The

Raven's

Nest

April

2025

Friends,

It is April and the world is suddenly bursting with verdant life—the flowers, the trees, birds and their songs, and also our schedule as well.  April and May are packed with all sorts of activities, as you will soon see in this newsletter.  We hope you can join us in some of these events to celebrate and help protect birds and the places they need.

Coming up in just a few weeks is the now-annual Beaver Lake Celebration on April 27. Only two days after that we will be meeting with our elected representatives over zoom for Advocacy Day (it’s not too late to sign up—no experience necessary!)

Then on May 4th we will be holding our annual (but re-invented) Birdathon!  This year we are excited to be partnering with Selva Colombia to support the protection of our treasured summer warblers on their wintering grounds in the community of Santa Maria, Colombia (read below).  The Board of Directors is excited enough about the merits of this project that we are offering a 1-to-1 match for every dollar donated to this year’s Birdathon from our endowment! 

Lastly, thank you to everyone who filled out the Audubon Name Survey last year.  After much deliberation, the board has decided to retain our current name.  I don’t think any of us would name an organization for John James Audubon today knowing what we know about his deeds and character, and we recognize that retaining his name is hurtful to some. But the National Audubon Society has been making its own name by protecting birds for over 100 years, and that name and brand recognition was revealed to be a key reason that only 29% of survey respondents (and we had over 300 respondents!) wished to change the name.  

We are committed to making this organization a place where everyone regardless of race, orientation or economic means can feel that they are part of the flock and can make a difference to the birds. Let us all commit to doing exactly this—because the birds are depending on all of us.

Thanks 

John

Mountain Science Expo

April 26, 2025, 10 am - 4 pm

Join the North Carolina Arboretum (and Blue Ridge Audubon) for a free STEM-oriented science festival where you can interact with scientists, explore nature, and grow your curiosity!

The Mountain Science Expo is a part of the larger NC Science Festival, a state-wide and month-long event dedicated to celebrating the impact of science educationally, culturally, and economically on our state. This year’s theme is “Science: Everyday, Everywhere, Everyone” and will feature live animal presentations, exhibitors from across the region, special interactive activities, and more! It takes place in both of The North Carolina Arboretum’s main buildings, through the gardens, and corresponds with our Native Azalea Day event in its own garden.

Join us for an afternoon of free outdoor fun! There will be bird activities for kids, a live raptor demonstration, and naturalist stations located throughout the Sanctuary.

Parking at the Sanctuary is limited - the Sanctuary lot will be reserved for families and those with disabilities, but there are many other options within walking distance. 

Sunday, April 27, 2025, 1 – 4 PM

Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary

1056 Merrimon Ave, Asheville



Advocacy Day

Tuesday, April 29

Please join Blue Ridge Audubon Chapter members on April 29 for North Carolina Audubon Advocacy Day as we meet with our elected representatives to discuss important legislation in North Carolina that will help protect birds and the places they need to survive. We will meet with our elected officials in Raleigh over zoom, and no experience is necessary. This is an excellent opportunity to meet your representatives and advocate for what you think is important. Sign up at the North Carolina Audubon website. If you have any questions about this event please reach out to John Koon.



Birdathon

Saturday, May 3 - Sunday May 4

by Kevin Burke

Bird-a-Thon is one of our biggest fundraisers of the year. This year we have some exciting changes and a very important cause to support. The National

Audubon Society has championed hemispheric wide conservation to protect migratory birds. Habitat for sensitive migratory species is being threatened

here in the United States and on wintering grounds in Central and South America. The Cerulean Warbler is one species that is being affected by this critical habitat loss and is one of the most sought-after species when birding here in the spring.

Colombia's Santa Maria area has one of the highest densities of wintering Cerulean Warblers in the Andes that has been found to date. The Acadian Flycatcher, Canada Warbler, and Olive-sided Flycatcher also winter here in also in high densities too.

SELVA, a Colombian non-governmental organization, is working on the ground to lead real change in multiple areas of Colombia. We decided to support one of their projects led by a visionary conservationist Diana Catherine Acosta, who is training local guides to lead tourism and scientific research groups in the Santa Maria area. Money that is raised from our Birdathon will go directly to training local, eager conservationists to help introduce this wonderful place to the nature tourism circuit. Supporting this cause will help keep tourism dollars in the community and provide another income source for the local community.

Please think about supporting a Birdathon team through a donation. Blue

Ridge Audubon is matching all donations up to $7,500 this year. It should be

a great and challenging year to bird in our mountains!

Please note: In Paypal when you get to the last step of checking out, there is a field where you can "specify designation." If you would like to support a certain team, please type it here.

How to Participate

This year, Birdathon will happen in 24 hours with everyone going out on the same day, between 5pm ET on May 3rd, and 5pm ET on May 4th. We will wrap things up with a celebration to reveal the results and share some awards! New this year as well will be categories for different types of participation:



1. The standard: Everyone rides together and counts anywhere in WNC during the time allotted.
2. Youth category: Same rules as the standard category, but participants must be 18 or younger. They can be accompanied by an adult, but most of the group must be 18 or under.
3. Green Bird-a-thon: Participants may work solo, or in teams travelling together. Participants must not use any form of gas powered vehicles during the day's count. All travel must start from one location and travel only by non motorized means (bike, walking, pogo stick, etc.) No electric bicycles are allowed.

