Chapter Support Is Needed For The Pennsylvania Bird Atlas | | The Pennsylvania Audubon Council is proud to be listed as an inaugural sponsor of the Third Pennsylvania Bird Atlas (PBA3). Amber Wiewel, the lead for the PBA3 effort, provided presentations at the Avian Summit at Franklin and Marshal College in September and the "I Bird, I Vote" gathering in State College hosted by Audubon MidAtlantic last October. Many of our Pennsylvania Audubon chapters have provided significant volunteer hours to PBA3 and understand the significance of this project. | | |
Amber has reached out to alert us that there is a critical need for financial support to help sustain the project through to the end of the current fiscal year. Please use this link to view the Council’s appeal letter and consider a financial contribution to PBA3. The Pennsylvania Audubon Council and Bird Town Pennsylvania Boards have authorized a lead gift of $1000 to PBA3. In addition, Appalachian Audubon and Juniata Valley Audubon Boards have recently committed to donate $1000 each to the PBA3 project as well. We ask each of our chapters to consider a donation of any size to support this important project. Amber has advised that the Pennsylvania Society of Ornithology and Hawk Mountain Sanctuary will be reaching out to encourage financial donations.
Donate today and help continue the legacy of bird conservation that began with the First Atlas in 1983.
| | Chapter Networking For Conservation Update | | |
Our initiative to establish an effective Chapter Network for Conservation took a major step forward when we conducted a productive meeting on Thursday, November 20, 2025. Click here to link to the meeting notes. The meeting outlined the next steps needed to implement this network in the new year. A major step included the establishment of the Pennsylvania Audubon Council’s “Advocacy and Conservation Committee.” The Committee includes Liz Brensinger, Lehigh Valley Audubon Society; Laura Jackson, Juniata Valley Audubon Society; Perri Strawn, Delaware Valley Ornithological Club; and Nilesh Shah, Liberty Bird Alliance in support of coordination of the “Google Group” being established for the Conservation Network. Leigh Altadonna, Pennsylvania Audubon Council and Tess Wilson, Audubon MidAtlantic will also provide support for this new committee.
The committee will meet early in the new year to begin our work including a plan to focus on the conservation issues of highest priority for our chapters. It is recognized that there are a myriad of environmental issues and threats at the Federal and state levels. We recognize that we do not have the capacity to address every issue and challenge that comes along. Our focus on birds is the critical factor in setting these priorities and “birds will lead us to our work!” Our continuing efforts to protect the Endangered Species Act is a good example of setting a priority at the Federal level. Our continuing efforts to support “Community Solar” legislation, and funding for “Solar for Schools” and “Solar for All” programs are a good example of our focus at the state level. We will also need to monitor what comes forward as we are at the end of the two-year legislative sessions in both Harrisburg and Washington D.C. The fact that we are in an election year will have a bearing on what emerges as conservation challenges.
Establishing our Conservation Google Group will be important as we close out 2025 and begin 2026. The Council’s Conservation Google Group will be the principal communication forum by the Council Conservation Committee members, key chapter leaders, chapter conservation or advocacy chairs, and/or another chapter designee to discuss conservation issues and action. Members of the Conservation Google Group can view, respond, and track conservation related emails and messages that are organized into conversation threads. Nilesh Shah will manage the Conservation Google Group. We recommend that each chapter and conservation partner designate one or two individuals to participate in the Conservation Google Group. Use the link below to the form to add your chapter’s name(s) to participate in the Council’s Conservation Google Group.
ADD YOUR CHAPTER TO THE GOOGLE GROUP
Finally, Tess Wilson and Leigh Altadonna will provide a special workshop for chapter leaders, membership chairs and conservation chairs at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, January 27, 2026. We will provide suggestions on how the new Audubon membership report can be used to identify individuals in your chapter territories that have an interest in advocacy.
| | The Pennsylvania Audubon Council urges our Chapters to identify a chapter leader or member who hunts, fishes, AND BIRDS to consider applying as a candidate for a seat on the Game Commission Board! WE NEED VOICES FOR BIRDS and NON-GAME SPECIES ON THIS BOARD! Please find the Press Release below: | | |
There are two vacancies on the Board for District 6 and District 7 where we have active chapters:
- District 6: Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Mifflin, Perry, Snyder, and York counties
- District 7: Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne, and Wyoming counties
Please notify any potential candidate(s) in your chapters who would be good candidates to serve. Individuals interested in applying should email a resume and cover letter, formatted in a Word or PDF document, by Friday, January 3rd, to Derek Eberly, Director of the Governor’s Advisory Council for Hunting, Fishing and Conservation, deeberly@pa.gov.
