Conservation Conversations

Reporting from North Carolina

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:39:00 +0000

Blogging has taken a back seat to almost everything in my life these days. Now that I've temporarily relocated to North Carolina for the next 10 weeks, it has become even easier to ignore this blog, as The Drinking Bird surely will cover all of our trips to the field. It's great to be out here spending time with Nate, Danielle, and Noah though, and I only occasionally mention to Nathan that my life Red Cockaded Woodpecker that is out there for the ticking!

I did receive great news that our GLADE TogetherGreen grant was approved for 2010! Today I discovered this link to YouTube from the TogetherGreen website.

TogetherGreen and the Greater Ozarks Audubon Society present GLADE!

I have begun my adventure in Science Teaching at Orange Charter School in Hillsborough, North Carolina. I'll be working with 6th, 7th, and 8th graders beginning on August 20, but am currently putting in a week of preparation for classes to begin. So far, it's going well. More on that in a later post, no doubt.

Green Leadership Academy: Of Partnerships and Passions

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:00:00 +0000

I mentioned in a previous post that Lisa Berger, Audubon activist and visionary, gave birth to the idea of the Green Leadership Academy for Diverse Ecosystems (GLADE). Interested in how GLADE emerged from the ethereal, I asked her to write about its origins. So, in this final post in a four part series on the Green Leadership Academy, the topic is roots and the words are Lisa's.

l. to r., Dr. Janice Greene, me, Terresa McPheeters, and Lisa Berger

GLADE Beginnings: Of Partnerships and Passions

by Lisa Berger

We have to travel ten years back to record the earliest seeds of GLADE. In fact, the story really began with the inception of the Missouri State University’s (MSU) Bull Shoals Field Station (BSFS). In 1999, Assistant Director of the new BSFS, Mike Dickerson contacted me, then president of Greater Ozarks Audubon Society (GOAS), to discuss a project. Would we like to partner with them to build a bird checklist for the new field station, he and Dr. Brian Greene (MSU Biology Department) asked at a meeting at Panera’s?

What could be better than engaging our chapter in citizen science, doing the things our members love? Birding! Old time birders remember field trips to the old Drury House, built in 1924 overlooking the majestic White River, now Bull Shoals Lake. Better still, I envisioned a multitude of opportunities with MSU.

During this same time frame, Audubon Missouri (AM), the State Office of the National Audubon Society (NAS) was opened and one of its primary objectives was to initiate the Important Bird Areas (IBA) program. Started by BirdLife International, the IBA program is an international project to identify the landscapes that are of critical importance to birds at the population level. The IBA program is administered by NAS in the U.S.

In 2003, I was asked by AM to chair the state IBA steering committee to shepherd the process of nominating IBA sites in Missouri. Our chapter rallied to the call and nominated several sites across southwest Missouri.

By 2004, the Drury-Mincy Conservation Area, in which the field station resides, had been identified as part of the newly designated White River Glades and Woodlands state IBA. It is one of just a handful of the 47 IBA sites across the state to be included in the IBA Implementation Plan; a strategic document prioritizing the sites where state and federal agencies will invest limited resources, and where there is adequate capacity provided by groups like GOAS to do projects.

The current BSFS Director, Dr. Janice Green (MSU Biology Department) and I met at Panera’s to discuss potential opportunities for MSU and GOAS. The field station’s capacity was growing. The Drury house was being renovated. A new well, solar power with generator back-up, and an alternative septic system were in the works.

Are there opportunities for expanding our partnership within the context of the new IBA status, I ask? What things are possible that benefit both MSU and our chapter? GOAS is implementing a giant river cane restoration project to improve habitat for Swainson’s Warbler and the whole suite of species that utilize cane in this IBA. Is there potential intersection between MSU and GOAS activities? What about graduate student studies based upon giant cane; studies of insects, birds, and monitoring responses to habitat modifications? What about bringing kids to the glade areas of the field station and IBA to learn about restoration; to actually participate in on-the-ground restoration?

