[chapter-communicator] Newswire, October 31, 2003
- From: "Lynn Tennefoss" <ltennefoss@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: ltennefoss@xxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 4 Nov 2003 10:50:20 -0500
Audubon Newswire
Volume 1, Number 6
October 31, 2003
In this issue:
-- Audubon Establishes the Kalpana Chawla Fund for Environmental
Stewardship
-- Llano Estacado Chapter Receives National Audubon Presidential
Recognition Award
-- Waimea Audubon Center Hosts Community Celebration of Waimea Valley
-- Attention Audubon Chapters: Audubon Magazine Needs Your Help
-- Audubon Supports Corps of Engineers' Mississippi River Restoration
Plan Effort
-- San Francisco Bay Conservation Community Honors Senator Diane
Feinstein
-- Researchers Discover New Bird Species Just as its Refuge is Lost
-- Audubon 2002 Annual Report Receives Multiple Awards
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Audubon Establishes the Kalpana Chawla Fund for Environmental
Stewardship: Columbia Astronaut Wished to Take Care of Fragile Planet
New York, NY, October 29, 2003 -- Her feet may have been planted
firmly on the soil of her hometown of Karnal, India, but Dr. Kalpana
Chawla's eyes were on the sky from an early age. The future astronaut
became fascinated with flight through observing the birds around her
home and watching planes at her town's local flying club. She could
not have known that in her future, her view of the sky would change
dramatically -- she would look down onto Earth from high above the
blue skies she admired in her youth and continue to marvel.
Dr. Chawla's dream of space flight was realized in 1996 when she
became the first Indian-American to fly with a United States shuttle
crew. Tragically, as the nation and her family watched helplessly,
Chawla and her six crewmates perished on February 1, 2003.
Following her desire to "recognize and support outstanding individuals
who are committed to the sustainability of Planet Earth," The Kalpana
Chawla Fund for Environmental Stewardship has been established with
National Audubon Society to promote the care and wise stewardship of
our fragile planet. The $300,000 Fund will recognize worthy
conservation projects in the U.S. and globally. Audubon will work
with its international conservation partners, including the Royal
Society for the Protection of Birds and Bird Life International, to
identify significant environmental efforts worldwide.
For the full story, visit www.audubon.org .
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Llano Estacado Chapter Receives National Audubon Presidential
Recognition Award for its Tireless Efforts to Save Prairie Dog Colony
Austin, Texas, October 31, 2003 - The Llano Estacado Audubon Chapter
of Lubbock, Texas recently received a National Audubon Presidential
Recognition Award for their efforts to save a local prairie dog farm
and all of the birds and wildlife associated with the site. The site
was scheduled for destruction though it posed no immediate threat to
human health or cattle movement.
The citation reads: "In recognition of the Chapter's hard work and
ceaseless efforts to resolve the unique and sensitive issues
surrounding management of the Lubbock Land Application System. The
Chapter's leadership role in protecting and conserving this
significant resource and its wildlife culminated in a very
professional, well orchestrated, common sense approach to solving a
nationally significant land management issue.
"The Llano Estacado Audubon Society is to be commended for its
community based actions and the strong proactive leadership that
resulted in implementation of management strategies that will protect
vital habitat for the wildlife that depend on the application site for
their existence."
National Audubon and Audubon Texas wish to thank each member of the
chapter, especially former President Ellen Roots McBride and
Conservation Chair Jill Haukos. For more information, visit
<http://www.audubon.org/chapter/tx/tx/prairiedogpage.htm> or contact
taustin@xxxxxxxxxxx .
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Waimea Valley Audubon Center Hosts Ho'olaule'a:
Public Opening Invites Community to Celebrate Waimea Valley
North Shore, Hawaii, October 30, 2003 - The Waimea Valley Audubon
Center, established in June of this year, invited community members to
a Ho'olaule'a this past weekend, Saturday, October 25, to celebrate "
a day in the life of Waimea Valley." The Ho'olaule'a offered a rich
ecological, botanical and historical experience while embracing the
cultural significance of Waimea Valley.
The event is aimed at reintroducing locals to the valley as a
recreational and educational resource that is located in their
backyard. Audubon's goals for the center include reacquainting people
with nature and connecting visitors and local residents with Hawaii's
birds, plants, and other natural resources.
The Ho'olaule'a was a day full of events for family and friends. At
the opening ceremony, National Audubon President John Flicker honored
the people that made this transformation and event possible. The
activities of the day included hula, Hawaiian game demonstrations, the
building of Hau boats, and crafts. There were also botanical and
historical tours.
For information, visit
<http://www.audubon.org/local/sanctuary/Brochures/Waimea.html> .