ACT NOW: Note the short timeline to turn this around!
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Bird Habitat Recognition Program
Review and Evaluation of the Program Roll Out
| | The Council hosted a forum to evaluate the roll out of our Bird Habitat Recognition (BHR) Program. We were pleased to learn what Chapters have done to implement the program, share successes, and identify issues or challenges they have encountered since the official launch on September 1, 2025. This is a “half-time” review for the Council and an opportunity to work with the chapters to make mid-course adjustments and improvements to the program. A “zoom recording” of this forum can be accessed for anyone not able to join us on December 3rd and interested in learning what was shared by the participants. The goal of the forum has been to identify suggestions that can be reviewed with our partners at Function & Flow to make adjustment to the program before next spring and expected growth of enrollment in the program. | | |
The Council has also participated in Bird Town “Clutch” meetings with Appalachian Audubon, Bucks County Birders, Lehigh Valley Audubon, Lehigh Valley Audubon, Liberty Bird Alliance, Valley Forge Audubon to request feedback and support for the BHR Program as well. Bird Town will provide a quarterly report that provides information of the participating properties that have enrolled in the BHR Program. The suggestions from these “Clutch” meetings will be considered in our review over the winter as well. A summary of the key suggestions will be provided in the January edition of the DRUMMER.
A highlight of the December 3rd forum was that participation of Quitapahilla and Tiadaghton Audubon Societies who have just enrolled in the Councils BHR Program. Greater Wyoming Valley Audubon also participated and is finalizing plans to participate as well. Any chapter that is not currently enrolled in the program is welcome to reach out for more information and can also formally enroll through the link below:
| | Sharing Chapter Resources | |
A chief purpose of the Pennsylvania Audubon Council is to provide ways to support the Pennsylvania Audubon chapters. Our chapters depend on dedicated leaders and volunteers to support the many activities and projects that our network of chapters undertake. Here are two initiatives that are underway intended to help provide mutual support:
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CHAPTER PRESIDENTS’ GOOGLE GROUP: Barbara Malt, the new President of the Lehigh Valley Audubon Society, proposed that a “Google Group,” intended for the president of each chapter, be established. It would be used by any chapter president that may have a question or request for advice about challenges that they may encounter in their role as a president. It would also be used to share successes or other ideas that may be of benefit to other chapters. Tess Wilson has agreed to set up the “Chapter Presidents’ Google Group” that can be used by AMA and the Council as well. Look for more information as the group is launched.
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PENNSYLVANIA AUDUBON COUNCIL RESOURCE LIBRARY: The Pennsylvania Audubon Council Website hosts a “Resource Library” that currently includes five resource areas. You can access these on the PAAC website. We are building the “Bird Habitat Recognition” Resource area to provide a place for chapters to post documents and other information regarding their promotion of the BHR Program that may be of value to other chapters to consider for use. There is a general “Resources” box that is intended for chapters to use to post governance, advocacy, program and fundraising activities as a reference for other chapters. Presque Isle Audubon has placed several documents into that resource area including a copy of their by-laws.
These resource areas are “view only” so anyone can look at what is submitted into any of the resource areas. However, permission to post items needs to be provided. Any chapter leaders can request permission to post documents or items at paauduboncouncil@gmail.com.
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Who's Who In You 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 and conduct elections in May and June. Others operate on a calendar year and conduct elections in December or January. 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. Send contact information to paauduboncouncil@gmail.com. | | |
PENNSYLVANIA AUDUBON COUNCIL FACEBOOK PAGE!
Share Your Chapter’s Highlights
| | The Pennsylvania Audubon Council has a Facebook Page that is available for the public to view. Permission to post to the Council Facebook is restricted but we provide access to individuals from chapters to share chapter Facebook posts with the Council. We look to share their Facebook posts about upcoming chapter programs and events. We encourage posts that document chapter activities like field trips, community outreach, educational programs, and similar items. Chapter newsletter editors, webmasters, social media captains, officers, or others may request permission to post through our Facebook. Please take the time to request access! We want our Facebook to demonstrate the vibrancy and breadth of the work our chapters are doing! Send Facebook access requests to paauduboncouncil@gmail.com. | | | | |