And that is when the vision was born.

The planets began to align, one by one. The early MSU and GOAS partnerships, the AM state IBA implementation plan and conservation action plans, the GOAS strategic plan, all building the critical capacity of and between organizations, and with each step the framework necessary to support a GOAS project connecting kids with nature.

But we’d need money. In spring, 2008, NAS announced the TogetherGreen program, a project of NAS made possible by a generous $20,000,000 donation from Toyota. Janice Greene and I scrambled to submit a grant application. Who would serve as director? Greg Swick had just retired from teaching. He said yes, and we were awarded the grant. Our GLADE solar system was complete.

Fast forward to July 1, 2009: GLADE week is complete. The kids learned all about sustainability at the field station. The alternative septic system required using environmentally-friendly soap, less toilet paper, and less water. Power use during the hot days had to be balanced with the solar-powered system.

The GLADE team is also learning about sustainability. We’ve given birth to a new environmental education concept that we want to keep alive. And so we set along the path to bring new stars into our solar system. We need sustained funding to provide the gravitational force to keep GLADE on course. We also need volunteers and professionals to share their talents, and we need teachers to shepherd their most promising students toward GLADE. Most of all we want our GLADE grads to carry with them the skills acquired at camp, and to be inspired to be leaders, to make a difference, knowing their actions today will shape tomorrow.

Green Leadership Academy: The Power of Flight

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:18:00 +0000

Although I'm well aware of the pitfalls of anthropomorphism in scientific research, I believe that it is essential in the human journey to become environmentally aware and appreciative of this experience called Life. An aspect of the GLADE model draws from this idea. Nothing seems to transform humans more than connecting with a sentient being on a personal level. A bird in the hand has that power, so Tuesday GLADE adventures touched young lives in a remarkable way. Rudbeckia sp., a member of the Compositae family of wildflowers can do the same thing. With a complete flower forming each and every ray and disc, its stunning beauty is a result of the simultaneous blooming of many flowers, each supporting the other and filling its specific niche in the whole. Any member of compositae can serve as a living example for human beings, as we strive to see collective visions come into fruition. What an example for grass roots leadership training!

Does an acorn know that it will become a mighty oak? No, it doesn't. It simply senses a natural impulse to sink its roots deeply into the damp nourishing soil and to continually reach for the light overhead. If it falls in a thunderstorm, does it give up? No, it follows a natural impulse to regrow and continues to stretch upward. We can teach so much using these examples.

Birder friend and GLADE Project Admnistrator Lisa Berger wrote to me yesterday. "This morning a golden glow hangs over the White River Glades and Woodlands. Some say it's the energy emanating from sixteen exceptional GLADE participants' life transforming experiences." I'm not even going to touch the metaphysical aspects of her words, but I'm equally sure something significant happened in our social experiment in GLADE.

To sum up GLADE Wednesday, I'd have to paraphrase something I read long ago. I think it was in The Book of the Vision Quest...... "There is a gift to give away, a vision to perform, a path to follow, a light to bear."

Giant cane restoration was the order of the day, and the GLADE-iators were tireless and joyous in spite of the sweltering heat in the high 90's. They had discovered the joy of connecting with Nature...... and each other. By this time the media have discovered us, and they swarmed in on this serendipitous day! I think I'll let them tell the rest of the story. Click on the links.

Field and Team

Green GLADE program helps students repair Ozark bird habitat

Area Teens Get Valuable Lessons in Conservation

Teens Go Green at GLADE Camp

The last days of camp were simply a joyous adventure for the students. We escaped the heat on Thursday as we studied the surface and sub-surface biology and geology of Tumbling Creek Cave and Dr. Tom Aley's Ozark Underground Laboratory. That evening, we collected noctural insects with Dr. Chris Barnhart of Missouri State University

On Friday we collected data on Bee Creek and Bull Shoals Reservoir, comparing lake and stream ecosystems both qualitatively and quantitively. We enjoyed an evening of microscopes and music, a perfect combo for our young naturalists.

