AFA in action... NEWSandVIEWS AUGUST 1990 "Becoming involved and taking action are the key steps to Bahamas' "Parrot Lady" environmental solutions," said Willis 1. Price, president of Chevron U.S.A., sponsor of the program since 1986. "Chevron Receives National is proud to support a program that recognizes the importance of balancing conservation achievements with economic progress." The 1990 honorees, from the public, private and nonprofit sec­ Conservation Award tors, represent a cross section of people and organizations from 20 states. Their backgrounds vary widely, ranging from leaders Unsung Environmental Heroes of various conservation groups to a Michigan eye surgeon, Kan­ Honored in Program's 36th Year sas courier service employee, former Florida commercial fisher­ man and Hawaiian park ranger. Together, they share one com­ mon trait - the genuine commitment needed to achieve envir­ SAN FRANCISCO, May lO,1990-Rosemarie S. Gnam of onmental results. Ridgewood, New York, has received a 1990 Chevron Conserva­ Each of the 25 honorees will receive a $1,000 cash award, a tion Award for her research of the endangered Bahama parrot. A bronze plaque commemorating their conservation work and a doctoral student in biology at the City University of New York, trip to Washington, D.C. Gnam became known as the "Parrot Lady of the Bahamas" for Nominations were submitted for this award in three categor­ her efforts in educating and involving the island's residents in ies: Professional, Citizen Volunteer or Nonprofit Organization/ protection of the bird. Through her research findings, the Public Agency. Two endorsement letters, a brief biographical Bahama government is now considering a 15,OOO-acre reserve sketch of the nominee and collateral materials accompanied for the parrot and the Cuban government has invited her to each nomination, which were evaluated by an independent com­ advise scientists about the protection of the threatened Cuban mittee of distinguished conservationists. The committee and parrot. program director Ed Zem selected the final honorees. • Gnam will join 19 individuals and five organizations who have been selected by a panel of conservation experts for their independent spirit, vision and commitment to improving the Photo by M. Jean Hessler nation's air, water, land and wildlife resources. To acknowledge pioneering efforts in protecting and enhanc­ ing the environment, these individuals and organizations from across the United States will be honored by the program, now in its 36th year. The annual Chevron Conservation Awards will be presented at a special ceremony on May 16 at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill in Washington, nc. The guest speaker will be The Honorable Michael R. Deland, chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality, which for­ mulates and recommends national environmental policies to President Bush. The Conservation Awards Program was founded in 1954 by Ed Zern, a nationally known sportsman, outdoor writer and one of the fathers of modem conservation. Under Zern's direction, the program honors individuals and organizations who devote themselves, often without payor rec­ ognition, to the protection and enhancement of renewable natu­ ral resources. In addition, the honorees must display an ability to work with diverse organizations to solve environmental prob­ lems. "Over many years, I've observed thousands of people who have made a difference in our environment," Zern said. "Like One ofthe three new table-top displays was brought to and set up at the Las Vegas meeting, June 8-9. At present, due to show schedule award winners before them, this year's honorees represent the activities, one display will be stationed to circulate in California, one commitment needed to better our environment and serve as out­ in Florida and one along the mid-Atlantic coast area. The big 8-foot standing examples of what our society can do to improve life for floor display,featured in "News & Views" Feb/Mar '90 issue, will be all of us." home-based in Phoenix and sent out only to large, major shows. afa WATCHBIRD 51 Zoological Gardens Breed Spectacled Owl, Crested Screamer and Lesser Bird of Paradise A spectacled owl chick hatched on December 8, 1989 at the Oklahoma City Zoological Park. The chick, which was hand raised, is the thirteenth offspring produced by the breeding pair acquired in 1972 as young, wild-caught birds. A second pair is now being set up for breeding. The Detroit Zoological Park hatched five Crested Screamer (Chauna torquata) chicks from February 16 to 18. This is signi­ ficant because both adults are wild caught and bring new repre­ sentation into the zoo population. The adults nested, incubated and raised the chicks in their winter-quarters building. A total of 37 species have been successfully parent raised in recent years, AFA's new table-top display can be sent anywhere safely in its own including king vulture, greater flamingo, greater rhea, emu and special shipping