april 2007 jayhawk audubon society newsletter

8/9/2019 April 2007 Jayhawk Audubon Society Newsletter

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Volume 31, Issue 8 APRIL, 2007

www.jayhawkaudubon.org

MONDAY, APRIL 23RD LIVING GREEN,

CHEAP & HAPPYIN THE 21ST CENTURY

Randi Hacker, author of “ How to Live Green, Cheap

and Happy” (Stackpole Books, 1992), will speak to the AprJAS meeting about how her tips on saving money and savingthe planet are more pertinent than ever in the new millen-nium. “This delightful book is filled with advice to take theconscientious person to the next level” of green living.(www.newdream.org/) In this book, Randi coined the now popular phrase “Join the Earth Gym” saying “Earth is theultimate workout planet, offering…everything a gym has,except a convenient wall of mirrors.” (p.62)

In a June, 2005 “Common Ground” editorial, Carl Nagisaid “The environment is now a global social justice and

public health issue. And where national leaders and poli

cies fail, cities and citizens must take up the charge.”Randi will help us personally “take up the charge” to reduceenvironmental damage from modern ways and like it! Thewebsite above has a “turn the tide” section for starters.

Meet Randi Hacker at Zen Zero, 811 Mass for BYOdinner at 6:00. Talk at 7:30pm at 1245 New Hampshire inthe Trinity Lutheran Fellowship Hall. Parking east of theChurch. Refreshments will be served and “How to Live

Green, Cheap and Happy” will be available for purchase.

2007 IMAGINATION & PLACEENVIRONMENTAL AWARD PRESENTATION

& Community Mercantile Earth Day Forum:“The Future of Food”

April 18, 7-9pm Lawrence Arts Center

BIRDATHON 2007

WHAT: Birders stretch by

searching out as manyspecies of birds as possible during a 24hour period; donors feel great pledgingsupport per species found or a set amount.

WHEN: Saturday, May 5th - Sunday, May 6th.

WHERE: Wherever you like to bird! .

WHY: Primary fundraiser supporting conser-vation and educational activities of JAS.

WHO: All members and friends of JayhawkAudubon as donors and/or birders.

Birdathon is JAS’ main source of dollars to fundactivities benefiting the entire community: EagleDay, Wetlands and Earth Day activities, AOK &Monarch Watch donations, speakers & newsletter.

Please help as much as you are able.

Contact Richard Bean, Birdathon Coordi-

nator at 785-979-2649 to volunteer. It’s all

about keeping island Earth afloat!!

Belted Kingfisher Steven D’Amato

By Iskren Rumenov Petrov, Age 14. Bulgaria. Regional Winner International Children’s

Painting Competition. 2005. Theme: Green Cities. ©UN Environmental Programme



JAYHAWK AUDUBON SOCIETY2

Conservation Corner by Mike Fraley

Audubon Alaska seeksKansans’ help for the Tongass

The Jayhawk Audubon Society had the honor of hosting Mr. Stan Senner, Audubon Alaska, at our March membership program. Mr. Senner presented avery informative, enlightening program on conserva-tion issues in the Tongass National Forest, the largestU.S. national forest and arguably the most significantold-growth temperate rainforest on earth. His photos

and stories of the devastating effects on wildlife andhuman residents of past clear cutting of old growthtimber showed the need for a sustainable way to recon-cile needs of wildlife, natives and the timber industry..

The U.S. Forest Service is in the process of revisingthe Tongass Land Management Plan (TLMP). Theyhave developed 7 different alternatives of the TLMP,with a range of logging levels and protections for intact watershed areas. Audubon Alaska has identifiedthe remaining intact watersheds whose preservation

offers the greatest long term hope for the Tongassecosystem and supports “Alternative 1” as the bestoption presented by the U.S. Forest Service.

Please assist Audubon Alaska, and show your

support for the Tongass National Forest, by con-

tacting the U.S. Forest Service and urging them to

adopt “Alternative 1” of the TLMP.

