2009 Collaborative Funding grants announced

9 Chapters in California will receive collaborative funding grants totalling over $26,000 from Audubon California for outreach, education, advocacy and habitat restoration projects. The grant recipients and their projects are:

• Altacal Audubon - Bird Banding and Conservation program for children
  
• Central Sierra - trail development and wildlife inventory on Groveland Community Services District
• La Purisima - PRIDE (proud residents investing in a diverse estuary) at the estuary of the Santa Ynez River
• Palos Verdes/South Bay - Volunteer Coordinator for AUDUBON YES! (Youth Environmental Service program)
• Peregrine - transportation for youth to Redwood Valley Outdoor Education Program
• Redbud - developing a Redbud Audubon membership brochure
• Sacramento - Audubon at Home Big Five workshops
• Sea & Sage - 4th Tuesday Conservation Lecture Series
• Yolo - 2008 Green Summit

Congratulations!

San Diego Audubon announces BIRD FESTIVAL

San Diego Audubon will host the 2009 SAN DIEGO BIRD FESTIVAL March 5 through 8, 2009 at the Marina Village Conference Center in Mission Bay. The chapter has added many new events and ris repeating the most popular events from previous years. David Sibley (right), author and illustrator of the Sibley Guide published by National Audubon is the keynote speaker and will lead a field trip or two!  For details go here

Audubon article published on Cattlemen's website

Sierra Foothills Conservation Chair Ed Pandolfini recently wrote an article on California's grasslands, grazing and the importance of ranching practices to our species of birds, emphasizing the common ground, literally, between Audubon and ranchers.  The article was published on the Cattleman's Association website. To read it, click here

San Bernardino Valley Audubon wins appeal!

A California state appeals court on Monday, October 26, 2008 upheld a lower court's ruling that San Bernardino County disregarded part of its general plan when it approved a Lake Arrowhead housing development without first requiring completion of an evacuation route. The California Fourth District Court of Appeal also went further than a lower court, ruling that a water supply was not properly identified for the proposed 57-home development south of Cumberland and Blue Ridge drives and that the environmental impact on the Southern Rubber Boa, a threatened species of snake found on the project site, was not properly evaluated.

The original suit was filed in San Bernardino Superior Court in December 2005 by the San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society, the Save Our Forest Association, Sierra Club and Center for Biological Diversity, against Hawarden Development and the county.

"We're very happy with the decision," said the local Audubon Society chapter President Drew Feldmann. "We went after this particular case because it was one of the first (development projects) after the big fire of 2003."The subdivision project, known as Blue Ridge Estates, was planned for a steep slope near Cedar Glen; an area hit hard by 2003's Old Fire.

Three California chapters win TOYOTA Innovation grants!

Golden Gate Audubon, Mendocino Coast Audubon and Napa/Solano Audubon will receive over $93,000 for projects on wetlands, shorebirds, and vineyards in Toyota Innovation grants announced October 21, 2008. The grants are part of a four or five year partnership between Audubon and Toyota called Together Green that will distribute $20 million to Audubon chapters, centers, and sanctuaries to engage non-Audubon partners and diverse audiences in volunteer and conservation efforts.
Golden Gate Audubon's project WETLANDS AND WILDLANDS will focus on the Bay Area, Mendocino Coast's program SAVE OUR SHOREBIRDS will focus on Snowy Plover and other shorebirds on the Northern California coast, and Napa/Solano will partner with local vineyards to restore and create new habitat for birds on their agricultural lands.
The next round of Toyota grants including Fellows grants, Volunteer Days grants, and Innovation grants will be announced in January by Audubon. For a description of recent volunteer and grant projects throughout the U.S. go here

Santa Barbara County approves wind farm with protections for birds

From Santa Barbara Audubon Conservation Chair Steve Ferry:

"On September 30 the Santa Barbara Planning Commission approved the Lompoc Wind Energy Project (LWEP).  The project includes 65 wind turbine generators (WTGs) producing about 1.5 MW each on 3000 acres of private grazing land about 5 miles south of Lompoc.                  

This milestone is the culmination of approximately two years of effort by Santa Barbara’s Environmental Defense Center (EDC), Santa Barbara Audubon Society (SBAS), La Purisima Audubon Society (LPAS), and Los Angeles Audubon Society (LAAS).  EDC and the three Audubon chapters made extensive comments on the Draft and Final Environmental Impact Reports and had numerous meetings with the County, the applicant, and their consultants.  As a result of those efforts, the Biological Resources section of the DEIR was completely re-written and significant protections to the environment were added. 

