Wildlife & Native Plant Garden Tour Cancelled
Due to circumstances beyond our control, the Third Annual Garden Tour, scheduled for Saturday, July 16, has been cancelled. The co-sponsors – RRAS and the North Coast Chapter of the California Native Plant Society – thank you for your interest in this event and hope to gear things up for a great tour in summer 2006.
Chapter Membership Chair Needed
RRAS is recruiting for someone to take over the position of Membership Chair. The job requires 2-3 hours per month and involves copying, addressing, envelope stuffing, and trips to the post office, as well as maintaining a database (currently in Word) and occasionally printing mailing labels. Tasks include 1) sending welcome packets to new members, 2) asking nonmembers who attend field trips and monthly programs to join, 3) invoicing local (non-NAS) members, 4) mailing appeals to expired NAS members to join as local members, and 5) submitting names of new members to the Sandpiper and monthly changes to the NEC. The position becomes vacant in July. Training will be provided by the current chair. Contact Chet Ogan or Sue Leskiw if you are interested.
Special Children’s Issue
Welcome to the 2nd Annual Children’s Issue! As you will read, the year has been a fruitful one: the Godwit Days student bird art contest, judging of the Humboldt County Science Fair, and at least one younger birder joining our ranks. Any feedback on this issue or suggestions for future issues should be directed to me at tomleskiw@aol.com or 442-5444.
I’d like to say a few words about the contributors. Last November, when I called the Arcata Bird Box, I listened to a report of a dark morph Red-tailed Hawk at Greenwood Heights School. Although I didn’t recognize the female voice, I instantly realized that it didn’t belong to one of our “regulars.” I was intrigued by the message in that the caller obviously knew her stuff, yet the timbre of the voice suggested that she was considerably younger than most of the area’s active birders. Later I learned from my wife—who first met Lauren Tompkins via the 2004 Godwit Days art contest —that she’s most likely younger than all active local birders, seeing as how she was 12 years old! Sue and I consider ourselves lucky to have been in the same team with Lauren and her mother Jennifer during last year’s Arcata and Centerville Christmas Bird Counts. I know you’ll enjoy her story! I encourage other young birders out there who are hesitant to join our “tribe” to follow Lauren’s example and give birding a try. We like to think we’re more fun than many adults, and, as you’ll read, there’s always the possibility of fresh-baked holiday goodies!
Many of you remember Brianne Yokoyama’s story from last year’s Children’s Issue, “Bird Watching: All in the Family.” Brianne contributed the loon artwork on this paage. I first met her when she and Sue took a bird class from John Hewston in 1999. Tagging along on their trip to Elk Head, I immediately grasped that here was a future hot birder. She’s now 17, a high school senior. Besides birdwatching, her favorite activities include beachcombing, playing the piano, reading, gardening, and drawing.
I’d like to thank artist Gary Bloomfield for the use of his sandpiper chick that again appears on the Children’s Issue banner.
Student
Bird Art Contest a SMASH!
By Sue Leskiw
The walls at the Arcata Community Center were stacked high with colorful artwork produced by Humboldt County K-12 students during Godwit Days. Entries in the 2nd Annual Student Bird Art Contest more than tripled in 2005, to reach 467 pieces. RRAS cosponsored the competition with Friends of the Arcata Marsh. Second graders accounted for nearly 30% of the entries with 134 artworks, followed by grade 1 and kindergarten with 15% each. The sponsoring organizations expanded the number of monetary prizes to 18, plus over 20 honorable mentions were chosen by the judges Louise Bacon-Ogden, Sue Leskiw, Gary Bloomfield, Marsha Mello, Sara Starr, and Gwen Thoele. A special thank you goes to Louise and Gwen, who spent 5-1/2 hours hanging the entries!
The winners were:
Kindergarten
1st Place: Marcos Carter, Fuenta Nueva Spanish Immersion & Arts School
2nd Place: Liam Hessler, Ferndale Elementary School
3rd Place: Emily Echols, Redwood Christian School
Grade 1
1st Place: Natalie Opalach, Sunset School
2nd Place: Emma Pinches, Washington School
3rd Place: Taya Ross, Sunset School
Grade 2
1st Place: Madeleine Appelmanns, Pacific Union School
2nd Place: Gavin Woffinden, Dow’s Prairie School
3rd Place: Danika Fernandez, Ridgewood School
Grades 3&4
1st Place: Theo Boettcher, Green Point School
2nd Place: Sheifa Punla-Green, Big Lagoon School
3rd Place: Tuk-a-Tuk Nelson, Pacific Union School
Grades 5&6
1st Place: Ashlee Beals, Green Point School
2nd Place: Jordan Baum, Fortuna Youth Arts
3rd Place: Cody Wolfberg, Green Point School
Grades 7-12
1st Place: Lindsay Bruggham, Ferndale High School
2nd Place: Molly Dekens, Ferndale High School
3rd Place: Josey Leiterman, Mattole Charter School
Honorable mentions went to:
Brandon Ledger, Ferndale Elementary; Habana Ramos, Fuenta Nueva Spanish Immersion & Arts School; Aidan Carter, Fuenta Nueva Spanish Immersion & Arts School; Ben Perry, Sunset School; Alberto Pucheta, Sunset School; Brianna Schatz, Castle Rock Home School; Quinn Beals, Green Point School; Christopher Beaton, Redway Elementary; Ashlynn Cox, Pacific Union; Linden Gray-Renneberg, Sunset School; Alexandria Jackson, Sunset School; Hailey Peterson, Dow’s Prairie School; Jimmy Saladino, Pacific Union; Madeline Vasilevich, Washington School; Nicholas Daugherty, Sunset School; Zeke Edwards, Sunset School; Paige Walters, Cornerstone Christian School; Julia Wilkerson, Trinidad Elementary; Sarah Alto, Arcata High; Drew Barthel, Ferndale High; Sara Brodersen, South Fork High; Nicole Molina, Ferndale High; Lauren Tompkins, Home schooled; Carolyn Vasilevich, Zane Middle School.
