Take Wing… at Our Spring Fling
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InsIde thIs Issue InsIde AsGD 2 ConservAtIon 3 Take Wing… reseArCh 4 events 5-7 at our Spring Fling ProGrAms 8-9 Audubon Society of Greater Denver Spring Benefit trAvel 10-11 Saturday, April 16, 2011 • 6:00 – 9:00 pm BackyArd BIrds 12-13 Hosted by Pat McClearn • 444 Cherry Street, Denver 80220 reCoGnItIon 15-16 Silent & Live Auction leAve A legacy 17 Dinner Buffet catered by As You Like It • Wine & Beer Bar BeCome A FrIend 17 $45/ticket • $80/pair • $250/block of 6 Available at: www.denveraudubon.org • 303-973-9530 • [email protected] It’s Time to Give Back! Don’t Miss Out! Silent Auction Wish List The Warbler is now an electronic We will soon have an opportunity to give back to our favorite nature organization at newsletter to cut down on costs the Audubon Society of Greater Denver Spring Benefit - Silent Auction. The Auction and put your membership dollars Committee has a Wish List for successful donations. Gifts of experience are precious to better use. commodities and create bidding frenzies. Share your skill or a passion by offering an experience that includes a piece of your expertise. For example, offer a tour of your greenhouse with 6 tomato starts to take away. Lead a birding trip to a special If you would still like to receive a habitat or under special conditions. Owling, anyone? Offer a Greek cooking class hardcopy of the newsletter, please and some baklava to take away. Show how you process beer and offer a six pack of call us at 303-973-9530. your homebrew. Offer a class session in jewelry making, metal working, or wood turning. If we do not have your current email address, please call us at Handmade arts and crafts are always welcome. Consider offering a commissioned work. Wouldn’t you enjoy choosing the colors of your new knit hat? 303-973-9530. Once we have it you will then receive notices when Here are some other wish list ideas: each issue is available online. - Out of print or special edition books, such as the Breeding Bird Atlas - Homemade food is an auction favorite Thank you for supporting this - Season tickets to any of Denver’s sporting events or performing arts events conservation effort! - A brand new kayak - Brand new mountain bike - Antique or contemporary jewelry - A get-away in your vacation home, time share, cabin or condo Celebrating 42 Years of service Have a wonderful experience or item to donate? Contact Rhonda Shank at 303-973-9530. to the Greater Thank you in advance for your generous contribution! Denver Community March/April 2011 Inside ASGD PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE ~ We are off to an energetic start at ASGD. Your enthusiastic support of the 9308 S. Wadsworth Boulevard Annual Appeal has given even greater incentive for planning exciting ways to Littleton, Colorado 80128 reach our goal: engaging each and every one of you in our activities. Thank you 303-973-9530 • Fax 303-973-1038 to our friends, both new and long-time supporters. www.denveraudubon.org ASGD OFFICERS & DIRECTORS With Karl at the helm and Suzy planning education programs and outreach, we hope to see you all this spring. Visit the reorganized Audubon Nature Center President Arlene Raskin at Chatfield and participate in a variety of new events, such as the Welcome 2nd Vice President Ann Bonnell Home Bluebirds Party on March 26, and Earth Day Celebration on April 23. Of Treasurer Carol DeStefanis course in May, don’t miss our popular Banding Station and watch volunteers in Secretary Harriet Stratton action in the early mornings when bird activity is peaking. Bid and socialize at Joe Bartell the Spring Fling Benefit on April 16 while enjoying the wine and dinner buffet. Doris Cruze Join our hard working volunteers as they lead tours and walks, weed and plant Mackenzie Goldthwait in our native plant gardens at the Audubon Center, geocache, and Walk the Doug Kibbe Michael Kiessig Wetlands. Get your team organized for May Birdathon; the competition will Lois Levinson be keen. Photographers, check your gear as we plan a grand contest for you Carl Norbeck in June covering the gamut of wildlife subjects with fabulous prizes for the winners. ASGD STAFF Executive Director Karl Brummert The Field Trip Committee has fabulous plans for Spring. Pack your suitcase and [email protected] cameras and travel with us to private ranches in South Texas for fantastic photo Education Programs Director opportunities with Wendy Shattil and Bob Rozinski. Scout Southeast Arizona Suzy Hiskey in May with Bill Turner and a wonderful local guide, join us for the Mountain [email protected] Plover Festival in Karval, CO or hop the bus to see Greater Prairie Chickens and Office Manager Sandhill Cranes in Nebraska with Hugh and Urling Kingery. Rhonda Shank [email protected] The Conservation Committee continues to remain active on