Students reluctantly packed their bags and returned home on Saturday morning, but not without a renewed vision and a sense of empowerment. Each received a $100 grant to develop a "green" project in their home community. We now await the results of our experiment to shape communities in a clean, green, and sustainable way.

One thing is certain. We "acted today to shape tomorrow", and I feel honored and priveleged to have been there to tell the story. Here's what I sensed:

I listened

While 16 young people told a story of Life

As old as the Ancients

In a fresh, new way

With Green Hands, Warm Hearts, and Open Minds

The Roaring in their Ears

Led them to its Source

The River of Life

Where they plunged in

And were carried away

When they rose out of the depths

They found that they were

Cleansed, Renewed, Alive

And capable of Flight!

Green Leadership Academy: A Bird in the Hand

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:58:00 +0000

Common interests bring people together. And so it was the case as GLADE campers arrived on the first day. Their intelligence and love for the outdoors they held in common. However, their backgrounds crossed lines of culture, income, and security. Our GLADE campers came from rich communities and poor communities, from urban settings and rural settings, from strong traditional families and highly dysfunctional families. But all of this was set aside as a common vision of a clean, green, and sustainable planet emerged over the course of a week.

Sunday evening was spent going over the essentials of camp life, discovering our new "Green Tool Kit", a backpack full of essentials, containing binoculars (thanks to Bass Pro Shops), field guides, work gloves, water bottles, and Leopold's A Sand County Almanac. After dinner, we began with an initiative game. The kids began to interact, and met their challenge easily. Monday morning Celeste Prussia opened the day with a motivational presentation on the challenges that we face in restoring, conserving, and protecting species worldwide. This was followed by Becky Gehringer's research on the effects of prescribed burns on Ozarks Woodlands. Students engaged in the work of the forester: measuring diameters, circumferences, and heights of trees, as well as collecting data on biodiversity using quadrants in burned and unburned area. While touring the Drury Mincy Conservation Area, students found that biodiversity can be increased and glades can be restored through the use of prescribed burns. Glades can be defined in the Ozarks as areas of extremely thin soils on slopes facing south or west, and characterized by extensive limestone/dolomite and chert outcroppings.

Monday evening licensed bird bander Andrew Kinslow was outstanding in his plight of the neotropicals presentation. We set up the mistnet for the next morning's activity.

At 6:00 am Tuesday morning, the mistnets were unfurled. Students were well versed on the ethics of mistnetting and eagerly awaited the first catch of the day. "Got one", echoed across the valley, and kids scurried to the net. The entangled bird was difficult to ID at first, probably because of the awkwardness of its predicament. I thought perhaps a Louisiana Waterthrush, but soon recognized it as a young Carolina Wren.

The bird was bagged and taken to the field station for measurements, aging, weighing, and banding. A few students were able to hold it, and became mesmerized, as a calm settled in on the group. The process repeated itself 4 more times during the early morning hours, with 2 Indigo Buntings, 1 Yellow-throated Vireo, and 1 Kentucky Warbler joining the list of mist netted and banded birds. There was magic in the air!But we had only begun. Dr. Brian Greene, Missouri State herpetologist, spent the rest of the day with us, busting myth after myth about Cottonmouths by sharing his research results with the students. We then ventured out to the herp ponds found in the conservation area, collecting multiple salamanders, frogs, and insect species. The evening ended near dusk as Brian shared his absolutely beautiful Cottonmouth, Copperhead, and Pygmy rattlesnake with the group before heading out for his periodic nocturnal amphibian monitoring. Could this academy get any better? Well, as a matter of fact, it was only Tuesday and there was much more to come!

Green Leadership Academy: The GLADE Model

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:55:00 +0000

How long has it been since I posted to Conservation Conversations? Sure, a new grandson's arrival in North Carolina prompted a brief and boastful offering from me. As a result, life will never be the same over at The Drinking Bird, but it has clearly changed for the better, and hope springs anew.