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Attention Audubon Chapters: Audubon Magazine Needs Your Help with a
Story
New York, NY, October 31, 2003 - Audubon magazine will run a feature
story in its next issue on the problem of bird mortality stemming from
collisions with clear glass windows. This problem is emerging as a
leading, preventable cause of bird deaths.
Audubon's Editors are very interested to learn of any state programs
or Chapter initiatives currently underway that address this problem.
Please forward any information that can aid them in the reporting of
this story to: Keith Kloor, senior editor, Audubon magazine,
kkloor@xxxxxxxxxxx .
Due to space limitations, Audubon magazine may not be able to include
everyone's responses or actions; however, your assistance will be a
tremendous help to us in our research and reporting of the story.
Thank you in advance for your help.
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Audubon Supports Army Corps of Engineers' Effort to Build
the First-Ever Integrated Mississippi River Restoration Plan
Minneapolis, Minnesota, Tuesday, October 28, 2003 - The National
Audubon Society announced its support this week for a $10-billion
package to restore more than 750,000 acres of habitat on the Upper
Mississippi River during the next 25 to 50 years. If approved, the
package could be the centerpiece of the Army Corps of Engineers
first-ever integrated plan for Mississippi River management.
In the next six months, the Corps will combine selected projects from
each list to create this first integrated plan for river management.
"We have before us an unprecedented opportunity to stem the tide of
150 years of habitat degradation and significantly improve bird, fish
and other wildlife habitat on the Upper Mississippi River," said
Audubon's Chief Operating Officer Bob Perciasepe.
For the full story, visit www.audubon.org.
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Bay Conservation Community Honors Senator Feinstein at Capitol Hill
Event
Washington, DC, October 21, 2003 - Last week, Audubon, The Bay
Institute, and San Francisco Bay Joint Venture officials joined in
honoring Senator Dianne Feinstein, praising her leadership in the
effort to protect and restore San Francisco Bay's wetlands and
associated habitats.
At an October 16 reception on Capitol Hill, Audubon President John
Flicker, Bay Institute Executive Director Grant Davis, and San
Francisco Bay Joint Venture Chair Fritz Reid joined with Deputy
Director of the US Fish and Wildlife Service Matt Hogan in presenting
Senator Feinstein with the 2003 San Francisco Bay Restoration
Leadership Award, which recognized the Senator's groundbreaking
efforts to restore San Francisco Bay - especially her leadership in
securing the recent public acquisition of 16,500 acres of Bay Area
salt ponds from Cargill Salt.
For more information, visit
<http://www.audubonsfbay.org/sfbay_2_16/frm_newsres.html>
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Researchers Discover New Bird Species Just as its Refuge is Lost
Cambridge, UK, October 22, 2003 - Researchers have discovered a new
species of finch but its Venezuelan river islet habitat has already
been destroyed to make way for a new dam.
The new species has been named the Carrizal Seedeater Amaurospiza
carrizalensis after the tiny islet where it was discovered. Only
three birds were found on Isla Carrizal in eastern Venezuela and it is
not known what size the population of the small, blue-flecked finch
may be. However, owing to the loss of this only-known habitat,
researchers are keen to mount another expedition as soon as possible
to see if the species might be found in the vicinity. To see the full
story, visit http://www.birdlife.org/news/pr/index.html.
Also From BLI...Pirates Hunted to Halt Seabird Slaughter
Cambridge, UK, October 24, 2003 - Pirate fishermen are the people
sailor John Ridgway is most hoping to find, name, and shame when he
sets sail this Saturday to highlight the plight of albatrosses.
Ridgway is leaving Cape Town for Melbourne on 25 October to follow the
route of the wandering albatross, one of 17 southern hemisphere
albatross species threatened with extinction, largely because of
illegal longline fishing.
John Ridgway and Forest & Bird, BirdLife's partner in New Zealand,
posted a worldwide online petition urging fishing nations to stamp out
pirate longline fishing. You can sign by visiting
<http://www.rspb.org.uk/policy/marine/albatross/index.asp> . For
information on BirdLife's Save The Albatross campaign
http://savethealbatross.birdlife.org
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Audubon 2002 Annual Report Receives Multiple Awards
New York, NY, October 31, 2003 - The Audubon 2002 Annual Report has
been recognized for outstanding design, narrative presentation, and
photography and illustrations. The report, which featured the stories
of Audubon conservation leaders and local heroes, received several
awards from American Business Communicators, including First Place
among all internally produced reports. Cover design, narrative
presentation and photography/illustration also received awards. The
report, which was also recognized by the MerComm Annual Report
competition this past summer.
Audubon wishes to thank the entire Annual Report staff, including
Kevin Fisher, design director, and Nancy Severance, general editor. A
web version of the report is viewable at
<http://www.audubon.org/nas/ar03/index.html>
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