The Pennsylvania Audubon Council
“WALT POMEROY CONSERVATION AWARD”
A Call for Nominations for 2024!
|
|
The Nomination Form and directions for the Pennsylvania Audubon Council Walt Pomeroy Conservation Award will be available on the Council website this month. The nomination window will be open through June 15, 2024. The Council Executive Committee will review the nominations and a selection for the Pennsylvania Audubon Council Walt Pomeroy Conservation Award will be announced. The tradition has been to present the award in an informal basis at a chapter designated location or event. The award has been presented in simple ceremonies and not intended to be given as apart of a fundraising event.
The Council Executive Committee sought to ensure that this award filled a niche that will distinguish us from the many other worthy recognition programs that are already out there. Our focus is on the chapter network to identify nominees associated with their chapters who have worked to promote the conservation issues of highest priority identified by our chapters through the Council. This is not intended as a “lifetime” achievement award for a beloved chapter leader. Rather it is intended for a leader that has worked on issues. The individual may have served as an officer or board member of a chapter but led an extraordinary conservation effort.
The Walt Pomeroy Award is not intended as a posthumous recognition but past examples might help serve to illustrate the kind of nominations sought. Tom Dick was the founder of Allegheny Plateau Audubon Society and the Allegheny Front Hawk Watch. Tom had been recognized with the Dutcher Award by Walt Pomeroy many years ago and remains an example of the kind of candidate we would look for who is active today. Another example is East Stroudsburg University Professor, Larry Rymon, who coordinated the project to reintroduce the Osprey as a breeder in Pennsylvania after it had been expatriated for many years in the shadow of DDT. He worked closely with several chapters, the Council, and the MidAtlantic Regional Office with this project. While he was not on a chapter board, he spearheaded this project that was important to the chapters and the Council. Are there potential nominees that are closely associated with a chapter(s).
|
|
Special thanks are due to our “blue ribbon” recruited to help the Council propose guidelines and criteria as we seek nominations for future awardees. This group is comprised of Cindy Adams Dunn, Marci Mowery, Amy Weidensaul, Scott Weidensaul, and Paul Zeph. All five of these individuals knew and worked with Walt Pomeroy. In addition, these individuals have been supporters of the Audubon Council of Pennsylvania and understand the connections of the Walt Pomeroy Conservation Award with our Pennsylvania Audubon Chapters and the Council.
The first Pennsylvania Audubon Council (PAAC) “Walt Pomeroy Conservation Award” was presented to Cindy Adams Dunn, Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources (DCNR) on October 26, 2022. The presentation took place at the Rachel Carson Office Building in Harrisburg with a small audience of friends and staff. Lin Pomeroy made the presentation along with John Booth, Executive Director of the Ned Smith Center. John donated the special edition of the Ned Smith print for this Award. The Pennsylvania Audubon Council Executive Committee reinaugurated its conservation award in honor of Walt Pomeroy, a great friend of Audubon. Cindy was the clear choice as the recipient of this award. Her long association with Appalachian Audubon, the Audubon Council of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Audubon Council, and her long record of conservation made her the outstanding honoree!
Secretary Dunn was presented with a Conservation Edition of “Deep Woods Drummer,” a Ruffed Grouse by noted artist, Ned Smith. The framed print included an engraved plate that documented the presentation of the award. Information about Walt Pomeroy, the award named in his honor, Ned Smith, and the print, was provided on the back of the framed print.
(Pictured from the left, are John Booth, Executive Director of the Ned Smith Center; Heidi Shiver, PAAC Secretary and President of Bird Town Pennsylvania; Lin Pomeroy, Cindy Adams Dunn, and Leigh Altadonna, PAAC)
|
|
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS!
Pennsylvania Audubon Council Nominating Committee is Formed!
The 2024 Nominating Committee of the Pennsylvania Audubon Council has been appointed. The Committee includes: Ali Bowling, bowling.a@alumni.ou.edu. Past President, Appalachian Audubon Society; Michael Celec, MCelec@BCAS.org, Executive Director, Bucks County Audubon; and Robin Minnick, robinm19@ptd.net Secretary, Tiadaughton Audubon Society. The Nominating Committee is charged with the responsibility to solicit nominations and recommend a slate of Officers and additional individuals to serve with the Officers on the Executive Committee of the Council. All positions are for election to one-year terms from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. The Executive Committee conducts a virtual monthly meeting and holds additional meetings if needed. Although all current Officers and Representatives to the Executive Committee are eligible to be nominated, we welcome anyone interested in serving on the Executive Committee.
We will solicit nominations through May 10, 2024. The Nominating Committee will put forward a slate of nominees later in May and the election will take place by virtual ballot. Each chapter will be invited to cast its “chapter vote” and submit their 2024-2025 ballot. We hope to replicate last year’s election that witnessed all Pennsylvania Audubon Chapters participating in the election! We invite chapter leaders to nominate individuals for any of these posts. If there are additional questions or need for information about service on the Council Board, please contact paauduboncouncil@gmail.com
|
|
“CREATING A SYSTEM OF MUTUAL SUPPORT CHAPTERS!”