Just in the last week the County staff, at the urging of EDC and the Audubon chapters, inserted a requirement that parts of the project could be shut down if there were excessive bird mortalities.  This provision was a major goal of the environmental groups.  During the Planning Commission meeting EDC and Audubon advocated for strengthening of the shutdown provision, a longer period of bird mortality monitoring, offsite land easements, and additional protection for burrowing owls.  Our positions were supported by the Sierra Club, the Santa Barbara Community Action Network, and in part by the Community Environmental Council.  In the end, the Commission voted to extend the mortality monitoring and strengthen the shutdown provision. 

The approval of LWEP is a significant environmental achievement.  The project will produce enough clean energy to power about 50,000 homes.  The reduction of greenhouse gasses as a result of this project, if replicated across the country, will reduce global warming - a major threat to the survival of birds.  And the protections added to the project as a result of the efforts of EDC, SBAS, LPAS, and LAAS ensure that the environmental impacts of LWEP will be minimized. 

Special thanks for a long, sustained, and effective effort to those who worked on this project: Karen Kraus and Brian Trautwein of EDC, Steve Ferry of SBAS, Tam Taaffe and Paul Keller of LPAS, Garry George of LAAS, and Mark Holmgren.  Thanks also to Kris Burnell, former SBAS Science Chair, for her contributions."

 

 

Over 100 volunteers join Los Angeles Audubon for Toyota Together Green Volunteer Day event

Volunteers from Dorsey High School in South Central, Los Angeles Audubon, and Toyota joined forces on Saturday, September 20 to remove invasive non-native vegetation from the endangered Least Tern protected breeding colony on Venice Beach in Los Angeles in an Audubon California IBA. The terns are wintering in Central or South America, but will return to the colony in March or April to breed and raise their young. Removal of the invasive non-native plants allows more productive breeding areas for the birds. The effort was the first funded by a Volunteer Days grant from a Toyota/Audubon partnership that will deliver $20 million dollars to Audubon chapters, centers, sanctuaries and state office programs over the next four or five years. For more on Least Tern project go here. For more on Toyota Together Green grants go here.

Collaborative Funding Report: San Diego Audubon

San Diego Audubon used their 2008 Collaborative Funding grant to create a brochure and signage for Anstine-Audubon Nature. The 11 acre property was bequeathed to the San Diego Audubon Society by John Anstine in 1999 to fulfill a promise he had made to his wife that the property would not be subdivided or developed. For more on the Nature Preserve go here

Morro Coast Audubon acquires 8 acre bay front addition to Sweet Springs Nature Preserve

The charming East Sweet Springs property includes 400 feet of Morro Bay’s southern shoreline including critically important coastal wetlands, marsh, mudflats, and upland coastal scrub.

“We are thrilled to expand the Nature Preserve to include this important shoreline property. We look forward to expanding our restoration efforts and trails on this new property and opening the site up for public enjoyment and education,” says Jan Surbey, president of the Morro Coast Audubon Society.

In 1995, the Morro Bay Estuary was included in the National Estuary Program (NEP) due to its water quality issues and critical importance for migratory birds on the Pacific Flyway. A community and multi-agency effort known as the Morro Estuary Greenbelt Alliance (MEGA) emerged shortly thereafter to protect the multiple endemic special status species, the remaining undeveloped lands on the shoreline, and important habitat lands and trails between Montana de Oro State Park and Morro Bay State Park. Audubon California includes Sweet Springs in the Morro Bay Important Bird Area identified in 2004.

“Every year, Morro Bay ranks among the Audubon Society’s Top Ten Birding Areas in the nation. This acquisition will greatly expand birding opportunities for everyone,” says Henry Pontarelli, Strategic Development Chair of MCAS.

A special community event to celebrate the new addition to the Preserve will be held on Sunday, September 21, 2008, at 2pm. The event is open to the public and will include a brief ceremony about the project and land, docent-led tours, fun activities for kids, food and drinks Everyone is welcome.

Funding for the acquisition was generously provided by the Wildlife Conservation Board, State Coastal Conservancy, the USFWS National Coastal Wetlands Program, and the USFWS Section VI – Recovery Land Acquisition Program, with support from Senators Feinstein and Boxer for the federal monies.

