FreeLists / bristol-birds / [Bristol-Birds] Re: Kirschke and Parker honred by BBC !

[david kirschke <dkirschke@xxxxxxxxx>]

Thank you.  You are far to generous in your comments.  I feel honored to have 
gotten to bird with and learn from such incredible birders.  I still feel 
humbled daily at how much there is to learn and have been tempted to throw my 
binoculars away when confronted with a large raft of ducks at long distance or 
a mixed flock of warbles in the treetops.  We are truly sad to be moving away 
from the Appalachians and such fine friends, but I hope to return as often as 
possible.  Thanks again and peace in the new year.

Wallace Coffey <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:       Dr. David Kirschke of Johnson 
City and Ellen  Parker of Piney Flats have been recognized
 by the Bristol Bird Club for their extensive involvement in birding and  
related activities in
 the region for 2007.
  
 Kirschke was honored as the "Best New Birder of the  Year." 
  
 Parker is awarded the "James & Mae Musick Service  Award" presented by BBC. 
  
 It would be hard to find any more deserving individuals !
  
 Unfortunately, he is moving to Nashville in a couple of weeks so and  
Nashville's birding 
 gain will be our significant loss.  We hope he someday can  return.
  
 Kirschke had been in the background of natural history in the region for  a 
while when,
 last December, he quickly was noted as an energetic birder.  He came  forward 
to
 participate in Christmas Bird Counts and never went off the radar.   His posts 
and other's
 accounts of his activities include nearly 80 significant posts to  
Bristol-Birds Net during 
 2007.  He is admired by experienced birders.  He birded  regularly over a wide 
variety 
 of habitats in no less than 10 east Tennessee counties and beyond. Among  them 
were 
 birding trips to Carter, Johnson, Sullivan, Washington, Unicoi,  Greene, 
Hawkins,
 Jefferson, Cocke and Hamblen.  Who knows where else he birded that we  never
 new about ?  We do know he counted hawks at Rockfish Gap on the  Virginia Blue 
Ridge
 and that he enjoyed birding on a trip to Colorado this past summer.
 A Common Moorhen at Rogersville, TN 17 May 2007 was one of his
 better birds.  
  
 David did not suddenly bloom into a good birder in our region by just
 snatching up his binoculars.  He is an MD and Medical  Epidemiologist with the 
 Northeast Tennessee Regional Health Office of the Tennessee Department  of 
Health.
 He is well known across the state for his work with the  department's skilled 
planning.
 He has served as investigator with the department's Epidemic Intelligence 
Service. 
 As an officer of EIS, he researched  human rabies death in Tennessee.  His 
health
 department work has involved looking  at avian flu in the state.  If that were 
not enough
 science credentials to help him jump  start birding here,  his other half is 
Tonya Van Hook,
 a noted Monarch Butterfly  researcher.  She has been studying as an 
Entomologist/Monarch  
 Butterfly Conservation Biologist and  Research Assistant in Biology, Sweet 
Briar College, VA.
 Tonya looked closely at the  reproductive biology of Monarch butterflies while 
a student
 at the University of  Florida.  She has researched in Mexico.  Her studies of  
the
 implications of conspicuous  coloration of large butterflies for conservation 
is well
 recognized. She has extensive experience in Monarch  tagging and migration and 
one
 of her north central Florida  tagged Monarch was recovered in Mexico.
  
 David Kirschke's experience in  field birding is the product of far more than 
just all of  the
 amazing hustle we witnessed in  2007.
  
 A few miles north of downtown  Johnson City at Piney Flats in Sullivan County, 
 Ellen
 Parker has been  enormously busy for the past year or more contributing to the 
 natural
 history and concerns of Steele  Creek Park Nature Center and the park in 
general.  She
 is the "James  & Mae Musick Service Award" recipient from the Bristol Bird  
Club
 for 2007.  Ellen serves on  the Board of Directors of the Friends of Steele 
Creek Nature  
 Center and Park.  In  that capacity she is Secretary of the board and a member 
of the  Executive
 Committee.  Among her many  passionate contributions to the park have been 
beautiful  color
 posters for the park's  kiosks.  She bought a computer program, had a trainer 
to teach her  how
 to use the software and has  produced state-of-the-art, giant, color posters 
on park nature  subjects
 to go under the glass displays  of the kiosks.  She teamed with Richard Kretz, 
an impressive  and
 talented photographer from near  Lebanon, Va., to produce a beautiful poster 
of some of the 
 permanent birds of the  park.  Meanwhile, she and her husband have found time 
to support  the
 work of BBC teenage member,  Charlie Parker (their son), who has volunteered 
nearly 1,000  hours
 as an junior naturalist at the  park's nature center.  She has served as a 
member of the  Steele
 Creek Park Research Committee  with Dr. Tom Laughlin and Doug Ogle and other 
leading area
 biologists.  Ellen has an  under-graduate degree in education from  UT 
Knoxville and a master?s  
 degree in special  education.  A former public school teacher, she has a 
significant interest  in
 Appalachian flora and  fauna.   She is currently leading an effort to form the 
region's first  butterfly
 club.  She has  gained widespread support for that concept from the Friends of 
Steele Creek  Nature 
 Center and Park.  She has  been in touch with the American Butterfly 
Association and with  a
 chapter in Tennessee.   Meanwhile she has found time to provide initial 
leadership to a  subcommittee
 of the "Friends Group" which is  looking into proposals and recommendations 
for the proposed
 new addition to the Steele Creek  Park Nature Center.  She will lead a small 
team that will  travel
 to other cities to get ideas and  advice.  Architects will begin work on the 
project in a few  months.
 The Bristol Tennessee City  Council has budgeted for design services.  Ellen, 
and her  husband
 Bob, are tireless supporters of  the Bristol Bird Club.  In 2004 they opened 
their home to a  record
 gathering of 50 birders for the  BBC Annual Christmas Party.  Now, three years 
later, they  have
 again hosted the BBC Christmas  party at their home just a week ago !  Ellen 
has worked  closely
 with our President Dave Worley  to make this happen for the second time in 
just three years  !
 The family then followed with  this note to Bristol Birds Net:  "Just wanted 
to add our thanks  
 to all who attended the Christmas Party at our house and all of you  who 
helped us.  
 We feel very blessed to be part of such a great group.  We have  great 
memories of not 
 only BBC Christmas parties but of many birding outings and  trips.  Hope 
everyone has 
 a joyous and safe holiday season." 
  
 Among those outings was  the August 2005 day of fun and birding at the  
Parker's
 gorgeous and cozy lake  house at Cove Ridge on Watauga Lake.  Few of you  will
 ever forget the  beautiful view, boating trips and excitement and great food 
that  summer
 afternoon.
  
 Ellen Parker not only  is worthy of the "James & Mae Musick Service  Award" 
 but she  deserves every thank you BBC members can pass  along.
  
 Two fine birders.   Great people.  Wonderful contributors to the BBC  and
 regional birding  !  Our winners in 2007 !