TWO OF THE PRIZE-WINNING PICTURES FROM OUR LOCAL STUDENTS
|
Grades 3&4: 2nd
Place: Sheifa Punla-Green, Big Lagoon School |
Grade 2. 3rd Place: Danika Fernandez,
Ridgewood School |
Science Fair Winner Says Thanks!
As reported in the April Sandpiper, RRAS judges deemed Steven Dewey’s the best project on a topic of interest to RRAS at the annual Humboldt County Science Fair held in mid-March. A seventh-grader, his project concerned a desert-dwelling beetle that collects the morning fog on its back as its source of drinking water.
Here is Steven’s thank-you letter to RRAS:
Dear Audubon Society,
Thank you very much for the check! At first, I was very surprised to receive it, due to the fact that the letter said I had the best project on birds and their habitat. Of course, that was before I read the postscript at the bottom of the page. Maybe next year I’ll see what kind of birds harvest the most fog! (just kidding). I’m also taking the project to compete at the state level, so I’m looking forward to that. Again, thank you for the check.
Sincerely,
Steven Dewey
Conservation Report
By Chet Ogan
Trinity River Stewards Needed!
RRAS would like one or more volunteer stewards to help the society monitor various activities and give input to the various government programs along the Trinity River.
Various agencies, tribes, and private entities are involved with monitoring and restoring the river’s former fish abundance. The RRAS would like its voice to be heard in the ongoing deliberations of alternatives so that all the wildlife species, and certainly the birds, are given full consideration as the Bureau of Reclamation’s multimillion dollar (annually) project is nearing the stage of changing the course of the river, removing large areas of riparian vegetation, and hopefully, increasing the health of the river.
If you’re interested in learning more about the projects, getting information on the plans for the river, and what you might be able to do, please contact our Conservation Chair, Chet Ogan, at 442-9353 or theogans@humboldt1.com. A steward would be able to read reports about the river, meet with experts on the monitoring and restoration, keep Audubon informed, and be an active representative of Audubon and participant in meetings that will determine the fate of the river we all love.
Thank
You, Godwit Café Donors and Volunteers
By Chet Ogan
The Godwit Café at Godwit Days was a success again this year. Audubon netted over $700. We served chef Troy Leopardo’s Kalops stew and vegetarian split pea soup to hungry and cold birders. Chet Ogan managed the café and volunteers served meals and sold our shirts, caps, atlas, coffee mugs, and checklists. Jim and Donna Clark (stalwarts- at least 5 hours each) and Jan Andersen helped both days with the café and sold atlases. Thank you also Crescent and Donna from Ferndale, Marian Perry, Alan Laurent, Jean Pendergast, Don McClure, and Gary Friedrichsen for helping keep the café running smoothly. Barbara Ogan helped clean up. Sue Leskiw made the contact with Keith at Kinetic Koffee, which provided ground, shade-grown, organic, free-trade coffee for the reception and the café, and brought a coffee brewer. Keith also stepped in occasionally to brew a pot of coffee. Thank you. We shopped at Winco and Cash & Carry in Eureka, Brio, Los Bagels, Safeway, and Wildberry’s in Arcata. Thank you everyone even if I forgot to mention you!
Atlas Update
As most of you know by now, the RRAS publication, Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Humboldt County, California, enjoyed an enthusiastic and successful release at the opening reception of Godwit Day’s tenth anniversary on April 15. In addition to extending our gratitude to everyone who purchased a copy and visited with the wearily euphoric authors as their copies were signed, we also need to thank two exemplary Audubon members for recognizing that the atlas is a valuable community resource.
First, Chet Ogan, a major atlas survey contributor, donated two signed copies to the Eureka High School library. We are confident these books will help spur aspiring biologists’ interest in breeding bird biology and habitat relationships for decades to come. If nothing else, the students will enjoy reading the energetic comments by the authors on the title page. With a similar vision, Catherine Walling contributed two copies of the atlas to the Humboldt County Library, where it will reach an even wider audience of nature enthusiasts as well as those wishing to learn more about Humboldt County in general. The introductory chapters offer a wealth of information and facts pertaining to this region and its topography, climate, land ownership, vegetation types, resource agencies, and more.
There was a manufacturing problem with the hardcover atlases involving a shipment from Europe of cardboard with a high moisture content. If the cover of your hardcover atlas has buckled or if the frontispiece has separated from the cover, please contact Jan Andersen at 444-3501 to arrange a replacement. If your copy was signed by the authors, we will make every effort to have your replacement book signed as well. We regret this development but can report that the printer is more chagrined than we are and is hurrying to get new hardcover atlases to us as quickly as possible.
Atlas Authors at
Godwit Days
Photo by Beth
Deibert
Redwood Region Audubon Society welcomes the following new members and subscribers:
Arcata – Laverna Beach, Tania Brunell, Jeanne McFarland, Deb Meredith, Olin Radtke
Bayside – Michael McLean
Burnt Ranch – The Munk Family
Carlotta – Jane Laddusaw
Crescent City – Justice Robert, Lorene West
Eureka – Debra Bunch, Patti Cecil, Joseph Cramer, Melissa Kinsey, Pam Mohrmann, Marla Smoker, Hugh Thompson
Ferndale – Jill Perry
Fortuna – Suzanne Ross
Garberville – Sandy Feretto
Hydesville – Steve Underwood
McKinleyville – Bill Miller
Redway – Lorraine Gellman, J.W. Macy
Scotia – John Voorhees
We look forward to seeing you on field trips and at our monthly programs