hot topics to Bookkeeper protect birds, other wildlife, and habitats. The Legislative Forum in February Maile Jones was once again a success. We are engaged with the Chatfield reallocation and [email protected] encouraging home owners to prevent birds from hitting their windows. Visit http://www.denveraudubon.com/documents/BirdWindowCollisions_1-2011. MISSION pdf for more information. Audubon Society of Greater Denver advocates for the environment, Our Lois Webster Fund research committee is sitting down to select projects connecting people with nature to fund for the upcoming year. Join us on May 5 in Room 200 at St. John’s through education, conservation and Cathedral for presentations of the 2010 research projects. It is a great research. opportunity to learn about important research on nongame wildlife. The Warbler is published bimonthly by the It is another exciting year with many opportunities for you to join us. We look Audubon Society of Greater Denver (ASGD). forward to seeing you soon…and often! Produced by C. Dale Flowers Flowers & Associates, Inc. [email protected] © 2011 Arlene Raskin mArCh/APrIl2011 Board President IsBn: 1531-2283 volume 45 numBer 2 March/April 2011Page 2 Conservation Conservation Report by Polly Reetz, ASGD Conservation Committee Chair C UHATFIELD PDATE. The publication Wildlife, whereas the purpose of the CWCB Colorado Health Department employees of the Draft Environmental Impact construction fund is to issue low-interest in inspecting projects that handle storm Statement (DEIS) has now been pushed loans to water providers for building waters. HB 1068 would give more flexibility back until at least June 2011. This has water supply reservoirs. Problem: If the to Arkansas River basin farmers to lease given us a breathing space to contact Division of Wildlife loses the $5 million, some of their water to other uses. Audubon other organizations and members of the it will also lose matching federal monies is watching both of these bills. Colorado Congressional delegation to to the tune of $20 million/year, so this You can read the reports by Audubon express our concerns. ASGD members scheme would cost the state of Colorado lobbyist Jen Boulton at should talk to their friends and neighbors $200 million over the 10-year period. Plus, www.auduboncolorado.org. who love and use Chatfield, to let them the $50 million would have to be repaid On the National scene, the new know about the project, officially known WITH INTEREST, so the diversion ends up Congress is indicating a definite enmity as the “Chatfield Reallocation.” Our major costing the State big money in the long towards the environment. Audubon points: term. The federal government requires expects the House Energy and Commerce – Although the environmental that any funds so diverted have to be spent Committee to introduce a bill to reduce community initially thought that to benefit wildlife, so we can anticipate EPA’s authority to regulate pollution from the impacts of storing more water arguments that water supply reservoirs power plants, and a similar bill may show in Chatfield would be relatively benefit wildlife. However, water levels at up in the Senate. These bills will “favor big benign, it appears that they will be these reservoirs usually fluctuate greatly, polluters over public health and hamstring substantial. riparian vegetation can’t get established, EPA’s efforts to control global warming – FULL mitigation of all recreational and wildlife benefits are few. pollution” (Audubon Advisory 1/11). Stay and environmental impacts must tuned on this one. occur. BRINGING BACK THE SPRING BEAR HUNT The Neotropical Migratory Bird – The Corps of Engineers should allow Rep. J. Paul Brown plans to introduce a Conservation Act did not get renewed ample time for public comment, at bill to repeal the ban on hunting bears in funding in the last Congress, so it will be least 90 days and more likely 120. The the spring, when the cubs are still highly up for a vote this year (we hope). While DEIS will be over 2,000 pages long! dependent on their mothers. The ban was funding for the bill is small, $5 million, it is – All reasonable alternatives should approved by a state-wide vote some years parlayed into important projects to protect receive serious consideration, not just ago, by a margin of about 2-1. Increased migratory bird habitat. the proposed reallocation. bear populations and problem bears We urge you to keep informed Please devote some time and energy to are the rationale behind this bill, but the via email, newspaper, TV, and radio. this project over the coming months – get Division of Wildlife has the authority to Remember the squeaky wheel gets the out and visit Chatfield, read the documents deputize people to deal with problem grease – contact your legislators, and on the website, www.chatfieldstudy.org, bears, if that’s an issue.