[chapter-communicator] Audubon Newswire: Volume 5, Number 1
- From: "TENNEFOSS, Lynn" <ltennefoss@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <chapter-communicator@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 4 Jan 2007 17:39:11 -0500
Audubon Newswire - "News on Audubon Happenings"
Volume 5, Number 1
Thursday, January 4, 2007
Circulation: 4,700
Like water, be gentle and strong. Be gentle enough to follow the natural paths
of the earth, and strong enough to rise up and reshape the world.
-- Brenda Peterson
Please Note: The Ask Audubon section is our newest addition to Newswire. You
can submit your questions about consumer choices and how they affect the
environment to cblayer@xxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:cblayer@xxxxxxxxxxx>. Please
continue to send your news and updates to Sally Montgomery at
smontgomery@xxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:smontgomery@xxxxxxxxxxx>.
In this Issue:
-- Christmas Bird Count Field Notes
-- Tenth Annual Great Backyard Bird Count to Combine Fun of Bird Watching With
Conservation
-- Audubon Arkansas and Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Announce New Birds of
Arkansas Website
-- Rare Blue Treefrog Discovered at Audubon of Florida's Corkscrew Swamp
Sanctuary
Announcements:
-- Audubon's Wayne Mones Published in BirdWatchers Digest
Ask Audubon:
-- Can houseplants improve indoor air quality?
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Christmas Bird Count Field Notes
Litchfield Hills, CT, January 4, 2007 - The participants in the Litchfield, CT
bird count reported unusually mild weather for CBC on December 17, 2006
According to compiler Ray Belding, who has participated in CBC since the
mid-seventies, "Temperatures in the upper fifties kept people from frost bite.
However, birds were more widely dispersed and, therefore, a bit more difficult
to locate. We had a total count of 82 species; good for our area. We also added
two species to our count: Dickcissel and Great Cormorant."
To learn about the CBC in your area, please visit www.audubon.org/bird/cbc
<http://www.audubon.org/bird/cbc> and click on the "Get Involved" link on the
left-hand side of the page.
We welcome more field notes from CBC participants. To send in a contribution,
please e-mail smontgomery@xxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:smontgomery@xxxxxxxxxxx>.
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Tenth Annual Great Backyard Bird Count to Combine Fun of Bird Watching With
Conservation
New York, NY & Ithaca, NY, January 4, 2007 - What mid-winter activity is fun,
easy, free, and helps bird conservation? What can parents and teachers do with
children that connects them to a whole new world of natural wonders? This
February, the tenth annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), sponsored by
National Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, will give everyone
a chance to discover the birds in their neighborhood and "Count for the Record."
During February 16-19, 2007, people of all ages, from beginners to experts, are
invited to join this event that spans all of the United States and Canada.
Participants can take part wherever they are - at home, in schoolyards, at
local parks or wildlife refuges. Observers simply count the highest number of
each species they see during an outing or a sitting, and enter their tally on
the Great Backyard Bird Count web site at www.birdsource.org/gbbc
<http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc>.
Participants who want to hone their bird watching skills can learn more from
the Great Backyard Bird Count web site, which offers identification tips and
access to photos, sounds, maps, and natural history information on more than
500 bird species. People can also submit photos to an online gallery showcasing
the dazzling array of winter birds found during the GBBC. Competitions add
another element of fun, including a photo contest, rankings for most numerous
birds, and the coveted "checklist champ" title for towns, states, and provinces
with the highest participation.
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Audubon Arkansas and Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Announce New Birds of
Arkansas Website
Little Rock, AK, January 4, 2007 - Audubon Arkansas and the Arkansas Game and
Fish Commission have teamed up to create www.birdsofarkansas.org
<http://www.birdsofarkansas.org/>, a new Website, which helps users identify
common Arkansas birds.
The site lists 100 common Arkansas birds with photos and a brief description.
Bird species may be sorted by color, size, habitat preferences or the season
they can be found in The Natural State. Sound files of the birds' songs are
included in the descriptions, and an interesting fact accompanies each listing.
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Rare Blue Treefrog Discovered at Audubon of Florida's Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
Naples, FL, January 4, 2007 - Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary Director Ed Carlson is
proud to announce the discovery of a bright blue treefrog. Volunteer
naturalists noticed the frog along the Sanctuary's boardwalk trail and quickly
alerted the natural resources manager, Mike Knight, a Ph.D. candidate in
vertebrate ecology who specializes in reptiles & amphibians. Knight identified
the frog as a Green Treefrog (Hyla cinerea), a common denizen of Corkscrew
Swamp.
Knight explains that the normal green coloration of frogs is actually the
result of overlapping yellow and blue pigments. Very rarely, a genetic anomaly
results in an absence of one or more color pigments. In this case, the absence
of all yellow pigmentation has resulted in a totally blue frog instead of a
green one.
