[Bristol-Birds] BILL GRIGSBY TO LEAD NEW KINGSPORT TOS CHAPTER
- From: "BBC Net" <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "'bristol-birds'" <bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 18 Mar 2015 02:28:00 -0400
BILL GRIGSBY TO LEAD NEW KINGSPORT TOS CHAPTER
Kingsport will charter a chapter of the Tennessee Ornithological
Society when the state board of directors meets at the society's
100th Anniversary Celebration near Nashville, May 2nd.
Bill Grigsby announced efforts to create the chapter during the
Bristol Bird Club's monthly meeting, 17 March 2015.
He is well suited to lead the new group due to his long civic
pride and interest in promoting Kingsport.
The exciting new club will, once again, provide two bird clubs in
Sullivan County, a luxury enjoyed by area birders for many
decades since the late 1940s.
Grigsby said the chapter would place emphasis on field trips
and activities of an "introductory nature." He said field trips
would feature more bird walks at outstanding natural areas
in the Kingsport vicinity.
The meetings will be held the fourth Tuesdays of the
month at 7:00 p.m. at the Downtown Kingsport Association
Office located at 229 Broad Street.
He said about 15 persons have agreed to be members of the
new club and many were BBC members who expressed
concerns about the driving distance to Bristol where they
attend BBC meetings.
With a Sullivan County population of nearly 157,000 persons
and a surge of young birders driven by eBirds and other internet
attractions, the Kingsport TOS Chapter is poised for growth
and success.
Most active of BBC members from Kingsport have been
those who have participated fully since 1991 and
regulars at BBC events. Several have served as officers
of BBC.
Grigsby, is first vice-president of BBC and currently
chairs programs. He served the Bristol club as
president for two terms, 2005-2007.
He chaired the club's Tennessee Ornithological Society
State Meeting held at Waldo Miles Park at Exit 7 in Bristol
Virginia in May 2007.
The organization of a Kingsport TOS Chapter had been
long expected and discussed by BBC members.
Grigsby has been steadily working towards recruiting
and encouraging a core group and has enjoyed much
success and attracted many enthusiasts.
Following the 2007 TOS meeting, Grigsby expressed an
interest in changing the name of the Bristol Bird Club
to the Sullivan County Bird Club and moving the
meetings from Bristol to the vicinity of Blountville
which is the county seat and central to Bristol
and Kingsport.
In December of that same year, he restarted
the Kingsport Christmas Bird count.
He was mostly inactive with BBC for several years
until more recently.
Those attending the Bristol Bird Club meeting
at the time of Grigsby's announcement of the
new Kingsport TOS Chapter were very supportive.
Elizabethton, Bristol, Johnson City, Kingsport
and Greeneville have had TOS chapters during the
past 70 years. Elizabethton has been active
since 1944, Bristol 1950, Johnson City briefly
in 1942, Greeneville disbanded in the last
couple of years but had been a TOS Chapter
since 1946.
Kingsport became a TOS Chapter in 1948.
The club was active until about the late 1960s
or early 1970's
Dr. Fred Alsop III formed a TOS chapter when he
came to teach at the Kingsport University
Center of ETSU after completing his doctorate in
1972.
The Kingsport TOS Chapter was reorganized
May 1, 1973 with 20 members on the roll.
The chapter thrived with many college students
participaing. Dr. Alsop moved to the Johnson
City campus a few years later and the Kingsport
TOS chapter eventually disband. It appears to
have little activity after May 1975.
The Watauga Chapter of the National Audubon
Society was active in Kingsport for many years
and supported birding activities. It was abandoned
more than a decade ago.
A group, known as the Kingsport Blue Bird Society,
met at least annually for many years. They have built
and erected bluebird boxes as well as monitoring
nesting success in the Kingsport area for more than
20 years. Zellie Earnest has been their leader.
.
Other related posts:
- » [Bristol-Birds] BILL GRIGSBY TO LEAD NEW KINGSPORT TOS CHAPTER - BBC Net