Today I bask in the afterglow of highly successful Greater Ozarks Audubon Society effort in environmental education. GLADE came to us last fall as a result of a TogetherGreen innovation grant award. Funded by Toyota Motors and administered by the National Audubon Society, our TogetherGreen grant award was one of only 41 nationwide, and opportunity knocked loudly on the GOAS door.

A perfect storm of sorts brought an eclectic and insightful group of educators together for the project. Lisa Berger, local Audubon activist and visionary, sat with Dr. Janice Greene, Missouri State University Biology Professor specializing in evaluation of science education programs, in a local Panera restaurant and talked about possibilities, forming the framework for a bird camp. I had recently retired from full time teaching and was actively seeking opportunities to increase my role in the conservation movement. When I received an offer from Lisa to direct the new project, I remember replying immediately, "Yes, Yes, Yes", as a wave of gratitude swept over me. Celeste Prussia, manager of the Missouri State Bull Shoals Field Station in Drury-Mincy Conservation Area, joined the team with her exuberant spirit and her expertise in ecological and sustainability issues.

And so our camp plans began. Long a lover of acronyms, I offered up GLADE, Green Leadership Academy for Diverse Ecosystems. It seemed right for our project as it was to be set in the White River Glades and Woodland Important Bird Area (IBA), a region that was once inhabited by Swainson's Warbler and Bachman's Sparrow. Our first mission was evident: to increase biodiversity in hopes of bringing Swainson's Warbler and Bachman's Sparrow, along with other Giant Cane inhabiting species back in sustainable numbers.

In addition, we recruited highly intelligent young conservationists into an academically rigorous, hands on experience in conservation biology. Sixteen high schoolers, pre-screened by area biology teachers, were selected from many highly qualified youth applicants. Experts in the biological field, conservation professionals, and graduate students were brought in daily to expose the students to scientific research, to share their knowledge and insight with the participants, and to illustrate how the scientific method is used to shape public policy in conservation. Our second mission fell into place: to create a new generation of environmental leaders, and closely tie them to the Ozarks bioregional network of "green partners".

Coming from a background in gifted education, I assembled an initiative game based protocol, teaching leadership from the bottom up, and using natural analogies (a simplified example, trees grow strong foundations and reach for the sky, humans should do this, too) to complement the intensive field biology curriculum. We aimed to teach grass roots leadership skills to the young adults: every person has a niche, everyone is a leader, one's role is essential in group problem solving, the challenge is to discern one's role and speak the truth when necessary. Natural extroverts were taught to listen to nature, and to their peers for solutions to challenges presented. Natural introverts were taught that even very small voices, often insightful, hold the key to solutions.

And so the stage was set. The students arrived. More on that tomorrow. I promise.

New Member of the Flock!

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Sun, 17 May 2009 15:11:00 +0000

We interrupt this normal bird related blog to bring this important announcement! N8, over at The Drinking Bird, is a father, which makes me a grandfather!

I found this essay a few years ago, liked it a lot, and post it here on this special day.

Published on Sunday, May 8, 2005 by CommonDreams.org

The Mother's Journey

by Denise Roy

I have hands big enough to save the world, and small enough to rock a child to sleep.
-- Zelma Brown

Looking up at the night sky is a humbling experience. The great darkness invites us to think about where we fit in, where we stand between the past and the future, between the earth and the stars. We seek to understand who we are and what it is that we are supposed to do.

One warm summer night, when I was very pregnant with my daughter, I went outside to sit in a pool of cool water under the stars. I slowly massaged my growing belly, imagining who this child would be and what she would bring into this universe. As I looked up at the light from the stars, light that has taken millions of years to reach us, I thought about ancestors. If only one great-great grandparent had been a different person, I would not be here, and I would not be pregnant with this unique soul.

On that night, I also thought of the future ones yet to be born. In that moment under the stars, I realized that I was carrying within me the seeds of my grandchildren, who would be alive into the twenty-second century.