Dr. Jerry Jackson, Professor of Environmental Studies at Florida Gulf Coast
University confirms that the blue frog is a truly extraordinary find. According
to Jackson, the color blue is very rare in nature but does sometimes occur in
frogs, snakes, and other animals.
Currently, the blue treefrog is being cared for by Knight, who has extensive
experience raising treefrogs as part of his doctoral dissertation research.
Following acclimatization to terrarium life, the extraordinary little frog will
be displayed to the general public for a period at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.
Staff and volunteer educators will accompany the frog, answering questions and
enlightening the public on the importance of wildlife conservation.
For more information on Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, please call (239)-348-9151
or www.corkscrew.audubon.org <http://www.corkscrew.audubon.org/>.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
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Wayne Mones Published in BirdWatchers Digest -- Audubon's Vice President of
Planned Giving Wayne Mones recently published an article in the Jan/Feb, 2007
issue of BirdWatcher's Digest which is now on the news stand. The article "For
Birders Who Wear Glasses," about selecting binoculars and on buying eyeglasses
for birding, is included below.
For Birders Who Wear Glasses
In the old days binoculars were made for people with 20/20 eyesight, or contact
lenses. If you wore eyeglasses you were just out of luck. When I started
birding I took it for granted that I, like all other eyeglass wearers, would
not being able to see the edges of my binocular field. When, in the 1970s, I
finally bought a pair of bins with long eye relief and retractable eye cups it
was, so to speak, a real eye opener. Suddenly birding became a lot easier. It
became easier to find birds and keep them in my binocular field. Although
binoculars have gotten a lot better and a lot more friendly to eyeglass
wearers, eyeglasses are still an inconvenience for birders. So if you wear
glasses while birding there are a few things that you should know about how
binocular manufacturers design products to accommodate your needs, and about
purchasing eyeglasses, which will help you get a lot more enjoyment from
birding.
What is "Eye Relief?" Simply stated, eye relief is the maximum distance (in
millimeters) that your eye can be from the binocular eyepiece and still see the
edges of the field.
If there is not enough eye relief your eyes will be too far from the binocular
eyepiece (while wearing eyeglasses) and you will loose part of the field of
view. The effect is as if you were peering through a cardboard toilet paper
roll. If there is too much eye relief your eyes will be too close to the
eyepiece (while wearing eyeglasses) and it will be difficult for you to center
your pupil within the binocular exit pupil. (The exit pupil is the bright disk
of light that you see when you hold your binocular a few inches from your
eyes.) If your eye is not centered within the exit pupil the field will black
out as if you had left the lens cover on the binocular.
Design Considerations: It is easy to design a binocular for people with normal
vision because most users will be comfortable with the same amount of eye
relief.
However, when a manufacturer designs a binocular to accommodate both eyeglass
wearers and non-eyeglass wearers, his problem is that he has to work around a
number of variables which he cannot control. Eyeglass wearers all need slightly
different amounts of eye relief, and they need far more eye relief than people
who do not wear glasses. The factors which determine how much eye relief a
binocular user needs are:
· Are his or her eyes deeply set?
· How big are his or her eyeglasses? Bigger lenses tend to be further from the
face and require more eye relief.
· How thick are his or her lenses?
One way to compensate for all these variables is for a manufacturer to build a
lot (17-20mm) of eye relief into a binocular and then use adjustable eyecups
which allow the user to adjust the distance between the binocular eyepiece and
his or her eyes. Adjustable eyecups can be fold-down rubber or solid twist-up.
Rubber eyecups tend to wear out, but they have the advantage of being simple,
and most are easily replaced by the user. Solid eyecups look better, are more
durable, and give the user more options, but they attract dust and can become
cross-threaded and jammed in place if they get bumped or dropped while in the
extended position -- in which case you will have to send them off to be
repaired. If you have bins with solid eyecups I suggest retracting them fully
before putting them away at the end of the day. One recent trend which I
especially like is the use of click-stops in twist-up eyecups which allow the
user to adjust the distance between his or her eye and the eyepiece to his or
her individual needs.
Buying Eyeglasses: Although adjustable eyecups work well, you can get more from
your binoculars if you keep your birding needs in mind when you purchase your
next pair of eyeglasses. You may even want to consider purchasing a separate
pair of eyeglasses just for birding. I suggest that you consider the following
when you purchase your next pair of eyeglasses:
· Have your glasses made from hyper-index (ultra thin) lens material. They will
also be lighter and more comfortable.
· Purchase the smallest frames that will accommodate your prescription. Small
frames will sit closer to your face and generally allow you to see more of the
binocular field. If you use bifocals or progressive lenses, the very small
frames which are currently in style may not give you enough room above the
reading portion of the lens to be able to comfortably use binoculars, so keep
this in mind when selecting frames.