Phil Witmer, Valley Forge Audubon, Tess Wilson; Audubon MidAtlantic; and Leigh Altadonna, Wyncote Audubon met in late February to follow up on the January Council Meeting where former Board members of Northeast Pennsylvania Audubon Society chronicled the factors that led them to the decision to dissolve as an organization. We identified two potential avenues to consider the ways the Council can provide support for the chapters to avoid the circumstances that were in play for the Northeast Pennsylvania Audubon Society. One avenue of thought is to welcome any of our sister chapters that have successfully navigated the sustainability issues to share their experience with the Council. The second avenue of thought was to provide a series of webinars on programs or strategies that assist in the durability of the health of a chapter. Topics like the successful use of social media and programs that engage new audiences were identified as potential topics. We welcome your suggestions! Contact Leigh Altadonna @ paauduboncouncil@gmail.com with your ideas!
|
|
THE BIRD TOWN PROGRAM IS GROWING!
The Pennsylvania Audubon Council has continued to promote the expansion of the Bird Town Pennsylvania program through the active participation of our Pennsylvania Audubon chapters. Most of the now 50 Bird Towns and counting are located in the southeastern part of the state. Our Bucks, Lehigh Valley, Valley Forge, and Wyncote Audubon Societies have been important sources of support to the Bird Towns in the communities they serve.
Interest by municipalities in Bird Town program continues to grow. Many municipalities have requested information, welcomed presentations, and are working on applications to become Bird Towns. It is particularly noteworthy that presentations and meetings have been made to South Middleton Township, the county seat, Carlisle Borough, Lemoyne Borough, Mechanicsburg Borough and Harrisburg with the support and help of the Appalachian Audubon Society, the Harrisburg area chapter of the National Audubon Society. The support of the Juniata Audubon Society and State College Bird Club has resulted in a presentation to State College Borough and creation of a Bird Town Committee. There is some initial interest being expressed by Selinsgrove through contacts with Seven Mountains Audubon. The Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania, the largest Audubon chapter in Pennsylvania has agreed to serve as the “Point of Contact” for municipalities located in the ASWP territory that are interested in becoming part of the Bird Town Pennsylvania program. They have secured their own funding and will dedicate staff to recruit, enroll and support over fourteen municipalities.
|
|
Bird Town Leader Virtual Workshop Series 2024
Audubon Chapter Leaders Are Welcome to Participate!
Protecting Birds from Pesticides
7:00 PM, Thursday, April 11, 2024
Approximately 67 million wild birds are killed in the U.S. every year by pesticides. What can we do to help them thrive in an age of pesticide use? This presentation will describe common pesticides we are likely to encounter, how pesticides affect birds, how to protect birds and other wildlife, alternatives to harmful pesticides, and steps you can take to create a safe and healthier habitat in your garden.
Speaker: Marion Yaglinski, Chair of the TTGM Biodiversity Group
|
|
Addressing Light Pollution: Impacts and Best Practices
7:00 PM, Thursday, May 23, 2024
Experts in the field, our speakers will be sharing the negative impacts of lighting on night habitat and the animals that occupy it from plants, birds, insects and humans (including health, crime and environmental justice areas) and what the best practices are for addressing it.
Speakers: Mark Grosz, PA Chapter President of DarkSky International; Diane Turnshek, Carnegie Mellon University; and Bill McGeeney, DarkSky International
|
|
HB1842 COMMUNITY SOLAR BILL PASSED IN THE PA HOUSE!
The Pennsylvania House voted on March 26, 2024 and passed the HB1842, the Community Solar bill. It was adopted by a 111- 90 vote. Representative Peter Schweyer from House District 134, Lehigh County, is the lead sponsor for this legislation. He has noted that there have been several attempts to introduce community solar legislation for several years. Representative Schweyer introduced the legislation in September and its passage in the House is an important milestone. He noted: “the concept is something that most agree is beneficial. We know that solar energy reduces the load on the grid while lowering electric bills. But many residents - who would like to enjoy the benefits of solar - can’t do it on an individual basis, for a myriad of reasons. So, the idea is to provide a mechanism for targeted solar projects in communities that want them. People subscribe, save money, and the grid benefits. The bill now moves to the Pennsylvania State Senate for its consideration.
Members of the Pennsylvania Audubon Council’s Renewable Energy Committee have been tracking this bill. Judy Stepenaskie, Wyncote Audubon, had met with several state representatives to offer suggestions to strengthen the bill to promote the siting of facilities on land that minimized adverse impact on wildlife habitat. The proposed legislation features incentives for community solar facilities to utilize “brownfields.” Susan Murawski, Presque Isle Audubon, has tracked the progress of the bill through the legislature. The adoption of this legislation will add to the need to expand the generation of solar energy, make it available to community residents not able to access solar energy on their own, and help to reduce our consumption of carbon based fossil fuels. A copy of HB1842 can be found at this link:
|
|
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
A Petition to Rename the Pennsylvania Game Commission
There is a movement to bring Pennsylvania Game Commission’s name into the 21st century afoot! Most state wildlife agencies were established in the late 1800s or early 1900s and originally had the word “game” in their names. Over time, most of them replaced “game” with “wildlife” to reflect a broader mission that included species that are not hunted. Pennsylvania is one of only 11 state wildlife agencies that still use “game” in their names. Please consider signing this petition to bring the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s name into the 21st Century. Learn more and let’s get the conversation going to #RenameThePGC by signing the petition at: https://www.change.org/RenameThePGC
|
|
WHAT MATTERS MOST?
