The following information was submitted to the attendees by Mary Elfner and Lynn Tennefoss. Larry Lynch, Board Member of the Ogeechee Audubon Society, provided the minutes.
Georgia Audubon Council exploratory meeting in Conference Room A.
a. Introductions (10 minutes) AND
b. One action or project from your chapter that you would like to share (20
minutes) and bird you would like the youth to see this weekend:
Lynn Tennefoss, National Audubon
Larry Lynch, Ogeechee Audubon raised funds for Savannah Refuge friends group, yellow breasted chat
Jim Gilreath, Ocmulgee Audubon River walk Heritage Trail bird list and working towards creation of boardwalk with platform, RCW
Catharine Kuchar, Atlanta Audubon Birds Matter publication, looking at WatchList species, photo contest (shared postcards from winners), recruiting lapsed members (using postcards), Painted bunting
John Galvani, Coastal Audubon Education program Walt Borden Memorial fund supports education programs buy binocs, birding classes, send leader to Maine Audubon Camp, lawnchair birding event to increase member activity; Jekyll Island, Swainsons warbler
Priscilla Marshall, Columbus Audubon Bird walks at Oxbow Meadows, changed from 9 monthly meetings to 2 major meetings and send postcards instead of newsletter to attract attendees; still need a Web site, Indigo bunting
Myra Hundley, Albany Audubon programs now offered with Flint River Aquarium partnership, offered birding classes resulted in explosion of interest in chapter including need for more field trips, pair Summer tanager
Lois Stacey, Augusta-Aiken Audubon Silver Bluff Audubon Center, uses collaborative funds for Adopt-a-Stream at Silver Bluff, Bald eagle
Vanessa Lane, Oconee Rivers Audubon will hold IBA Dedication (May 17) paired with forest festival, create bookmarks each semester listing all field trips, new website (oconeeriversaudubon.org), Grasshopper sparrow
Kelly Hopkins, Atlanta Audubon on the ground conservation (IBA, sanctuary, coffee, habitat restoration), Hemlock project, statewide support for IBA, Rose-breasted grosbeak
Ellen Miller, Atlanta Audubon educational focus Learning About Birds (LAB) focus more than Audubon Adventures, partnering with 5th-8th grades, nature centers, private schools (more time, not so testing oriented), train the trainer, Bobwhite quail
Mary Elfner, National Audubon/Atlanta Audubon IBA NFWF, Cornell sound recording on the coast to take place end of May, remember Coastal Birding Festival (Oct. 9-12, 2008) , Loggerhead shrike
c. Introduction of the concept of forming a Georgia Audubon Council Goals and Models (30 minutes) AND
Brainstorming Session:
1. Focus on how a Council could provide assistance to Georgia chapters and conservation issues in Georgia (90 minutes) what benefits from working together/challenges.
Catharine/Vanessa publication from all Audubons, including logos & contact info of all Audubons. Larry online sharing of information e-mail listserve. Kelly H. armchair activists (Jekyll Island). John Galvani coastal issues in general statewide help, development issues. Kelly IBA how to get more volunteers actively involved with and feeling ownership of state IBA program: needs include monitoring IBAs, entering data in eBird; whats next phase , how to involve people, implement on the ground conservation activities, additional nominations, what are the next steps? Lynn working outside the urban core. Ellen some states have websites with birding hotspots (Nevada one of the best) tie into Ken Blankenships site (Wings over Georgia). Lynn regular information sharing. Vanessa GABO post field trips and presentations, speaker series, monthly activities. Catharine Georgia Audubon Council website, including IBAs, hotspots, activities, links funding.
2. What might be the best structure?
Other states have a council to discuss IBAs, conservation, collaborative funding they meet once or twice a year. Some councils pay for a lobbyist/advocate. Some councils discuss conservation issues. Lynn hears lots of interest in education, increasing leadership and membership involvement. Some councils will do training on certain issues. Conference calling and listserves are being utilized more by councils to communicate. Some councils hold 501(c)(3) status Lynn suggests we are not ready for this. Thinks we should use the existing structure of the chapters without starting another 501(c)(3).
3. Listserve
Chapter services can provide information from chapter report forms on all officers in response to Larry mentioning setting up a listserve for ongoing discussions. Lynn recommends using Yahoo Lists to set up chapter services can provide the contact info to invite people. Atlanta Audubon (Ellen) or National Audubon (Lynn) can help set up. Listserves can be very effective if users focus on targeted streams of discussion ie, how did you start master birder program?
