March 3, 2022
REPORT OF THE PENNSYLVANIA AUDUBON COUNCIL
“OUR CHAPTERS PRIORITIZE THE CONSERVATION ISSUES OF GREATEST CONCERN”
 
The Council meeting, that took place on February 1, 2022, featured the report on the collective effort of our Pennsylvania Audubon Chapters to prioritize our conservation issues of greatest concern. Fifteen chapters independently reviewed and rated the various issues during November and December. The results reflect a wide range of responses on some issues and convergence on many others. 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. The report was summarized in a PowerPoint and the recording of the full presentation and discussion can be accessed via the button below - please be sure to enter the access code.
 
A masterful component of the report was the presentation of an outline to help guide the Council’s development of an implementation plan to act on our priorities. 

(Click on the image below for a pdf version)
The outline is a guide to Council and Chapter action through our work with individual members, the municipalities and communities we serve, and collective action for education and advocacy for statewide conservation initiatives.
 
There was discussion of a proposal to schedule an “in person” or virtual Council meeting for this spring but it appears more feasible to plan for the fall of 2022. The Pennsylvania Audubon Council Executive Board determined that a series of webinars be considered for education and advocacy on selected conservation priorities. Two webinars have been scheduled; one by the Bird Collision Working Group and the second by the Bird Town Pennsylvania Working Group. Details are provided for each in this edition of the DRUMMER.

Access Passcode for Zoom Recording Below: 4e75#KAc
OUR BIRD COLLISION PREVENTION PROGRAM
An Introduction to How Chapters Can Become Involved!
7:00 PM, Tuesday, March 22, 2022
 
Join us for a program to introduce chapters to the Bird Collision Working Group program. The presentation will feature Peter Saenger, President of the Lehigh Valley Audubon Society and the leader of the Bird Collision Working Group. The Bird Collision Working Group was established four years ago through a series of meetings at the Acopian Center for Ornithology at Muhlenberg College. The project resulted in the creation of a program and resources to equip Audubon chapters with a means to reach out to property owners in their communities to take effective action to mitigate bird deaths that are caused by collisions with windows in low-rise buildings.
 
The Bird Collision program was first presented at the last Audubon Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This was followed by invitations for multiple trainings and presentations in nationwide webinars and “in person” trainings invited by other Audubon entities. Audubon New York and Audubon Connecticut hosted a full training for chapter leaders three years ago. The program has not been presented to Pennsylvania Audubon Chapters.
 
The Pennsylvania Audubon Council is sponsoring this presentation as the bird collision issue received high priority in the survey. This will be an introduction and overview of the program that chapters can consider to adopt. Participants in this first presentation will learn what is involved with a commitment to a full training. A full training will be scheduled as a follow-up webinar for those chapters that would like to incorporate the program as part of their outreach to the communities they serve. Join us to learn more!
AN INTRODUCTION TO BIRD TOWN PENNSYLVANIA PROGRAM
How Chapters Can Become Involved With Bird Town
7:00 PM, Tuesday, April 5, 2022
 
The Bird Town Pennsylvania Working Group has assumed the leadership responsibility for the Bird Town Pennsylvania Program after Audubon MidAtlantic communicated that it would no longer support the Bird Town program. The Pennsylvania Audubon Council has since strengthened its support of the Bird Town Program and supports the expansion of the Bird Town Program across the Commonwealth. Heidi Shiver, past President of Bucks County Audubon Society, is the leader of the Bird Town Pennsylvania Working Group and will be part of the presentation to introduce Bird Town to our chapters.
 
This presentation is designed to introduce the components of the Bird Town Pennsylvania program and provide a framework on how chapters can become involved and support the Bird Town initiative. A more in depth follow up webinar will be provided for those chapters that would like to sponsor Bird Towns in municipalities within their chapter territories. Join us to learn more.
ANTHRACITE RIDGE WIND PROJECT UPDATE!
 