case. Its total weight is 491bs. Aletta Long, southern king, macaroni, rockhopper and black-footed penguin. The 33 California regional v.p., stands next to shipping case to show relative species which remain at the zoo represent approximately one­ size. fourth of the current collection. A Lesser Bird of Paradise (Paradisaea minor) hatched recently at the New York Zoological Park. The chick is, as far as can be determined, the first of this rarely kept species to be hand raised in captivity. The protocol established for the successful hand raising of ten red birds of paradise in 1988-90 was used. The Lesser Bird of Paradise, endemic to New Guinea, lays only one egg per clutch. The hatching of this chick is ofspecial inter­ est as the sire is an unplumed three year old usually considered to be immature. A research project is under way to study the reproductive behavior of the red and the lesser birds ofparadise. AAZPA Communique, June 1990, pg. 20-24. • Call for Papers For AFA Convention 1991 A New Era for AFA We are embarking on a new and innovative program for speakers for the 1991 convention in San Diego, August 6-11. We intend to have all speakers confirmed and the speaking agenda Steve McNabb, western regional v.p., tackles assembly oftable-top printed in the February issue ofAFA Watchbird and presented at unit'sfiberglass rods that make up back support. Aletta Long watches the AFA mid-winter Board meeting. Furthermore, we will have in disbeliefas an engineer's nightmare takes shape. proceedings printed for distribution at the conference. We want to enhance professionalism in the selection of speakers for future AFA conferences. Therefore, we are issuing a "Call for Papers" and requesting a brief summary of topics you wish to present with times of 20, 30 and 45 minutes. Presenta­ tions will be followed in the same session by a round table of the speakers in that session allowing time for questions from the audience. We are interested in a variety of topics and probably will present them in session groupings. For a few suggestions, we will be pleased to receive papers on aviculture techniques, handfeeding, incubation, pediatric care, cage and aviary construction, field biology, conservation, and avian medicine. Veterinarians are invited to participate and, ifselected, may also be asked to speak at the Veterinary Seminar on Sunday, August 11,1991. All speakers will be required to submit a written paper for the proceedings. We appreciate your cooperation and participation in the speakers program. The deadline for submission of titles is After Steve did the hardpart, Aletta and Davis Koffron, 1st vp., tacked October 31,1990. Please submit to Jerry Pace, 1991 National on the pertinent decorations that make an attractive display oftelling Speaker Chairman, 4315 Highway 301, Lake Cormorant, about AFA's importance. Mississippi 38641. • 52 August/ September 1990 AFA Balance Sheet Experimental Population of the December 31, 1989 Guam Rail is Approved Assets Total The Fish and Wildlife Service has published a final rule author­ izing a nonessential experimental population of the endangered Cash $ 144,533.21 Guam Rail (Rallus owstoni) under Section lOG) of the Endan­ Accounts Receivable 8,310.48 gered Species Act (F.R. 10/30/89). Currently, the species sur­ Furniture and Equipment 14,224.99 vives only in captive breeding facilities. The wild population Total Assets $167,068.68 will be established on the island of Rota in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, which is outside the probable historical range of the species. This exception to normal reintro­ duction policy is necessary because the species' primary habitat Liabilities and Fund Balances on Guam has been "indefinitely altered" by the accidental intro­ duction of the predatory brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis), 340.24 Accounts Payable which has virtually wiped out the island's native birds. It is hoped that wild rails from the Rota experimental popula­ Total Liabilities 340.24 tion eyentually can be reestablished on Guam after a way is found to control the snakes. Designating the Rota population as Fund balances nonessential provides considerable flexibility in managing the CITES fund 4,402.30 population. The Service proposed the experimental population Conservation fund 10,855.84 designation on June 19, 1989. • Convention fund 65,398.34 Endangered Species Technical Bulletin, General fund 68,074.30 Vol. XIV, No·s. 11-12 (1989), page 12. Research fund 17,997.66 Total fund balances 166,728.44 Parrots in Peril Total liabilities and fund balances $167,068.68 Ecuador 1990 lJy Jack Clinton-Eitniear San Antonio, Texas An expedition consisting ofthree British and two Ecuadorean INCOME biologists will attempt to assess the current status, population, range and general ecology of the following five endemic parrot CONFERENCE species, Golden-plumed Conure, White-necked Parakeet, Grey­ 36% cheeked Parakeet, Spot-winged Parrotlet, and Red-faced Parrot.