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ONE DAY LEFT TO REGISTER!!
Bird Habitat Recognition Program Update!
Please join us via zoom at 7:00 PM on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, to learn more.
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Our Pennsylvania Audubon Council Bird Habitat Recognition Task Force has continued its work as we move forward with a new and updated Bird Habitat Recognition Program. Some of the key components of the program will be shared for comment and input during the webinar. The Bird Habitat Recognition sign has been redesigned and will include space for each participating chapter to include their logo and web address in the corner of the sign. The application has been reviewed and updated. A Bird Habitat Recognition Program “Rack” card is being designed for each participating chapter to promote the program. The webinar will outline the role and responsibilities of the Council, the chapters, and the Bird Towns in support of the program. The benefits of participation in the program for individual property owners, chapters, and Bird Towns will be outlined as well.
The goals of the Bird Habitat Recognition Program are to educate, engage and empower chapter members and Bird Town residents, and others in the effort to promote bird friendly practices at their homes, places of work and worship with an emphasis on native plants in landscaping and bird safe practices like mitigating bird collisions with windows. THERE IS STILL TIME TO REGISTER!! Please join us via zoom at 7:00 PM on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, to learn more.
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WHAT IS HAPPENING IN HARRISBURG?
April Conservation Updates with Andy Loza!
7:00 PM on Thursday, April 24, 2025
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Our next quarterly Conservation Update with Andy Loza, Executive Director of WeConservePA, is well timed now that our chapters have identified our Conservation Issues of Highest Priority for 2025/2026! Action in the General Assembly is still getting started with a few pieces of legislation introduced and others anticipated. Tess Wilson alerted us to the Riparian Buffer Bill (HB673) and Native Habitats at Commonwealth Facilities Bill (HB 426). Andy Loza alerted us to a proposed Lights Out Bill (HB 969) and an expanded responsibilities for environmental impact reports for burdened communities (HB 109). We continue to track any progress in the Solar for All (HB 362). Of course, as we enter Spring, things will heat up around the state budget for the next fiscal year. We will need to be ready to act to support full funding of DCNR, DEP, and other state environmental agencies and programs!
Andy will provide his second quarterly update at 7:00 PM on Thursday, April 24, 2025, via zoom. We can expect to get a report on the status of the budget discussions and an update on the status of some key items of environmental legislation that have been introduced early in this session. Save the date for the future quarterly updates that are scheduled for 7:00 PM on Thursday, July 24, 2025, and Thursday, October 23, 2025.
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OUR CHAPTERS EXPRESSED THEIR VIEWS!
Our Conservation Issues of Highest Priority 2025/2026
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We are pleased to report that nineteen of our twenty Pennsylvania chapters participated in this year’s survey to identify what conservation issues are of highest priority to our chapters! We are also pleased that Audubon MidAtlantic’s Jim Brown and Tess Wilson also added their comments on the issues in the survey. The results of the survey were the focus of a Council webinar on the evening of Monday, March 24, 2025. We reviewed the results of the survey and those issues that had consensus support as our “conservation issues of highest priority” for the 2025/2026 legislative sessions in Harrisburg and Washington D.C. It is notable that our chapters continued to indicate broad and continuing support for our priority issues from 2023/2024 and supported the addition of two “new” priorities. The summary of the results is as follows:
High Priority Conservation Issues Retained With 100 % Chapter Support:
- Mitigation of Bird Collision with Glass and Other Reflective Surfaces
- Lights Out
- Habitat Restoration & Native Plants
- Funding State and Federal Environmental Agencies and Programs
High Priority Conservation Issues Retained or Added with over 80% Chapter Support:
- Utility Scale Solar
- Industrial Wind Farms
- Environmental Education
- Single-use Plastics
High Priority Conservation Issues Added with over 80% Chapter Support:
- Important Bird Areas
- PA Wilds
The topic of “Bird Safe Pennsylvania” was broadly supported and we determined this is better treated as a Council program initiative that integrates the “Bird Collisions” and” Lights Out” priorities. The suggestion is for the Council to facilitate and coordinate efforts that are being mounted by our chapters, Bird Towns, and other partners in the Commonwealth.
Issues that did not receive consensus from our chapters included: Transmission lines and Pipelines, White-tailed Deer, Fracking, Cats, and Mine Clean Up and Well-Capping. These were acknowledged as important issues but not high priority issues for the Council or our chapters. These were not added to our list for 2025/2026.
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CHAPTER NETWORKING FORUM!
Recruitment of Officers and Board Members!
The Council hosted a Chapter Networking Forum on the timely topic of approaches used by chapters to successfully recruit individuals for service on chapter committees, boards members, and as officers. Participants heard from Zach Richard, President of Appalachian Audubon Society, who reviewed his chapter’s successful approach. Peter Saenger, President, and Barbara Malt, Vice-President, of Lehigh Valley Audubon Society, shared their success with recruiting volunteers. Leigh Altadonna, Past-President of the Liberty Bird Alliance, profiled their approach in recruiting candidates for their chapter board. The program triggered lots of questions and discussion on what has worked and what has not worked in this quest for sustainable chapter leadership. The program was rcorded, and all are welcome to hear the recording here:
| | We invite chapters to submit nominations for worthy candidates to be recognized with the Pennsylvania Audubon Council Walt Pomeroy Conservation Award. There are many individuals throughout our chapter network who have been devoted to the work of their chapters and dedicated to the conservation of birds. | | Check out the information about the award and access the nomination form on the Council website at: paauduboncouncil.org. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis at any time of year! We have received nominations, but we are very willing to receive and consider additional nominations. | | |
CALL FOR BOARD NOMINATIONS!
Pennsylvania Audubon Council Nominating Committee is Formed!
The 2025 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 of the Tiadaghton 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, 2025, through June 30, 2026. 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 3, 2025. 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 2025-2026 ballot. We hope to replicate last year’s election where every Pennsylvania Audubon Chapter participated 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.
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EARTH DAY, MIGRATORY BIRD DAY, AND MORE!
Share Promotions and Photos on Our Council Facebook Page!
Spring is a very active time for chapters with spring migration bird walks, community events, native plant sales and an array of community outreach and tabling activities for Earth Day and Migratory Bird Day and more! We welcome chapters to promote their events and to share photos and posts that celebrate participation in these chapter-based events and activities. The Pennsylvania Audubon Council Facebook demonstrates the vibrancy of our chapter network! Add your chapter’s posts that feature upcoming events, projects, and activities. Visit the Pennsylvania Audubon Council Facebook Page where there are frequent posts that spotlight chapter events and activities. It is a “private” Facebook but available to be viewed publicly. You and your chapter social media can request permission to post your chapter events to foster broader interest in your programs.
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WHO’S WHO IN YOUR CHAPTER?
Keep Us Apprised of Your Leadership Changes!
Special thanks to those of you who have sent us the names and contact information of new board and/or committee members for additions to our DRUMMER mailing list. Some of our chapters operate on a fiscal year calendar and conduct elections in May and June. Please provide the names and email contacts for changes or updates of your officers and board members so that they can be added to the mailing list for the DRUMMER.
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