· Ask your optician for anti-reflective coatings. With or without binoculars,
you will get sharper images and fewer annoying reflections when the sun is at
your back.
· If you wear bifocals use the smallest reading window available and ask your
optician to place it 2-3 mm lower than normal.
· The same advice applies to progressive lenses. Ask your optician to begin the
progression 2-3mm lower than normal. Opticians normally place the reading
window or the progressive part of the lens at the bottom of your pupil. This is
too high for comfortable binocular use. You should tell your optician that you
are a birder and that you want your glasses to work with your binoculars. Tell
him or her that you do not want the reading portion of your glasses to
interfere with your binocular use. I suggest that you bring your binoculars
with you when you order your next pair of eyeglasses. Have the optician mark
the place (on the glasses you are considering) where he or she intends to place
the reading portion and then test them with your binoculars to see if you can
easily see the mark or if you are looking over the top of your frames. Have the
optician adjust the placement until it is comfortable.
A word or caution for the over-zealous. Several years ago, I bought one pair of
glasses specifically for birding, and completely dispensed with the reading
window. This turned out to be a very expensive mistake. They were great with my
binoculars, but I wasn't able to read my wristwatch, a map, a field guide, or
the speedometer on my car. The policeman who stopped me wasn't interested in my
excuse.
There are a few binoculars on the market which I especially like, which happen
to have (what I consider to be) too much eye relief for most users. One of them
is a great binocular at a great price, but many people to whom I lend them
complain about image black out, and find them difficult to use.
All bins require some getting used to. The more you use them, the more
comfortable you will become with them. If you don't use them for a while, you
may find that you have to "re-learn" to use them. It does not mean that there
is something wrong with your binoculars or your eyes.
If you find that you experience an annoying amount of image black out that
doesn't go away as you practice with your binoculars, try the following cheap
fix until you get used to using your bins. Buy pony tail holders. (The ones I
am talking about are like black fabric covered rubber bands. Don't use ordinary
rubber bands. The plasticizers will migrate out of them and gunk up your
binoculars.) Twist up the binocular eyecups and twist two turns of pony tail
holder between the eyecup and the body of the binocular and twist down the
eyecup. Voila! You have moved your eye further from the eyepiece. You will no
longer be able to see the edges of the field, but you will no longer be
bothered by image black out. After using them this way for a couple of weeks,
try removing the pony tail holders.
Conclusions: Whether you wear eyeglasses or not, you should try binoculars
before you lay down your hard-earned money. Binocular reviews are only a guide.
Similarly, the manufacturer's specifications are only a guide. Make sure that
whatever instrument you are considering is comfortable for you. Make sure that
you can see the edges of the field while wearing your eyeglasses.
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ASK AUDUBON...
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"Can houseplants improve indoor air quality? Are certain types of plants better
than others for this purpose?" -- Submitted by Phoebe B., of Brooklyn, New
York.
Former NASA researcher Dr. Bill Wolverton examined the effects of houseplants
on indoor air quality. He determined that indoor plants can absorb airborne
chemicals commonly found in homes and offices. About two or three plants for
every 20-25 square feet of space should suffice.
The sources of indoor air pollution are varied. Some airborne toxins come from
new carpets, shower curtains, furniture or dry cleaning that can release
microscopic particles into the air. These volatile organic chemicals (VOCs)
degrade the air quality, and continue to do so even after the new product smell
has dissipated. VOCs can irritate the respiratory tract -- causing headaches,
sinus congestion, and fatigue as well as other health problems. Purchasing
green or organic products whenever possible is another way to optimize indoor
air quality.
According to the NASA study, the ten plants which are most beneficial to indoor
air are Reed palm, dwarf date palm, Boston fern, Janet Craig dracaena, English
ivy, Australian sword fern, peace lily, rubber plant and weeping fig.
Azalea, dieffenbachia, philodendron, spider plant, golden pothos, bamboo palm,
corn plant, chrysanthemum, mother-in-law's tongue, and poinsettia will
specifically target the formaldehyde released by foam insulation, plywood,
particle board, clothing, carpeting, furniture, paper goods, household cleaners
and water repellents. Benzene, a toxin released by tobacco smoke, gasoline,
synthetic fibers, plastics, inks, oils, and detergents, can be diminished by
English ivy, marginata, Janet Craig' dracaena, chrysanthemum, gerbera daisy,
Warneckei dracaena and peace lily. Trichloroethylene, released by dry cleaning,
inks, paints, varnishes, lacquers, and adhesives is offset by gerbera daisy,
chrysanthemum, peace lily, Warneckei and marginata.
Most of these plants are best kept indoors. Some of them, such as English Ivy,
can be invasive and displace native plants when grown outdoors.
Submit your questions about consumer choices and how they affect the
environment to cblayer@xxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:cblayer@xxxxxxxxxxx>.
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