Just A Chirp
Grosse Pointe Audubon Fall 2012
The Vision Thing
From the President: Ive been lucky enough this year to travel around the state and talk with members of other local Audubon chapters. The one thing that Ive come away with from these conversations is how little we do as a group compared to other local Audubon chapters. Yes, we all have meetings, but other Audubon chapters are so much more active. Jackson Audubon, for example, helps to maintain a wildlife refuge and hosts visitors to the Haehnle sanctuary during sandhill crane migration in the fall. Laughing Whitesh and Copper Country Audubon help with the spring hawk counts on Brockway
Mourning Dove in an autumnal oak.
Mountain. Blue Water Audubon has contributed to the purchase of land in St. Clair
See From The President, Page 2
Fall Schedule
Cut out this schedule and put it on your refrigerator to help you remember these important dates. Sept. 17New Guinea Adventure. Join Don Burlett for an exciting program on Birds-ofParadise, jungles and cannibals as he leads us on a tour of Papua New Guinea. Don Burlett is the president of the Oakland Audubon Society and an avid world birder and photographer. Oct. 15Kenya, From Fast Cats to Flamingos.Pelicans, lilac-breasted rollers, secretary birds, ostrich and amingos are just a few of the birds we will view in this amazing photo tour of Kenya. Mammals range from cheetah and lions, torhino and elephants, from capebuffalo and warthogs to hippo and wildebeest. World traveler Randy Baker leads an exciting photo journey into the wilds ofAfrica. Nov. 19Pure Michigan Birding. Late Spring is a great time to travel north to follow the migration of warblers and shorebirds. Northern Michigan also hosts some interesting permanent residents. Join Director-Naturalist Mike Champagne of Seven Ponds Nature Center as he recounts recent trips north to Michigan's birding hotspots. ! PAGE 1
From The President, from Page 1 County to preserve the rare painted trillium. Other Audubon chapters sponsor trips to birding hotspots around the world, own nature sanctuaries and sponsor birding festivals. Now that Grosse Pointe Audubon has been freed from its nancial obligation to Seven Ponds, we have the opportunity to rethink what we do and how we do it. I know we cant really buy land for a refuge, but we can do other things. We can continue to support Seven Ponds or we can do something else. Yes, I think we should continue to support Seven Ponds in some way, but Id also like to see us step up and take on new challenges. Id like to create a small fund that will support research. Id also like to see us increase our interaction with local schools. Of course, this will take a restructuring of Grosse Pointe Audubon. We will have to become a nonprot. And that means well need a board of directors.Yes, there are a whole lot of aspects that need to be considered, but I want to at least start the conversation. You may have other ideas or be totally opposed. I encourage you to share your thoughts with me at the meetings, by phone or by email. Dues Dont forget to pay them. Mail a check to Mark OKeefe or bring your dues to our Sept. 17 meeting. Please dont make me beg! DAS Conservation Symposium comes to Grosse Pointe The Detroit Audubon and Oakland Audubon societies will hold their annual conservation symposium at the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House on Saturday, Sept. 29, and all Grosse Pointe Audubon members are invited. The day will start with a continental breakfast, then a birdwalk led by Rosann Kovalcik and Bill Rapai. The theme of the day will be migration. Come to hear three speakers, !