Suddenly, the distance between centuries did not seem so great. I felt myself participating in a much larger story. I understood that as a mother, I am part of a long continuum, carrying in my being both my ancestors and the future generations. With that comes the kind of responsibility that Native American wisdom articulates: "In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations." What I do here and now will affect many more lives than my own.

It's easy to lose sight of this larger perspective when we're caught up in daily life-signing permission slips, making lunches, teaching our children to be kind to one another. It doesn't feel as if we're doing anything truly profound. And yet with each kiss, with each lesson, we are doing the work of the ages. We are nurturing life, we are shaping the next generation's hearts and bodies and souls.

Literature is full of stories about the hero's journey. More often than not, these stories are about men, about how they go forth and slay the dragon or save the town, bringing back the Holy Grail or a gift for the community. There are fewer examples of women as heroes. Perhaps we need to rethink the idea of what an adventurous life is, of what a heroic journey entails. It might involve a quest, or it might be that we do not have to go anywhere else to obtain the gift, because we already hold it in our hands. We bring life to the community through our children and our work.

Standing under the night sky, I ask the ancestors, the great communion of saints, to be with us on our journey. I ask them for wisdom and courage and strength to do the work that must be done. I reach out across time and ask the future ones, those waiting to be born, for their prayers and their trust that we will act like ancestors and pay attention to the longer rhythms of life.

With hands big enough to save the world, and small enough to rock our children to sleep, we pray for the grace to fulfill our quest.

Adapted from My Monastery Is a Minivan by Denise Roy (Loyola Press, 2001). Denise Roy is a psychotherapist and founder of FamilySpirit (http://www.familyspirit.com/)

WEKI Watch

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Sun, 10 May 2009 23:41:00 +0000

When birding on the Springfield Plateau, it is not uncommon to see dozens of Eastern Kingbirds and Scissor-tailed Flycatcher during a spring or summer day of birding. But when the western version of the Kingbird shows up, it's an exciting day. Not that it's unheard of to have a pair fledge young around here, but it certainly is not an everyday, or even every year, avian observation. Last report was in 2004, but I've only seen one Western Kingbird in Missouri, that in the mid 90's.

As a result, I interrupt my Big Day Part 2 report to share a few poor, but identifiable photos that I took in the rain today. Soon, I'll get my friend Marvin out there to join me, and then I can share some real photos of Western Kingbirds. In the mean time, this will have to do. I just wanted to share the moment.

Nemesis Bird Nabbed

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Fri, 08 May 2009 12:23:00 +0000

My birding friends have looked at me with disbelief many times when I tell them that I do not have Sedge Wren on my life list. I've been in their prairie range countless times, but some birds are just like that, and we pin the term "nemesis bird" upon them.

On Wednesday, May 6, all of that changed. I heard the recognizable call just before I saw the tiny bird flutter to a small tree in the midst of the tall grass prairie species. I knew immediately what it was, but I thought that it must be a fledgling, as it was hardly a master of flight. It seemed to limp from grass to grass, never flying more than 10 feet, with legs awkwardly spread out between grass stems. The camera of my friend Marvin DeJong clicked away to document our new found lifer.This spring, I have been privileged enough to see both the old Short billed Marsh Wren and its cousin, the Long-billed Marsh Wren. Here are a couple photos I took of my new lifer.Down the road a bit, we located the rarest Missouri birds of the day, two female Yellow-headed Blackbirds. The two were leisurely feeding in an agricultural field. My records indicate that it's been 14 years since my last Missouri YHBL.All of this on a big day that netted 105 species. More reports to come.

New arrivals for Earth Day

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 02:21:00 +0000

I've been birding Busiek State Forest south of Ozark fairly regularly this spring. Today I had two new warbler species: Blue winged and Prairie, along with American Redstart, Yellow throated Warbler, Northern Parula, Ovenbird, Louisiana Waterthrush, Black and White Warbler, Yellow rumped Warbler, and Kentucky Warbler. Thought I heard a Cerulean, but it turned out to be variation on a theme by N. Parula.