We have made it easy for you to contact the USFS inthis vital effort. Visit the JAS website at http://

skyways.lib.ks.us/orgs/jayhawkaudubon/ to find moreinformation, links, address and a sample letter to cut, paste, complete and mail or e-mail. If you do not haveaccess to the internet contact Mike Fraley at 785-550-2785 and I will deliver a sample letter to your home (inLawrence) for you to complete and mail.

The Forest Service has extended the comment

period to April 30, 2007.

>>Bird a NEW Place<<

You’re asked to watch the Birdiesat the

~ Birdwatching Open~

JAS member Monica Higgins, LandscapeSupervisor and Audubon Coordinator at ShadowGlen the Golf Club in Olathe, invites fellow bird-ers to help with the North American BirdwatchingOpen, an Audubon International sponsored birdcounting competition among golf courses acrossthe United States. Lastyear Shadow Glen placed

2nd with 83 species(!), bested only by the Land-ings Club in Savannah,GA with 99 species. (fyi:Audubon International isnot related to NAS.).

Limited to the golf club property, the count isheld for 24 hours on May 12, International

Migratory Bird Day. Monica is count coordina-tor and begins around 4:30 am. Because the count

is on private property and could impact golf play,all interested parties must contact her to receivedirection and instructions on the count. Number of participants may be limited.

Contact Monica at 913-764-6531, ext. 19.

The theme of International Migratory Bird Day2007 is “Birds in a Changing Climate.” For moreinfo http://birds.fws.gov/imbd or 703-358-2318.

Steven D’AmaUpland Sandpi

Add Your Noteto the JAS Song The Board Nominating Commitee is meeting soon. We haveseveral vacancies for next year and your ideas, energy and newface would be welcomed with ahappy chorus. If there is ANY

POSITION that interests you, call Chuck Herman, 913-301-3921 or Susan Iversen 785-843-1142. Emailaddresses on p. 7.

Golden-winged Warbler Steven D’Amato



JAYHAWK AUDUBON SOCIETY 3

THE JAYHAWK AUDUBON POSITION ON THE“KANSAS RIVER EXPRESSION OF SOUL” PROJECT

The Jayhawk Audubon Board of Directors supports the goals and mission of KREOS with its expresseddesire to improve habitat, bring together artists, scientists and the public in nature and have more avenues for displaying art, but there are grave concerns about the siting and probable effects of the KREOS project as itis currently formulated. Actions taken by your JAS Board have included writing a letter to involved partieslaying out these concerns in detail and suggesting possible solutions, meeting with Marie Thompson andother KREOS participants at the site, scheduling ongoing meetings to search for solutions agreeable to allstakeholders, and holding a bird walk so that the public can gain a better idea of why we are concerned.

THE BIRD WALK will be led by Galen Pittman and/or Bob Antonio, both JAS members and expert birders who are intimately familiar withBurcham Park, the birds that rely on the park habitat particularly duringspring and fall migrations, and which features of the habitat make it sovaluable to avian migrants. The walk is on APRIL 21 AT 7 A.M.

Meet in the main Burcham Park parking lot on the river edge. The park entrance is at the north end of Indiana Street just opposite the water treatment plant and over the railroad tracks. April 21st is the LawrenceEarth Day celebration, but the bird walk will be over in plenty of timefor you to attend the parade and events at South Park.

Here is the letter the JAS board sent to KREOS in early March, 2007:

In late January, the Jayhawk Audubon Society (JAS) became aware of the Kansas River Expression of Soul (KREOS) project slated for the Burcham woods and trail connecting Burcham and Constant Parks. We support your desire toeducate the public about the Kaw River ecosystem and environmental issues, to restore/improve habitat for wildlife,facilitate interactions between artists and scientists, provide support for local environmental artists and showcase their work, execute stream bank stabilization and measures that beautify while enhancing the public’s experience of our urban riverfront. We applaud the intent and mission of the KREOS project in general but would like to share someconcerns about siting and planning.

