The

Raven's

Nest

August

2026

Friends,

By the time you read this, the Board of Directors will be about to have its annual planning retreat. We have a burgeoning board with 20 members this year! They bring a wealth of experience and lots of enthusiasm to the leadership of this organization, and I am confident that great things are in store for us this year and the coming ones, too. Yet 13 of the 20 Board members are serving their first term on the board! It is a reflection of the evolution in our membership, as a new generation of young birders and conservation-minded enthusiasts are helping swell membership in Blue Ridge Audubon and like-minded organizations nationwide. It is of great benefit to have such a ground swell of new interest in not only participation but also leadership of our organization.

Still, continuity and historical perspective are paramount in maintaining a steady organizational structure. That is one of the many reasons that we are so fortunate to continue to benefit from the service of our Vice-President, Danielle diBella-Lenaway. She is starting her fifth term on the board and second as Vice-President this fall. Having led several nonprofit organizations before joining our Board, from day one she immediately made a wonderful impact for the birds. She was the motive force behind the creation of the Coalition for a Bird-Friendly Asheville and its highly successful Lights Out! Asheville program. For the last seven years this program has protected migrating birds passing through the area by getting public and private building owners to turn off their lights at night, as well as advocating for sensible outdoor light shielding and reflective window treatments. Under Danielle’s leadership this program continues to expand and is making big strides again this year.

Many of you have seen the Memorial Tree at Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary. This is another brain-child of Danielle’s, as she foresaw a better way for people to be able to honor loved ones while making valuable donations to an endeared natural area.

Many of the duties of the Vice-President are behind-the-scenes and often go unacknowledged, but Danielle has pulled off many feats flawlessly. The fact that we have been able to return our evening programs to the OLLI center this year are in large part thanks to her, and the wonderful send-off in June for past President Tom Tribble (including that massive cake!) was all due to her.

But perhaps her most important contribution now is her ability to impart her years of leadership experience to the newer board members, sharing her savior-faire with others and serving as a role model and mentor for the rest of the board. Blue Ridge Audubon benefits greatly from Danielle’s persistent enthusiasm and tireless dedication to birds and the places they need to thrive. Thanks for all you do, Danielle!

John Koon

Plants for Birds

Saturday, August 12, 11 am - 12 pm

Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary

These outings will focus on the native plants, trees, and shrubs that sustain the birds that visit our sanctuary. Florrie Funk will be your naturalist guide, highlighting blooming wildflowers and notable trees and shrubs, sharing anecdotes about each along with their role in supporting our avian visitors. No special equipment is needed, just bring your curiosity!

How Audubon’s Plants for Birds Program is Supporting Migrating Birds

Birds & Bagels

Sunday, September 6, 7 - 11 am

Ridge Junction Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway

Blue Ridge Audubon Chapter is hosting an early morning birding event at Ridge Junction Overlook on Sunday, September 6 at 7 a.m. Ridge Junction Overlook, near Mt. Mitchell State Park, is one of the best spots in the Blue Ridge to experience the fall migration of warblers and other passerines. Hundreds of birds can pass through the gap in the mountains here over the course a morning, and numbers tallied have included over 25 species of warblers!

Swift Night Out

Thursday, September 24, 6:45 pm

Rankin Garage, Asheville

It's Chimney Swift season, an exciting time of year to see swirling clouds of Swifts as they gather at sunset to enter communal roosting sites. The Blue Ridge Audubon Chapter will sponsor our annual Swift Night Out, a Chimney Swift viewing event scheduled for dusk in downtown Asheville. We'll meet at 6:45 p.m. on Thursday, September 24th on the top floor of the Rankin Parking Garage in downtown Asheville. More details to come in our September newsletter!

Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary Renewal Project

by Charlotte Moon

Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary is ready for Renewal! The BRAC Board of Directors is undertaking a fundraising campaign to replace aging sections of the boardwalk and railings, resurface the gravel parking area, install a security gate, and refresh signage. We expect work to begin in November 2026 and be completed in Spring 2027.

The fundraising campaign kicks off on September 1. Please stay tuned to emails, social media, and the newsletter for details and ways to contribute to the Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary Renewal Project. We welcome your support in sustaining the sanctuary we all love.

The boardwalk at Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary

by Charlotte Moon

Hummingbird Feeders at Beaver Lake

by John Koon

You may notice some hummingbird feeders and red cloths hanging in the jewelweed patches at Beaver Lake this month. Here is what it is for!

Clemson University and the US Forest Service are partnering to learn how plants and animals in western North Carolina are responding to disturbances caused by Hurricane Helene. A team of Clemson graduate students is monitoring songbirds using passive mist netting to determine reproductive productivity. Scientists from the Banding Coalition of the Americas (BCA) will be training the Clemson students to band hummingbirds, which will take place, in part, at Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary. The newly added hummingbird feeders and bright red t-shirts are intended to draw in hummers for the training event. Additionally, the BCA staff will be deploying small tags on the hummingbirds to track their movements. The Clemson team looks forward to this training opportunity so they can better understand how birds are using the recently disturbed landscape.

Honoring Tom Tribble

by Jennie Burke, Charlotte Moon & Dana Sargent

On June 24th at our annual membership meeting, outgoing board member, Tom Tribble was honored for his 18+ years of service to the Blue Ridge Audubon Chapter as a member, Board President, and dedicated ambassador of Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary. It was announced that the Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary boardwalk will be getting restored and when it is complete it will be named his honor: The Tom Tribble Boardwalk. Tom has received several state and local awards for his leadership and commitment to birds and the places they need, and we are grateful for all he has done. Tom has chosen to “retire” from the Board as this term ends. He will still be around and involved in projects of his own choosing. So don’t be surprised if you see him at Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary or anywhere birds and birders might be!

Group at annual Membership meeting honoring Tom by Dana Sargent

Moth Mania at Beaver Lake

by Jennie Burke & Charles Zimmerman

On Saturday, July 18, the North Carolina Arboretum's ecoEXPLORE progam held a Moth Mania event at Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary. Over 100 people came through, including dozens of kids, and many stayed for the whole 2 hours. Special UV lights were setup throughout the boardwalk which attracted moths, hellgramites, beetles and caddisflies. It was a great event!



Tulip-tree Beauty

by Jennie Burke

NC General Assembly Makes Historic Investment in Farmland Conservation

by Audubon North Carolina

Northern Bobwhite. Photo: Jodi Taylor/Audubon Photography Awards

GARNER, N.C. – North Carolina lawmakers included a major investment in farmland preservation in the budget passed on July 2, including a $46.9 million nonrecurring allocation to the Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund, and another $2 million in recurring funding, pushing the total recurring amount to $9.5 million.  

Statement from Zach Wallace, Audubon North Carolina Policy Director: 

"North Carolina is losing farmland at one of the fastest rates in the nation, and with it, important habitat for many declining grassland bird species like Northern Bobwhite and Eastern Meadowlarks. This historic $54 million investment in the Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund comes at exactly the right time, helping keep working farms on the landscape while protecting the open fields, clean water, and wildlife habitat that benefit everyone. We are grateful to lawmakers for making this investment and to Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler for his leadership on this issue."

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.