Announcements

Hummingbird by Lorain County Photographic Artist David Fisk

In many parts of North America, colder temperatures, falling snow, and freezing lakes and rivers make it harder for birds to survive. Here are a few tips to make life a bit easier for your birds so you can count them when the 15th annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) begins on February 17 - 20, 2012! The event is free and only requires a few hours of your time and a computer to email your results!!

- Fill your feeders early. Many people only start feeding birds once winter arrives, but it can take weeks for birds to find your feeders. Put them out sooner or keep them filled year-round.

- Offer a bird buffet. Different species of birds have different food preferences. Safflower or black oil sunflower seeds appeal to the greatest variety of birds. Finches go for nyger seed (thistle), and suet will lure in woodpeckers, wrens, and nuthatches.

- Install a hot tub. Not for you—for the birds! Heated bird baths are a great way to attract birds in winter when other water sources may be frozen. You can buy bird baths with built-in heaters, or just add a waterproof heater to an existing bird bath.

- Give them shelter. Help birds remain safe from predators. You can buy or build bird houses or roost boxes, or create a brush pile. Plant evergreens or recycle a Christmas tree to give birds a place to rest or hide.

Log onto bird count for more information about the GBBC, and find more helpful tips at Audubon at Home and All About Birds or email Citizen Science

Black River Audubon has been offering scholarships for campers since 1988. We have sent many educators, naturalists and community leaders who have returned to use their newly acquired knowledge and skills to educate our community and our young people about conservation of birds, other wildlife and their habitats. We continue this practice by offering to pay tuition, room and board to a qualified candidate who is willing to follow the footsteps of those who have gone to Hog Island and come back as ambassadors of conservation and education in our community.

The camper spends one week off the coast of Maine learning from respected naturalists and environmental educators such as Kenn Kaufman, Scott Weidensaul, Pete Dunne and Stephen Kress. Hog Island campers love its natural setting and rustic 19th-century buildings. Campers stay in rooms with twin beds, or a dormitory. Delicious meals are served family style in a communal dining room.

And now Black River Audubon Society has awarded its Hog Island scholarship to Donna Parrish, a biology/environmental science teacher at Oberlin High School. Ms. Parrish will be attending the Educators' Workshop July 19-24 and learning new teaching skills and knowledge about our environment from some the nation's leading environmental educators. This is the 25th year that our chapter has awarded scholarships to send educators and naturalist to camps where they learn and return to help educate our community about the environment and conservation of our natural resources. Congratulation Ms. Parrish. We wish you a great experience!

Attention Educators: Black River Audubon is offering to provide you with national awarding winning environmental education teaching materials called Audubon Adventures. The material is presented at a level that is great for 3-5th grade, but can be adapted for other grades as well as the developmentally disabled. Each kit consist of teacher resources materials with hands-on activities and student newspapers for each student. This year's theme is Feathers, Fur, Fins and You. It contains materials on teaching about the many ecosystems of our largest state, Alaska, and about our river inhabitants and habitats, and a look at our pollinators, the hummingbirds, bees, butterflies and moths. Contact Dick Lee, Ed. chair, at leedck@windstream.net. if you are interested or pass this information on to someone who might be.

Jack Smith, who has always been concerned about the environment, is a charter member of BRAS, started in 1958, and of the Firelands Land Conservancy (now part of Western Reserve Land Conservancy). He was instrumental in starting and currently maintaining the BRAS Bluebird project which has over 400 nest boxes monitored by 25 volunteers throughout the county. He also helped through the Elyria Rotary Club in getting funds for the Cascade pool house being renovated into a nature center. He started a program of introducing National Audubon environmental education kits into the schools of third through sixth graders which has grown to over 150 classrooms in the county. His vision has not only helped preserve good wildlife habitat but has helped educate our young people about conservation of our natural resources.

BRAS donated a Purple Martin gourd set-up at Lakeview Park in Lorain this past spring (2011). It's been a big success with 60 to 70 fledglings and 40 to 50 adults, as of August, 2011. Info from Harriet Alger.

                                 

In the April/May 2010 National Wildlife Magazine, experts chose the top spring birding spots. One of the experts, Kenn Kaufman, chose the Magee Marsh Wildlife Area/Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge. He says it is the warbler capital of the world and among the top five spring birding destinations in North America.