Rules:

• All teams must count together, no splitting up to cover more ground.
• All teams, with the exception of the Green Birdathon, must have at least two participants.
• All counting is to be done from 5 PM on May 3rd to 5 PM on May 4th.
• All counts must be turned in by 6:00 P.M. on May 4th.
• Birdathon is on the honor system. Please be truthful in reporting the birds that you saw during the 24 hour period.
• We will have a celebration/total unveiling starting at 5:30 pm on May 4th at a local brewery in Asheville TBD. Teams do not have to be present to win/participate. Teams that are not present at the "afterparty" must email totals to Kevin Burke.
• Please register your team beforehand so we know how many teams to count on for totals.

For questions and to register a team,

please email Kevin Burke birdingburke@gmail.com

Homes Across Hemispheres: The Appalachians and the

Andes in Migratory Bird Conservation

by Paula Caycedo

Cerulean Warbler female, La Almenara, Santa María, Boyacá, Colombia

Nick Bayly, SELVA

Every year, millions of birds undertake an incredible journey across the American continent, making a round trip that connects the boreal and temperate forests of the north with the subtropical and tropical ecosystems of the south. Of the 716 bird species that breed in North America, 386 migrate to Central and South America, where they spend nearly half the year in their wintering grounds.

One iconic species proudly featured in our Blue Ridge Audubon logo is the Cerulean Warbler (Setophaga cerulea), a small songbird whose distinctive, buzzy, circular song fills the Appalachian forests in spring. This long-distance migrant depends not only on the deciduous temperate forests of the Appalachian and Ozark Mountains for breeding but also on the health of mid-elevation forests in the tropical Andes, where it overwinters. Like all migratory birds, its survival is tied to conserving healthy habitats across both hemispheres. According to Partners in Flight and the IUCN Red List, the Cerulean Warbler is among North America's most rapidly declining songbirds.

In 2022, a study led by Dr. Douglas Raybuck of the University of Tennessee, along with researchers from ten other institutions, revealed that 93% of Cerulean Warblers breeding in the Appalachian Mountains spend the winter in the Eastern Andes of Colombia and Ecuador, especially in mid-elevation forests (3). This finding reinforces the ecological concept of migratory connectivity—the idea that breeding and nonbreeding habitats are deeply interdependent across a species’ annual cycle. In simpler terms, the fate of the mid-elevation forests in Boyacá, Colombia, may determine the survival of these birds in North Carolina and across the southeastern U.S.

Temperate Forest, Southern Appalachian,. Great Smoky Mountains National Park. NC

by Paula Caycedo

Mid-elevation Andean Forest, La Almenara Private Preserve. Santa María, Boyacá, Colombia 

by Freddy Gómez

Blue Ridge Audubon is working on many levels to support the conservation and study of the Cerulean Warbler on its wintering grounds. This year, we are proud to partner with SELVA, a Colombian non-governmental organization at the forefront of migration ecology and tropical biodiversity conservation. SELVA has identified key forest habitats and sustainable land management practices essential for the survival of migratory and resident species. Supporting these efforts, you help ensure Cerulean Warblers return to our Appalachian forests each spring. Conservation is a shared responsibility that begins with awareness and grows through action.

2025 Board of Directors Candidates

The Board of Directors is pleased to recommend the following people to join the Board beginning July 1st, 2025, for two year terms:

Heather N. Brannan Heather is the Outdoor Adventure Center Program Manager at the Biltmore, her work includes bird programs, preservation, special events and management skills.

Anne Keller

Anne Keller is an active player in our community and a birder. With her expertise in science and government, she's interested in taking part in serving on several committees.

Andrew Louglin

Andrew Laughlin teaches Principles of Ecology and Field Biology, Avian Ecology and Conservation, Wildlife Ecology and Management, Urban Ecology, and Global Change Ecology at UNCa. His research interests include animal responses to environmental change, with a focus on birds.

Charlotte Moon

Charlotte is a birder active in the WNC birding community and works at Biltmore. She has set up birding events at Biltmore as well. She has lots of experience with nonprofits and is interested in getting involved at the intersection of education/outreach and underserved communities.

Shane Myers

Shane Meyers is a wildlife biologist new to Asheville from Ohio. He is teaching entomology classes at the NC Arboretum. 

Kitti Reynolds

Barbara Reynolds, or "Kitti" has volunteered for us in different levels, including bird walks at BLBS. She is a retired Avian ecology professor from UNCA.

Erika Wagner

Erika handles most of the outreach coordination for the North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies (where she, Douglas, and Kate work). She is excited to be our next Events Coordinator if approved. She is also an avid birder.

And the following officers for reelection:

John Koon, President 

Kate Johnson, Secretary

Blue Ridge Audubon is a chapter of the National Audubon Society, serving Buncombe, Henderson, and surrounding counties in western North Carolina.

We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations are

tax-deductible to the extent

allowed by law.

Raven's Nest Editor: 

Jennie Burke

jennifer_bradbury85@yahoo.com

Blue Ridge Audubon Chapter

PO Box 18711

Asheville, NC 28814

Blue Ridge Audubon's mission is to protect birds and the places they depend on. We believe that a world in which birds thrive is a world that benefits all living things.

Our vision is a vibrant and just community where the protection of birds and our natural world is valued by everyone.