Virginia is about to catch up with many other east coast states by
establishing and funding the Important Bird Areas (IBA) Program. This
international conservation effort was started in Europe through Birdlife
International and is spearheaded in this country by the National Audubon
Society. The program focuses on identifying and conserving habitat critical
to birds. After all, habitat loss is the major reason we have endangered and
threatened species.
The Virginia IBA program, sponsored by the Virginia Audubon Council, is now
underway with Eileen Rowan as its director. This was made possible in part
by funds donated by the Virginia Society of Ornithology (VSO) through a
fundraising effort by a VSO team (the "Roving Ravens") that participated in
the 2001 World Series of Birding competition.
This year the "Roving Ravens" will once again soar to NJ to compete in the
2002 World Series of Birding, billed by its founder Pete Dunne, as the
nation's "premier conservation event". Virginia's IBA program will again be
the fundraising beneficiary of this effort. Last year the Raven team members
paid for all of their travel and scouting expenses AND raised $4500 through
pledges and contributions from individuals and bird clubs, every dime of
which was directed to the IBA program. This year the team has received
corporate sponsorship from Eagle Optics.
The fundraising goal is to approach a doubling of last year's amount,
allowing us to help continue the Virginia IBA program for 2002 and beyond.
We feel that Virginia needs this program to help define where our essential
avian habitats are and to marshal the resources to sustain
and protect them. Without adequate habitat for resident, breeding and
migrating birds we risk
an eventual "Silent Spring."
Contact me directly if you would like a pledge form or have
questions/comments about this effort at jspahr@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.
For those interested in more detail on IBA's please follow the links from
http://www.audubon.org/bird/iba/ ;
HTTP://WWW.VIRGINIAAUDUBON.ORG
or e-mail erowan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.
Thank you for your attention.
THE EAGLE OPTICS/VSO ROVING RAVENS
John Spahr (Founder & team captain; VSO board member).
Larry Lynch (VSO President)
Stephen Rottenborn (VSO board member)
Stephen Rannels (VSO member)
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