The Renewable Energy Working Group continues to monitor developments related to the proposal to construct an Industrial Wind Farm on this ridge located in Schuylkill County just west of the Kittatiny Ridge, southwest of Hawk Mountain, and west of Fort Indiantown Gap. There are a number of updates:
 
  • The developer has filed an appeal to the decision of the Hegins Township Zoning Hearing Board that had denied the application for the project. They have also filed with the Court of Common Pleas.
  •  The PA Senate Democratic Policy Committee Hearing hosted a “hearing” on the Anthracite Ridge Wind Farm on January 31st to review this project. While that body had no authority to move the project forward, they did provide a forum for the developer and supporters of the project. The proceedings minimized environmental concerns and spotlighted the “job creation” potential of the project.
  • The Renewable Energy Working Group participated in a meeting with Audubon representatives Suzanne Biemiller and Shilo Felton regarding the Anthracite Ride Project.
  • We learned that some of our “sister organization” signed on to a letter to Governor Wolf in support of the project with special emphasis on jobs creation.
 
We will continue to monitor the project and keep chapters informed of developments. The position of the Pennsylvania Audubon Council continues to focus on the need for appropriate and comprehensive studies on the environmental impact of this project on birds and other wildlife.
CHAPTER UPDATES!
 
Greater Wyoming Valley Audubon Society is Recognized!
 
Congratulations to the Greater Wyoming Valley Audubon Society (GWVAS) as recipients of a Northeastern Pennsylvania Environmental Partnership Award. This award is presented annually to recognize the achievements of individuals or organizations that, through partnerships, have achieved excellence in environmental protection or conservation. The Northeast Environmental Partners (Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Pennsylvania Environmental Council’s Northeast Office, PPL Corporation, Procter & Gamble Paper Products Company, and Wilkes University).
 
Highlights of some of the activities and programs that earned GWVAS this recognition include:
  • Sponsorship of Audubon Adventures Classrooms.
  • Youth scholarships to underwrite the participation in local nature camps.
  • Ongoing partnership with the Pinchot State Forest focused on the Moon Lake Recreation Area on a range of education and conservation projects.
  • Partnerships with projects at the Seven Tubs Natural Area, North Branch Land Trust’s Picton Sanctuary, Nescopeck State Park, and activities associated with Audubon’s Lehigh Auto Tour.
  • Strong record of advocacy to promote conservation at the Federal, state and local levels.
 
Kudos are due to GWVAS President Bonnie Yuscavage and the leadership of the GWVAS and their members in earning this recognition!
 
Chapter Annual Reports Submitted!
 
All twenty-one of the Audubon chapters in Pennsylvania submitted their Annual Certification Reports to the National Audubon Society by the January 31st deadline. These reports are required for each chapter to be eligible to receive their Baseline Funding from the National Audubon Society.
 
Chapter Leadership List
 
Each chapter submits the directory of their chapter leadership as part of their Annual Report. The Pennsylvania Audubon Council requests that you share your chapter leadership list with the Council.

Please submit the list as an attachment to paauduboncouncil@gmail.com. We will add these names to the distribution of our DRUMMER mailing list and selected Council programs and webinars. 
“Climate Watch:
Monitoring Birds in a Changing Climate”
7:30 PM, Friday, March 18, 2022:
 
Any chapters interested to learn more about Audubon Climate Watch are invited to participate in Wyncote Audubon Society’s March Program. Kathy Dale, Audubon’s Director of Science Technology, will present the program. Kathy works with the technology tools of the community science programs. In addition to Climate Watch, Kathy works in support of the Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count and Hummingbirds at Home.
 
Climate Watch is designed to help document how birds are being affected by climate change. The collected data is used to test the future range change predictions for twelve U.S. species. Learn about Audubon’s Climate Watch program and hear some early results of the program. Kathy Dale will talk about Audubon’s work to model the response of birds to climate change. Learn ways you can help.
This will be a virtual program with advance registration required via EVENTBRITE.