Lawrence is extremely fortunate to have wild habitat within its city limits, reaching east and west along the Kaw for miles from downtown. Indeed, how many cities can boast of a downtown area visited by Bald eagles every winter.Many citizens visit these river woodlands for a natural experience close to the city and a refuge from human activities.

The wooded area selected for “Phase I” of the project, the Burcham trailhead to the first bridge, provides habitat for anincredible diversity of bird species. Please see attachments for a more detailed description of the importance of thehabitat and a list of 210 bird species sighted in Burcham Park since 1984. Although not pristine wilderness, this area isknown as some of the best habitat for many birds, most notably migratory passerines, in the area. Rather than improv-ing this habitat, the alterations proposed by the KREOS project will make it less attractive to some of these species.Clearing of trees or undergrowth, or spraying of herbicides (including for poison ivy, which is an allergen only tohumans), will make it less desirable for rarer bird species and encourage common or invasive species.

(continued on reverse)

Belted kingfishersWinthrop Packard“Woodland Tales” 1910



JAYHAWK AUDUBON SOCIETY4

(KREOS letter continued)

This area already provides a special place for the residents of the city and supports a wonderful diversity of wildlife.We therefore respectfully ask that you reevaluate the siting of the KREOS project. Artists have a long history of turning “undesirable” or blighted areas into interesting and beautiful places. For example, creative community

garden projects in inner cities transform dangerous and decrepit vacant lots into living gardens filled with art,edibles, and habitat. The KREOS project could likewise create wildlife habitat in an area where currently none exists.

One possibility is to shift the project out of the woods to adjacent open lawn at either edge. With the cooperation of Parks and Recreation and Westar’s Green Team among others, you would have an excellent opportunity to extendthe woods and “improve” the existing lawn areas with native plant restoration, a sculpture/art park, trails, educationalsignage, benches, etc. There you could have a “blank canvas” so to speak more consistent with your stated goals of “improving” habitat. You have access to the larger developed park and parking lot, proximity to the downtown areafor envisioned art festivals, and plenty of room for outdoor classroom activity.

Transforming the strip of grass between the woods and the parking lot/entry road into restored woodlands wouldcreate a sort of sculpture “gateway” to the woods and trail. You could highlight what already exists in Burcham

woods through art and education , and in so doing help people understand and experience the tremendous birdlifethat currently only a handful of dedicated birders know about. Stream bank stabilization could still be a major com- ponent and perhaps some modest sculptures could even appear alongside the existing river trail. Building on the ex-ample of Eldon Tefft’s magnificent limestone sculpture “The Keepers of Our Universe”, larger, more permanent pieces could appear all around the edges of the park, and in parks all over the city perhaps! “This is my piece on theenvironment,” Tefft said in a Journal World interview from 1990. “If we wreck the environment we don’t havemuch left.”

In addition, JAS feels there are several details that need to be in place for the project to be viable. Werecommend that there be:

-a detailed plan for implementation of the project-a long-term maintenance plan

-clear guidelines for what is environmentally appropriate, developed by a team of scientistsand biologists

-an advisory panel of scientists/biologists working in true collaboration with artists

We would like to help make this project the best that it can be without compromising the last fragments of woodlandhabitat within the city limits. We request that Jayhawk Audubon Society not be listed on the web site as a supporter of the project as it currently stands. We are however interested in assisting in an advisory role and would like to con-sider greater participation in the future should the above recommendations be adopted.Please keep us apprised of developments and do not hesitate to let us know if we can be of assistance. We sincerely thank you for your time and attention to our concerns.

Lisa Grossman, for the Jayhawk Audubon Board

cc: Linda Baranski, Lawrence Art Guild presidentBrad Loveless, Westar Energy’s Green TeamJohn Hachmeister, Associate Professor of SculptureDavid Corliss, Lawrence City Manager Fred DeVictor, Director of Lawrence Parks and RecreationMike Amyx, Mayor Sue Hack, Vice-Mayor City Commissioners: Boog Highberger, Mike Rundle, David Schauner

Salamander. Dibujos para pintar

Pileated woodp

Steven D’Amat



JAYHAWK AUDUBON SOCIETY KIDS’ PAGE 5

The Micmac tribe of Canada calls the month of April “Penamuikus”.