Audubon California supports delisting of Peregrine Falcon

Dan Taylor, Director of Policy and Gary Langham, Director of Bird Conservation, made the following announcement:

"Following the filing of a petition to delist the Falcon, Audubon California in June of 2008 convened a forum of Peregrine Falcon experts to discuss the issue. Based on this forum, coupled with our own independent analysis, a strong scientific case exists for the delisting of this subspecies. Audubon supports the delisting, provided that subsequent follow-up activities are built into the decision to ensure that population monitoring remains a part of the ongoing peregrine management effort.
We will continue to pressure state and federal agencies to monitor the progress of the Peregrine Falcon to ensure that the bird’s progress continues."

More info here

Yosemite Audubon Board members scales Mt. Whitney

Update: After surviving the fires in Mariposa, Yosemite Audubon Field Trip Chair Lowell Young scaled Mt. Whitney at the age of 73. To his dismay, his granddaughter arrived at the summit before him.

Yosemite Audubon leaders survive Mariposa fire

Lowell & Sue Young of Yosemite Audubon report that none of the chapter leaders' homes have been damaged in the Telegraph Fire which has destroyed 32,000+ acres and 21 residences. The fire is 20% contained.

Lowell and Sue recommend that you go here to keep up to date on the fire in Mariposa near Yosemite.

Check out this Firefighter's blog here

More bad news for raptors and chapters at Altamont wind farms

The mortality rate of raptors including Golden Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, American Kestrel and Burrowing Owl increased 27 percent over two years in an ongoing monitoring study, according to an executive summary of the data issued by Alameda County's Scientific Review Committee. The five member panel advises the county on progress being made to mitigate bird deaths in the Altamont Pass windmill area as part of a settlement with Golden Gate Audubon, Ohlone Audubon, Marin Audubon, Mt. Diablo Audubon and Santa Clara Valley Audubon and others. The settlement included a commitment to reduce raptor mortality by 50% by 2009.

The new data estimate a total of 2,236 birds from the four targeted species were killed annually.

For details, quotes from Golden Gate's Executive Director Elizabeth Murdock in Oakland Tribune story of July 23, 2008 and executive summary of the study, click here.

San Fernando Valley & Los Angeles Audubons celebrate CALTRANS victory

Chapters in SoCal celebrated CALTRANS selection today of Alternate 1 for a project to improve the southbound San Diego Freeway (I-405) connector to the Ventura Freeway (U.S. 101). A Negative Declaration (ND) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) have been approved. Activists including Muriel Kotin, Seth Shteir, Kris Ohlenkamp and Garry George from the chapters wrote comments and appeared publicly to defeat the other alternatives.

The project will involve a new, upgraded 50 mph two-lane connector that would replace the existing 20 mph single-lane connector, and require right-of-way from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers near the Sepulveda Dam but avoids direct impacts and encroachment on Sepulveda Wildlife Area, a 225 acre reserve that includes some of the best riparian habitat on the LA RIVER, a wildlife lake and extensive plantings of native annuals, shrubs, and trees.

Taking inventory on Owens Lakebed, Sat Aug 23

Saturday, August 23rd beginning 6 am Eastern Sierra Audubon is taking inventory of birds on the Owens Lake bed. This survey should take roughly half a day by beginning at 6:00AM. The areas to be covered will be the dust control ponded areas that will be shrinking and exposing lots of feeding habitat. The natural sites (seeps, springs and artesian wells) around the shoreline of the lake will not be covered because of their diminished size at this time of year. Eastern Sierra Audubon will need five teams of 3-5 counters to do the census. If you would like to be part of this first ever Fall survey contact Mike Prather by email (click here) or by phone (h)760.876.5807 (cell) 760.715.0692

AUDUBON AT HOME falls forward at chapters

Fall is the best time to plant native plants so that the rains (hopefully) can help them get established. Chapters throughout the state are hosting workshops and giving advice to kill lawns and convert useless dead zones to living, thriving habitat revegetations. "The health of an ecosystem is measured by it's biodiversity."-E.O Wilson.

San Diego Audubon former President Mel Hinton, who created a brochure and power point that chapters in SoCAL can use (click here), did a 1/2 hour internet radio interview on birds and gardening for wildlife on July 10, 2008. It's available on line at http://www.internetvoicesradio.com/. Click on Archives, then Dr Charlotte Thompson and it is listed as "Gardening for Birds and Butterflies."

Sacramento Audubon and the Sacramento Valley Chapter of the Native Plant Society are partnered with UC Davis Arboretum to make the San Diego Audubon's version of Audubon at Home Birds and Butterflies power point presentation compatible with Valley habitat and critters ,of course, we added a section on native bees and other insects as well. Presentations in August and September in various locations. Details here

Los Angeles Audubon is planing to release a comic book to promote Audubon at Home called KILL YOUR LAWN.

