Holiday Gifts Available
If you have a birder friend on your gift list, here are some suggestions. The Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Humboldt County, California would make a fine gift for anyone interested in Humboldt County birds, and especially for students just getting into the subject. Hardcovers are $50 (plus $3.62 tax); softcover, $30 (plus $2.18 tax); and a special limited-edition hardcover that includes all 4 authors’ signatures and Gary Bloomfield hand-coloring one of his sketches, $80 (plus $5.80). The book can be obtained by contacting Jan Andersen at 444-3501.
Some of you like to collect patches or sew them onto your shirt or jacket, and now the RRAS “flying murrelet” logo has been produced onto patches available for $5.
Also available with the chapter logo are T-shirts in light blue or tan and in all sizes ($12 including tax), caps in plain and oiled cotton ($15), and checklists of Northern California birds ($1). Any of these items can be obtained by attending our December program or by contacting Jan Andersen (phone 444-3501; e-mail jandersen1936@earthlink.net). If you wish a product mailed to you, a nominal charge will be added for shipping costs.
Grassroots Recruiting
Our chapter is only as active and strong as its volunteers. We’re a completely volunteer-supported chapter. In other words, we’re as grassroots as you can get. Grassroots (dictionary definition: “basic, fundamental”) environmentalism by its very nature can be attending to the basics or the mundane: attending meetings and keeping records. All of these events or projects need volunteers to maintain the infrastructure.
But grassroots activities also must have another important component: they must be fun! Our motto could be, If it isn’t fun, why do it? Of course, to call the mundane fun is a stretch, but the people you will interact with can be enjoyable!
So, to get to the point, here are some mundane but FUN positions waiting to be filled:
President-Elect. Someone interested in becoming a board member of the chapter would naturally not want to step in immediately as president. You want to learn how the chapter operates, what are the issues that the president deals with, what is expected of the president, and how is the job carried out. This is what the President-Elect does. It’s essentially a one-year internship that in almost all cases then leads to becoming president of the organization. It’s conceivable that after the year, the President-Elect decides that he or she cannot take on the presidency, and so we would need to find another President-Elect. In most cases, though, people are eager to take the next step.
Secretary. This is an essential but highly rewarding position. It may take a board member a year or more to feel like a contributing member to the group or to fully understand how all the projects and tasks fit together, but not so the Secretary. The Secretary keeps the records and basically needs to know everything that’s going on. So someone who’s fairly well organized and comfortable at the computer will find this job a snap but also will quickly understand how everything and everyone fits together.
Sandpiper Layout Person. After years of faithfully laying out the Sandpiper—really, coediting it—Ron LeValley wants to relinquish this task. It requires about 4 to 5 hours a month to assemble all the articles together in a logical format. Anyone who has some experience in this area should contact the editor, Jan Andersen, to discuss what’s involved.
Web Page Assistant. Our Web guru, Linda Long, is looking for someone who can help post material onto the Web page when she isn’t able to. This is a fun job for anyone with experience in Web design or Web posting.
If any of these interest you, please contact one of the board members for more information. We’d love to have you on board!
Arcata BirdBox Update
RRAS received a grant from the Humboldt Area Foundation that provided seed money for purchasing an upgraded system. Elias Elias immediately put in an order, and if the new phone system is not in operation as you read this, it certainly will be soon. Meanwhile, donations are still needed to pay for continued operating costs. To donate to the brand-new system, send a check to RRAS, PO Box 1054, Eureka, CA 95502. Indicate on the envelope or your check that it is for “Bird Box.”
Conservation Committee Meeting
November 17, 2005
Attendees: Chet Ogan (Chair), Jim Clark, CJ Ralph, Mel McKinney, and Gil Saliba.
Lake Earl: As reported last month, RRAS has signed on as an amicus partner in the Lake Earl lawsuit. The committee discussed the possibility of becoming a partner in a countersuit.
PALCO/Eureka Marsh: The first efforts to apply herbicide to the common reed at Eureka/PALCO Marsh appear to be working well. The California Coastal Commission has sent a letter to the City of Eureka recommending that the city drop its plans for the Waterfront Drive extension through Eureka/PALCO Marsh. Jim Clark has prepared a letter with strong support from the local conservation groups strongly advising the city pull its plans for Waterfront Drive.
Humboldt Bay: At a Harbor Commission meeting, Mel McKinney asked US Army Corps of Engineers Brigidier General Joseph Schroedel about the lack of a biological opinion from Coast Seafoods regarding their oyster farming operations in Humboldt Bay. Gen. Shroedel’s answer was that Coast Seafood should comply with all laws. Jim commented that the biological opinion should include new data on bird use in the bay. Jim feels that Coast Seafood’s permit should not be renewed because they have not yet addressed the biological issues.
Trinity River: Gil Saliba informed the group that Bob Sullivan has resigned from the Trinity River Restoration project. The working group has recommended a more holistic approach to managing the biological resources of the project. Much of the money directed for biological programs has been sent to the Indian tribes. Scientific baseline information such as flow studies, sediment studies, and non-fish wildlife studies needs to be established and made available for everybody.
Marbled Murrelet: RRAS Board is urged to become a party in any suit against delisting the Marbled Murrelet. Chet took part in a phone conference with an attorney for Earth Justice to discuss initial steps to take to block the delisting.
The next Conservation Committee meeting will be on Thursday, Dec. 15, at noon at Golden Harvest Cafe, Arcata.
Redwood Region Audubon Society welcomes the following new members and subscribers:
Burnt Ranch – Abe Walston
Crescent City – Terry Mize
Eureka – Laurel Casper, Thomas Morris
Fortuna – Howard Wyckoff
McKinleyville – Gerald-Betty Frederick, Timothy Theiss
Petrolia – Charles & Sandra Antmson Solo
Rio Dell – Janine Carmona, Mr & Mrs. David Hagemann
We look forward to seeing you on field trips and at our monthly programs.