It means: When Birds lay eggs

WHAT IS HAPPENING INSIDE

THOSE EGGS?

~These are the parts of an egg. Read the

definitions, then label the drawing. air cell :Empty space at the large end of the egg.

Helps keep moisture in the egg.albumin: The egg white

chalaza : Spiral, rope-like strand that anchors the yolk.

germinal disc : A small white spot on the yolk that is the

very youngest stage of the embryo.

shell : The hard, protective covering of the egg.

yolk: The yellow part of the egg. It is the

food that

the embryo uses to grow.~ Embryo

=The

earliest

stages of

growth

~Every

species of bi

lays a

different looking egg!!

Whose beautiful e s?

In just 3 weeks, the tiny germinal disc

grows inside the egg into a baby chick.(www,inquiry.uiuc.edu. University of Illinois

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Enchantedlearning

Stanford

Universit

The exhaustedchick restsafter hatching.



kids’ page JAYHAWK AUDUBON SOCIETY 6

BIRDS BUILD NESTS TO HAVE

A SAFE PLACE FOR THEIR EGGS.

~Eggs can’t get too hot or too cold or the baby bird (embryo) inside might die.

The nest helps the parent birds keep the eggs at the best temperature.

~Eggs taste good so they need to be kept safe from other animals that want

to eat them. Squirrels, snakes, raccoons and even other birds all eat eggs.

THERE ARE MANY KINDS OF BIRD NESTS. The nests shown

can all be found in our area.Keep a sharp lookout

and you may find one!

Cavity nest in tree.

Downy Woodpecker.

Diane Pierce. Florida Wildlife Service

Songbird stick cup nest

Wood Thrush. Winthrop Pack

Hanging nest.

Baltimore Oriole Natural History Museumof Los Angeles

Mud, grass & feather nest.

Barn SwallowPlant fiber, spider silk & lichen ne

Ruby-throated Hummingbird



JAYHAWK AUDUBON SOCIETY 7

JAS officers & Board Members

President: Chuck Herman: [email protected]

Vice President: Pam ChaffeeRecording Sec’y: Joyce Wolf

Corresponding:: Susan IversenTreasurer: Jennifer DelisleMember Chapter Change Report: Chuck & Ruth HermanMembershipPromotion: Dayna Carleton Newsletter: Susan Iversen: 785-843-1142

[email protected]: Michael FraleyPrograms: Jennifer DelisleEducation: Rex Powell Field Trip: VOLUNTEER NEEDEDPublicity: Dayna Carleton

Electronic Communications: Karyn Baker-RineyBird Seed Sale: Linda Lips Birdathon: Richard BeanChristmas Count: Galen PittmanMigratory Count: VOLUNTEER NEEDEDEagles Day: Ed & Cynthia ShawHospitality: Esther SmithHistorian: Ron Wolf Books & Feeders: Ron & Joyce Wolf Board Member: Sharon AshworthBoard Member: Lisa GrossmanBoard Member: Bunnie Watkins Board Member: Ed ShawBoard Member: Cynthia ShawBoard Member: Jake Vail

THROW OFF YOUR WINTER CARES &

PLAY AT ONE OF THESE EVENTS!

~Chase Cty Prairie Fire FestivalApril 9 - 14. Quilts, wildlife, art, music,

plants. www.prairiefirefestival.com.

620-273-6020. Cottonwood Falls, KS

~Burcham Park Bird Walk. April 21, 7 a.m. Meet

at the main parking lot by the edge of the

Kaw. Find out why this small wood is special.

~Earth Day Celebration. April 21. Parade at 11

through downtown Lawrence. South Park Celebration at

11:30am to 4 pm. Your help would be most welcome at the

JAS table for any amount of time you can give. Contact

Chuck Herman or Susan Iversen - info in list at right.