Rolling out a blog...

Can a blog replace an email newsletter to Audubon California chapters?

I sure think so, so I'm rolling out this blog in order to bring fast, direct information and news to you with links, photos, documents, and videos

It's a modern age of communication so let's use it. The 2001 Ad Hoc Chapter Committee of National Audubon identified "communication" as the number one issue between Audubon and chapters. My hope is that this blog will help close that gap.

Not every chapter in the Audubon network has the time or energy to accomplish goals outside of basic monthly meetings, filling the Board, taking folks on field trips to connect them to nature, but if you do want to increase your capacity that is one of the stated goals of my new position as Chapter Network Director. I'm creating a network of chapters to chapters, Audubon California to chapters, and chapters to Audubon California.

Here's how!

There's a new chapter site with

• Chapter contact info
• Chapter BLOG!
• Chapter Grant Opportunities
• Chapter Resources section with info on Assembly, Council Meetings, Audubon California Board meeting minutes and Committee reports, Audubon at Home, Newsletter Assets for Newsletter Editors and a link to NAS Chapter Services

COMING SOON! More resources including Speakers Bureau for Program Chairs

Click here to go to the site

What else do you need? Send me an email and let me know

California chapters continue to grow...
Audubon recently released a spreadsheet of data compiled from Chapter annual reports for year ending June 30, 2007.

Number of California chapters: 50
Number reporting: 45
Total Gross receipts: $ 3,335,025.32
Total Gross expenses: $ 2,812,619.37
Fund balances: $ 5,993,540.94
Safety net income from Audubon: $ 128,939.53
Collaborative Funding income from Audubon $ 21,613.00*
Chapter members in California: 9,788
Audubon members in California 39,000 apprx.
Total Volunteers at California chapters: 4,925
Total Volunteer hours: 89,087

*not included are Packard shorebird grants to coastal chapters administered by Audubon California

Some pretty impressive statistics here on capacity of chapters ($ 6,000,000 in fund balances! Over $ 3,000,000 in income with around $150,000 from Audubon! That means chapters generated over $ 2,850,000 in income from donations, membership and grants! Chapters also gave 90,000 volunteer hours which translates to $ 1,800,000 in kind donation of volunteer hours if you value at $20/hr). I expect the numbers to go up for year ending June 20, 2008. I know Los Angeles Audubon's numbers did.

Now for the chapter news:

May 1, 2008: 5 chapters of Audubon tour Tejon Ranch

Prior to the signing of the agreement between Audubon California and other resource groups. Kern, Kerncrest, Los Angeles, Pasadena and San Fernando Valley Audubon leaders were thrilled at the ten species of oaks on the property and great views of Golden Eagles, but saddened at the thought that any of it would be developed, especially the Antelope Valley joshua tree and poppy (in full bloom!) habitat in Los Angeles County. All couldn't wait to spend more time poking around in the valleys and corners of this habitat looking for birds, with some discussion of a quest for the Mt. Pinos subspecies of Sooty Grouse which hasn't been seen in decades.

June 19, 2008: San Bernardino Valley Audubon leads the way in local policy changes to combat global warming.

Environment Now gave an award this month to SBVA and Center for Biological Diversity for their litigation against the County of San Bernardino for not addressing the impacts of global warming in their latest plan. The County settled when the State of California Attorney General came in on the side of the local Audubon chapter.

President Drew Feldmann, a jedi in the war against the evil empire, wrote an op-ed printed in the Press Enterprise in response to cries for drilling in Alaska and off California's coast:

June 20, 2008 LA and Pasadena Audubons launch AUDUBON FILM FRIDAYS

Los Angeles Audubon and Pasadena Audubon joined forces with Audubon Center at Debs Park to present AUDUBON FILM FRIDAYS, a series of free nature films outdoors under the stars in East Los Angeles. First film was "Arctic Tale" in Spanish with English subtitles, delivering the message of polar bear, now an endangered species, and global warming. On July 11, students from South Los Angeles' Dorsey High School showed their 3 min film (click here for YouTube broadcast) in Spanish and English on sharing LA County beachs with threatened Western Snowy Plovers, followed by an IMAX film "Ocean's Oasis" on Baja, California, under and above the Gulf of California. Trader Joe's provides free snacks and drinks. Free, outdoor film screenings are a great way to spread the Audubon message to new audiences, especially when accompanied by a bird walk before the screening. Local NPR station KPCC covered the outreach campaign and event and broadcast to 400,000 Angelenos just before the bird walk. Listen

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