I couldn't catch the Blue-winged in a photo, but did get a few shots of other warblers to share.

Northern Parula Northern Parula

Anyone know the name of the blue flower?

Rufous sided Towhee (female)

Prairie Warbler

April Showers

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 20:14:00 +0000

For the past four days, I've had an opportunity to get out to enjoy the transitioning seasons. Up until yesterday though, things migration related were dead, but as the winds shifted back to the south, showers popped up, and this weekend the migration appears to be in full swing with new species arriving daily.

Day 1, Thursday, Apr. 16: a trip to the Aldrich arm of Stockton Reservoir yielded few species, no shorebirds, but nice views of Osprey and Lark Sparrow.

Day 2, Friday, April 17: no chance to get out, but late Pine Siskins still visited at our thistle feeder.

Day 3, Saturday, Apr. 18: Short trip to the DeJong Farm on Bull Creek in southern Christian County, Missouri, yielded 7 Yellow throated Warblers, 9 Northern Parula, 6 American Redstarts, 3 Ovenbirds, 1 Kentucky Warbler, 2 Black and White Warblers, 1 Louisiana Waterthrush, 1 Swainson's Thrush, 1 Broad winged Hawk, 1 Sharp shinned Hawk, 2 Eastern Towhee, 2 Eastern Phoebe, 2 Ruby crowned Kinglets and the regulars....

Day 4, Sunday, Apr. 19: After 3 1/2 inches of overnight rainfall, the flood gates erupted literally and figuratively. On a trip down Center Road, Red Bridge Road and into the National Forest, Highlight was 1 Hooded Warbler, but we saw all the warblers from yesterday except for Kentucky, and numbers were way up for Ovenbirds, Black and White Warblers, and Northern Parula, in the 20s and 30s for each of the three species.

Here are a few images from today:

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

Pine Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Red-bellied Woodpecker

Yellowlegs.....the way I like them!

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 01:26:00 +0000

Just a quick photo post before I head off for the Lower Rio Grande Valley early in the morning. Yesterday I took this at Aldrich. I love it when Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs are in the same binocular view, even more so when I catch them both in one photo!

Deja Vu All Over Again

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 21:43:00 +0000

"This is like Deja Vu all over again!" Yes, Ol' Yogi said it well. I guess it has become a spring ritual. What am I talking about? The plovers of Palmetto Meadows , that's what I'm talking about! And in this case, Yogi hits another homer, "It gets late early out there."

How many years in a row have I made the trek to see the manure strewn field at the corner of FR253 and FR 186 in the Palmetto Meadow region of my stomping grounds?
A quick look at my life list reveals the truth...... March 30, 1995... American Golden Plover, Pluvialis dominica, Greene County, Missouri. So, that makes this the 15th spring that I've found the perennial plovers in the pastures of Palmetto. An anniversary of sorts, I suppose.

But there is something more significant here. Notice the March 30 date. For years I knew that when I came home from my spring break visiting my parents in the Rio Grande Valley of southern Texas, I could quickly make the trek to see the birds. Their presence extended into early April. But something has been happening to the plovers that has been well documented in many other species. They are returning earlier each successive year! I suspect that most will be far north of southwest Missouri by the end of March.

So, it is, that yesterday, on Friday the 13th of March, that I spotted 28 American Golden Plovers at the exact same location as I've seen them time and time again, but this time 2 1/2 weeks earlier than I originally saw them 14 years ago.

I draw upon Yogi once again:

"I always thought that record would stand until it was broken." and, by golly,

"You can observe a lot just by watching."

Here's a few poor photos of the distant, albeit reliable birds:

Nesting Hopefuls and New Year's Retrospectus

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 01:45:00 +0000

It's been so long since I'm blogged I'm afraid that I've forgotten how. It's not that I quit birding and dropped off the face of the earth, it's just that other tasks have gotten in the way. So I've decided that a brief synopsis of the year would be in order.