4. Status of state office in Georgia?
Lynn- funding issue. Takes $1.2 million to start/support a state office for 3 years. Georgia is on the short list of states where Audubon would like to start a state office, but there is no current timeline. Other support available from Audubon: Myra and Priscilla recommended speakers bureau (Tally from Alaska presentation). Grassroots coordinator Connie Mahan in our region can travel to chapters/council to train and educate on issues. Ie, can do a Jekyll Island workshop in Georgia.
5. IBA program move from site identification to on the ground conservation. NAS collaborative funds this year for NFWF match. Discussion ensued on IBA and how to get more chapter involvement and support. NFWF grant was explained. Catharines model loose affiliation form of communication. One issue is state ownership of IBA program. Nevadas IBA is the only other state where IBA is carried through a chapter. Is it realistic to have state ownership of IBA in Georgia. Myra what do we want from the chapters for IBA? John Galvani interest is in monitoring IBA sites species specific. Suggested forming a small group with one representative per chapter to work with IBA Coordinator on IBAs. Larry willing to appoint someone to be contact - an IBA member of each chapter to help make this a broader group. Next IBA coordinator give some brochures and press releases. Have someone represent each chapter does everyone have someone conservation chair (Ocmulgee Ty Ivey)? Each chapter representative is asked to please send IBA contact information from their chapter to Mary.
6. Collaborative funding. Lynn-should the all chapter/council meeting take place again next year at the Youth Birding Festival? Yes. This is good timing for discussing collaborative funding. Good birding weekend. Can it be in May (Myra)? Collaborative funding for next year (FY09) Master Birder binders created by AAS and distributed to other chapters - with leftover monies going to IBA NFWF Grant match. Everyone go back to boards for agreement on Master Birding binders with leftovers going to IBA match. Mary will contact Giff regarding IBAs being mentioned in the next edition of his book.
7. Council website and listserv through Yahoo. Do we need a council website? Every chapter needs a website particularly with field trip information. Larry doesnt think we need a separate website you can Google the information. Lynn will see about adding Augusta-Aiken AS to GA state web site on NAS web site.
Together Green Discussion (Lynn)
Go Green (Volunteer Days), Lead Green (Fellows program), Grow Green (Innovation grants): www.togethergreen.org
d. Wrap-up and Next Steps (30 minutes)
· Create listserve Lynn works with Ellen to do this
· Every chapter representative to go back to their board to recommend an IBA liaison and send name to Mary. The new coordinator will create a forum within which the group will hold discussions about how best to support the IBA program. Mary was also asked to check to make sure every chapters logo is on the IBA brochure.
· This council will meet every year at Youth Birding Competition focus on sharing ideas and information, ideas for allocating the coming years collaborative funding, and how best to support conservation issues of importance in the state
· Collaborative funding 2009 - to copy Master Birder binders and match NFWF chapters communicate with Catharine after taking this to their boards
NOTE: Participants in the Youth Birding Festival saw the following species as wished to them by this group: (MARY IS IT POSSIBLE TO NOTE WHICH ONES WERE SEEN, BASED ON WHAT YOU REMEMBER FROM THE CHECK-IN?)
Yellow-breasted chat
Red-cockaded woodpecker
Painted bunting
Swainsons warbler
Indigo bunting
Summer tanager pair
Bald eagle
Grasshopper sparrow
Rose-breasted grosbeak
Bobwhite quail
Loggerhead shrike
Names, chapter, email for all attendees:
Lynn Tennefoss, National Audubon Society, ltennefoss@audubon.org
Larry Lynch, Ogeechee Audubon Society board member, llynch@gain.mercer.edu
Jim Gilreath, Ocmulgee Audubon Society board president, jsgilreath@cox.net
Catharine Kuchar, Atlanta Audubon Society exec. dir., kucharc@charter.net
John Galvani, Coastal Audubon Society board president, jgalvani@comcast.net
Priscilla Marshall, Columbus Audubon Society board president, pmarshall@omnisolutionsinc.com
Myra Hundley, Albany Audubon Society program dir., vulcanbutterfly@yahoo.com
Lois Stacey, Augusta-Aiken Audubon Society board president, croakie@comcast.net
Vanessa Lane, Oconee Rivers Audubon Society board president, aiko@geckolair.com
Kelly Hopkins, Atlanta Audubon Society conservation chair, Hopkins_Kelly@bellsouth.net
Ellen Miller, Atlanta Audubon Society board president, Ellen.miller@eclipsys.com
Mary Elfner, National Audubon Society/Georgia IBA, melfner@audubon.org
Respectfully submitted by Mary Elfner and Lynn Tennefoss
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