~JAS MEETING: Monday April 23.

7:30pm. Randi Hacker, “Living Green,

Cheap & Happy in the 21st Century.” 1245 New Hampshire. Trinity Lutheran Church Fellowship

Hall. BYO dinner with Randi - 6pm at Zen Zero, 811 Mass

~La Grande Birding Fiesta. Ernie Miller Park. Olathe.

8:30am-12pm. Kids & beginning birders. www.jcprd.com.

~Kansas Ornithological Society Spring Meeting.

May 4-6. Bird Brown, Doniphan, Nemaha Ctys, KS,

Squaw Creek, MO & Indian Cave St. Park, NE.

Stay at Sycamore Springs. www.ssresort.com.

Complete schedule and registration forms at

www.ksbirds.org/SpringMtg07 by April 20th.~JAS Birdathon-May 5,6. Page 1. You

could bird for Birdathon at the KOS meeting!

~Birdwatching Open-May 12. Page 2

~Monarch Watch Spring Open

House/Plant Fundraiser-May 12. 8am-3 pm. Plants, children’s games, Monarchs.

~May 21-JAS Meeting-Rain Gardens

24th Annual Clinton Lake Clean-u

April 28th

, 2007 9:00 am – 1:00 p

Meet at Overlook Park Shelter #1

The Corp of Engineers invites you to spenmorning beautifying Clinton Lake. The mchore will be picking up litter, but it will n be all work and no play.Activities planned (other than clean-up) ar- Weird trash contest: prizes!

- Ca$$ for trash coupons hidden in the litt- Enjoy a free hot dog lunch for all volunt- Meet “Woodsy” (give a hoot, don’t pollu- Meet volunteers (human and animal) froOperation Wildlife

Don’t forget to wear good outdoor shoesand bring your gloves. Trash bags will be provided. For more information contact PRanger Kipp Walters at 785-843-7665

- Mike Fraley

Flycatcher. Arthur’sClip Art

Piping Plover S. D’Amato



Jayhawk Audubon SocietyP.O. Box 3741Lawrence, KS 66046Return Service Requested

Nonprofit OrganizationU.S. Postage

PAIDLawrence, KS

Permit No. 201

Application for New Membership in both: National Audubon Society and Jayhawk Chapter ___$15 Student; ___$20 Introductory for NEW members; ____$15 Senior Citizen.(Make check payable to National Audubon Society.)

Application for Chapter-only Membership (Jayhawk Audubon Society). No Audubon magazine. ___$7.50 Chapter-only (Make check payable to Jayhawk Audubon Society.) Those with National Audubonmemberships are encouraged to support the chapter by voluntarily paying these dues. Chapter membershipexpires annually in July.

National Audubon Society members receive four issues per year of the Audubon magazine and are alsomembers of the Jayhawk Chapter. All members also receive 10 issues of this newsletter per year and areentitled to discounts on books and feeders that are sold to raise funds to support education and conservation projects. Please send this completed form and check to Membership Chairs at the following address:

Ruth & Chuck Herman; 20761 Loring Road, Linwood, KS 66052; e-mail contact:

[email protected] . {National Members Renewing: please use the billing form receivedfrom National and send it with payment to National Audubon Society in Boulder, CO}.

Name __________________________; Address ___________________________________________;

City ___________________________; State ______; ZIP Code (9) digit _______________;

Telephone (with Area Code) ___________________ J02: 7XCH

4/ 2 1: B u r c h a m B i r d W

a l k - P. 3

4/ 2 3: JAS Mee

t i n g: L i ve G ree n, C he a p

& H a p p y !

5/ 5-6: B i r d a t h

o n & K OS S p r i n

g M e e t i n g: P p. 1& 7

C a l l fo r To n g as

s Ac t io n: P. 2

K R EOS Pos i t io

n: P p. 3 & 4

K I DS ’ PA G E: E

g gs a nd Nes ts

Whimbrels. Steven D’Amato

april 2007 jayhawk audubon society newsletter

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