Most recently, this weekend I decided that it was time to check a couple of potential nesting sites of local birds of prey.

First stop: Bois D'Arc Conservation Area, where I saw a Barn Owl in early January. I was hoping I'd return to a nesting pair! Here's what I found. Actually saw two Great Horns in the barn. So much for Barn Owls this year!

Today I headed to Fellows Lake. I was curious about the Bald Eagle nest that had recently been renovated. For four years now, a pair has "played house" in the area. No confirmed fledglings have been noted. In the large Sycamore near the lake's spillway, I saw the huge nest. I put my binoculars to my eyes and this is what I saw.Hope springs eternal.

Some of the other sights that I remembered with photos are the hundreds of Great-tailed Grackles and a beautiful dark phase Red-tail amid myriad blackbirds. I searched for Rusties in the bunch and found 3. The raptors, mostly Accipiters, scattered the massive flocks occasionally. This Northern Harrier, however, did its normal surveying in a nearby field. Today I spotted 2 Canvasbacks, which are winter rarities here. I "think" I saw Greater Scaups earlier in the year, but I've learned that it is not that easy to ID a sitting duck. Should have worked harder to flush them! Here are some Gads in flight though.At the feeders, Pine Siskins are regulars, and I had my first Purple Finch this weekend.
So, all in all, it's been a pretty good year. At the rate I'm blogging, it'll be spring in no time!

Siskins!

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 03:03:00 +0000

Although I've had a single Pine Siskins visiting my feeder periodically since November, this last cold front finally brought down a sizable sum of seven seed-eating siskins. I've decided to share some of my photos.

Another Greater Scaup! or NOT....

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 00:40:00 +0000

Blogger's note 1/13/09: See comments to this blog entry. I always listen to the opinions of David Ringer. His thoughts and insight into bird identification are thorough, and he always asks the right questions. After reading his comment on this post, I investigated. The comments that struck a chord with me were not about the "nail" (Sibley guide says there is much overlap), but the one about a feeding, threatened or alert Scaup.

From http://www.biology.eku.edu/kos/scaup.htm , I quote: "Images E and F depict how head shape can change with attitude. Lesser Scaup typically compress their head feathers when feeding eliminating the peak to the crown which gives them a totally different appearance. They may also do this when alert or threatened. They can appear very similar to Greater Scaup when assuming this attitude, particularly when showing a green gloss to the head."

Perhaps the Scaup of this post is a Lesser, and the three Scaup of the previous post are Greaters. Or perhaps all are Lesser. I've learned a lot about Scaup through these sightings and follow-up blog entries.

Birders have come down on both sides of the fence on the original post called "The Scaup Scoop". Perhaps I should return to Robbins and Easterla's comment, "the only reliable field mark for distinguishing these two species is the extent of white on the upper side of the primaries."

Original post:
Well, today I seemed to have run into another rare Greater Scaup in the Ozarks. This individual did not have the striking green head of last Thursday's birds, but the gizz sure seems right to me. Check out the wide head on the bottom pictures. What do you think?

The Scaup Scoop

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 15:22:00 +0000

Some species of birds challenge the best of birders. So it goes with the Scaup. As my skills as a birder progress, with my point and shoot camera always handy to get adequate documentation shots, and with a very fine birder, my own son, a simple email away, I find myself more willing to stick my neck out these days. And so it went this past week when I spotted some ducks way out of their expected location.

Set in the center of Springfield, Southern Hills Lakes have always been a winter hotspot. We regularly get Ring-necks, Canvasbacks, Redheads, Wigeon, Hooded Mergansers, Gadwalls, Teal, Scaup, and our resident Mute Swan population there. Hardly a large body of water, it seems a rather unlikely place for a Greater Scaup.