enjoy lunch on the terrace, bid on silent auction items and visit displays from conservation groups from the Detroit area. More details available on the website or by calling the Detroit Audubon oce at 248.354.5804. To register: email [email protected], call Beverly at 248.354.5804 or download a registration form at www.detroitaudubon.org. Payment can be with VISA, MasterCard or by check. Registration deadline with lunch is Sept. 16. Birdwalk participation is limited so get your registration and payment in now! Invasive species iPhone app The Michigan Natural Features Inventory (MNFI) and the Midwest Invasive Species Information Network have developed a smartphone app that will allow you to identify an invasive plant, animal or insect and report it for potential removal or control. Currently the app is available only for the iPhone, but development of an app for Android phones is under way. The MNFI is a partnership between the Michigan DNR and Michigan State University that works to develop good information on Michigans biodiversity, especially rare and declining plants and animals and ecosystems that are native to Michigan. Surprisingly, I used the app only a week after I got it to report a sighting of Eurasian Watermilfoil in the marina at Ne Park. Bird Walks at the Ford House Start your new year o right! Join Rosann Kovalcik for walks on Sept. 24, Oct. 15 and Nov. 12. All walks are at 8 a.m.. There is a $7 fee. Call (313) 884-4222 to register. Ink cartridges = $ Please bring your old ink cartridges and cell phones to our meetings and deposit them in the box by the front door. Your waste will be recycled for cash that will help keep Grosse Pointe Audubon in the black. Epson and HP cartridges only! PAGE 2
Seven Ponds Nature Center
Call (810) 796-3200 for more information or to register for programs. Invasive Plant Workday Sunday, September 9, 1:00 p.m. We will be working on non-native invasive plants invading the nature center. This is a great chance to earn community service or master gardener hours. Bring your own work gloves. Heritage Harvest Days Saturday and Sunday Sept. 15 and 16, 11 a.m - 5 p.m. Invasive Plant Workday Sunday, September 23, 1:00 p.m. Bring your own work gloves. Fall Bird Walk Wednesday, Sept. 26, 7:30 a.m. Well start a bit earlier for our second fall bird walk, and travel to Lake St. Clair Metropark. We will hope to see white-throated and whitecrowned sparrows, kinglets, warblers, shorebirds, and more. Bring binoculars, snacks, and your eld guide. Fee: $3. (No charge for members). Tree Planting Day Saturday, September 29, 9 a.m. -12 p.m. Join us for a morning of tree planting as we put dozens of new native trees into the woodland adjacent to the Interpretive Building. Bring your own shovel and work gloves, the nature center will provide the trees, mulch, water, deer fencing, and refreshments. Old Wives Tales Sunday, Sept. 30, 2:00 p.m. Lets look at many false nature tales which are sometimes still believed today! The Enchanted Woodland Saturday, Oct. 6, 6:30 8:30 p.m. The Enchanted Woodland is a fun and ! educational (not scary) experience for children 4-10 years old and their adults. Invasive Plant Workday Sunday, October 7, 1:00 p.m. Bring your own work gloves. Curious Canoers of Seven Ponds Saturday, Oct. 13, 10:00 a.m. Fall colors will reect on the water as we travel by canoe this ne day. Use your canoe or one of ours. Limited to eight canoes. Minimum passenger age of 5 years old minimum paddler age of 10 years. Fee: $5.00 ($3.00 members). You must register in advance. Mushroom Magic Sunday, Oct. 14, 2:00 p.m. We never know which mushrooms will be out, but we will discover as many as we can as we walk the trails. Fall Bird Walk Wednesday, Oct, 17, 8:00 a.m. Our nal fall bird walk will take us in search of red-breasted nuthatch, ruby-crowned and golden-crowned kinglets, dark-eyed junco, Lincolns sparrow, purple nch, and other species. This will also be a good morning to look for the elusive pileated woodpecker as the birds may again be using the nature center as a fall and winter foraging area. Bring binoculars and your eld guide. Fee: $3. (No charge for members). Birdseed Saturday Saturday, Oct. 20, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Jonathan Woods Walk Sunday, Oct. 21, 2:00 p.m. Lets take a walk to enjoy the beauty our forest has to offer us during this splendid time of year. We will carpool from the centers building to explore our satellite property. PAGE 3
JUST A CHIRP!
FALL 2012
About Grosse Pointe Audubon
Bill Rapai, president, (313) 885-6502 or
[email protected] Sylvia Sanders, vice president, (313) 886-0869 Mark OKeefe, treasurer, (313) 884-7472 or
[email protected] Joanna Pease, representative to Seven Ponds Nature Center,
[email protected] http://www.facebook.com/pages/Grosse-Pointe-Audubon/145490528869148 www.gpaudubon.blogspot.com Grosse Pointe Audubon meets in the Annex of the Pointe Unitarian Church at 17150 Maumee, between St. Clair and Neff in Grosse Pointe. Social hour starts at 7 p.m. and the meeting starts at 7:30. Our meetings are free and open to all, so bring a friend!
Grosse Pointe Audubon 443 St. Clair Grosse Pointe, MI 48230