Time to Revisit our Conservation Issues of Highest Priority!
It was just two years ago when the Pennsylvania Audubon Council undertook a collective effort to prioritize our conservation issues of greatest concern. We had conducted several virtual sessions that were skillfully facilitated by Phil Witmer, Valley Forge Audubon Society that resulted in broad participation and the identification of the many conservation issues of concern to our chapters. The Council created an on-line form that provided a mechanism for each chapter to provide their perspective on which issues need to rise to the “top” for a focus by the Council. We received “Chapter Prioritization Response Forms” from fifteen chapters that independently reviewed and rated the various issues. A team led by Jim Bonner, Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania, was tasked with the responsibility to review the survey responses and report the consensus for each of the conservation issues our chapters had identified through this process. As a result, our highest priority issues were identified. A series of “Education and Outreach Statements” were developed and adopted by the Council to guide our work. The Renewable Energy and Bird Friendly Buildings Committees were established. These committees provided workshops and webinars for our network of chapter and Bird Town leaders. Conservation Alerts and “sign on letters” were promulgated.
These priorities were identified in advance of the current Congress and General Assembly sessions that will come to a close as 2024 comes to an end. We will need to schedule some sessions to revisit and reassess our current conservation issues of highest priority. The November elections will provide a look at the environmental needs as the next two-year Congressional Session and Pennsylvania State Legislature are seated.
We will establish a plan to address our priorities as we move into the fall. We will need the participation of our chapter leaders including members of your respective Advocacy and Conservation Committee chairs and members as well as other interested Board members.
|
|
UPDATES FOR OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE!
Our Website is on the Move!
The Pennsylvania Audubon Council website has been managed by Marsha Pearson of “Market Your Socks Off” since it was created and launched. Marsha has provided extraordinary service to the Council but has alerted us that she is retiring and will no longer be able to support her services. We are looking ahead to a transition to a new company to manage our website and social media. We welcome any suggestions to improve our website. While major changes are not envisioned, we do seek to make it easier to find content related to our priority conservation issues, and other helpful information. We welcome any suggestions to improve our website. Forward any suggestions or thoughts to paauduboncouncil@gmail.com
Pennsylvania Audubon Council Facebook Page!
We have appreciated the wider use of the Pennsylvania Audubon Council Facebook Page by our chapters. Several chapters now regularly post images and comments of their events and activities. One of the goals of our Facebook page is to demonstrate the vibrancy of our chapter network and the meaningful work that takes place across the Commonwealth. Appalachian Audubon, Lehigh Valley Audubon, and the Lancaster Bird Club now take advantage of the Facebook page to make regular posts. Request to join our Facebook Page if you have not already requested participation!
Audubon Council Archives!
Susan Murawski and Paul Burroughs from Presque Isle Audubon Society were reviewing some of the “old” papers and documents in their files. The pair came across many items that harken back to the Audubon Council of Pennsylvania, the forerunner of today’s Pennsylvania Audubon Council. Some of the documents were internal chapter communications that pertained to the work of the Council and others were broader communications from the Council leadership at that time. Susan Murawski forwarded the handful of items they uncovered and mailed them to me for review as archival documents. It has been suggested that these historic and archival documents be retained and digitized for an archives section of the website. History matters and archival information is part of retaining our history for those who follow us in our chapters and Council leadership.
Nearly every Audubon chapter in Pennsylvania participated in the formation of the Audubon Council of Pennsylvania in 1987/1988. Chapters remained active with the Audubon Council of Pennsylvania through the 1990s. Many chapters have undoubtedly saved documents just as Presque Isle. An example comes from a Juniata Valley Audubon Society’s 1993 “Gnatcatcher” publication (See attached copy) that promoted participation in our annual “Issues Day” from that era. It recalls an era when there was broad communication, coordination, and cooperation between National Audubon, the Audubon MidAtlantic Regional Office, the Council, and our Pennsylvania Chapter Network. Advocacy around our issues of common concern was the hallmark of that era!
|
|
MANAGE YOUR EMAIL IN BOX
Be Sure to Receive Messages from the Council:
The Pennsylvania Audubon Council uses a Gmail address for many routine communications. Because Gmail uses a “.com” in its address, many recipients will find messages routed to a “junk” or “spam” folder. This can be avoided by a simple step as you manage your email at home or work. Simply add paauduboncouncil@gmail.com to your email mailbox and future messages will appear in your regular “inbox” of incoming emails.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