Last Thursday, however, this greater species graced the middle lake. Or, at least, that's how I see it. I hesitated to post the sighting, for fear that I had overlooked something. I emailed Nathan with an attached photo, and his quick reply gave me confidence. I Googled for comparison pages and found an excellent one that distinctly illustrated the differences. Brian Currie's page is awesome, but Ryan O'Donnell's ID challenge still illustrates the difficulty of the ID and differences of opinion among birders as well.

Internationally recognized KU ornithologist Mark Robbins and his colleague Northwest Missouri State ornithologist David Easterla, in their 1992 essential records book, "Birds of Missouri: Their Distribution and Abundance", state that "the only reliable field mark for distinguishing these two species is the extent of white on the upper side of the primaries." I have met both of these men, and I greatly respect their knowledge and expertise.

I'll still stand by my identification. By now, I hope I have piqued your curiousity. If so, here are my photos of last week's Greater and Lesser Scaup, followed by a few more of my
Greater Scauup. Greater Scaup above: note the rounded head, lack of distinct peak, green iridescence, broad bill, and generally longer gizz than Lesser Scaup below.

Lesser photo taken 3 days after Greater photo.

Lesser Scaup

Here's a few more of the Greater Scaup:
Unfortunately, the birds did not stick around. By the following morning, they were gone. So, I was the only birder that got to see them.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the plight of this beautiful species and its lesser counterpart, whose numbers are both plummeting. Click here for more information.
I welcome your comments and insight.

Greeting the Birds of a New Year

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 01:19:00 +0000

In early and mid December, I spotted 2 Least Sandpipers at the Bois D'Arc Conservation Area just a little northwest of Springfield. When the new year came around, I decided to see if the hardy little shorebirds had managed to remain in spite of sub freezing temperatures in recent days. The peeps were gone, but replacing them was a flock of at least 9 American Pipits, another Ozarks winter rarity. A couple of them posed nicely for the winter afternoon photographs.

Just down the road, I spotted my first winter Wood Duck in several years. This one is arguably the most beautiful North American duck, and it is always a joy to take in its glorious plumage.A couple Red-tailed Hawks in the area made me take a second look in hopes of turning up a Rough-legged Hawk, but neither passed the test for dark wrists. Here's their pictures, nevertheless.
The most exciting sighting of the day, however, came when I least expected and was too quick to get a picture. Looking into a barn that I have checked a 1000 times unsuccessfully, I encountered a Barn Owl high in the rafters! At the instant I saw it, it swooped through the exit. I briefly looked for it outside of the barn, but a pang of guilt swept over me. I hope it returns, and brings with it a mate. For now, I'll keep its location on the down low, and hope that spring brings fledglings!

January is looking ok. A day earlier, I picked up Winter Wren, Red-shouldered Hawk, Belted Kingfisher, Golden-crowned Kinglet, and Bald Eagle at Linden, all while playing disc golf. Yesterday there were 21 Black Vultures feasting on a deer carcass on the roadside near the Springfield Nature Center. It seems I haven't even tried, and my year list currently stands at 47 species. Plans to check some lake and ponds tomorrow to add some waterfowl. Who knows where this will end?

Top Ten Nature Moments of 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 02:15:00 +0000

Once again it is with gratitude and a desire to share the joy of the great outdoors that I post my top ten nature moments of 2008.

As a retired biology teacher, I know that natural awareness and environmental responsibility is taught in the classroom, but the teachings simply do not take hold without awe inspiring, first hand encounters with the natural world and all of its beauty. We who long for our next day out of doors have developed a heartfelt gratitude for the gift of Nature. It is from the core of this "gratitude within" that we are called into action to educate others, and to protect, defend, and preserve our biosphere.

So yes, this is a self-indulgent episode in blogging, but I still prefer to think of it as a testimony to the power of Nature to transform lives and to instill, as Rachel Carson coined, "a sense of wonder" in all of us.

My Top Ten Nature Moments of 2008

10. Fellows Lake Feathers! In November, I was forced to study the subtle difference between Western Grebes and Clark's Grebes as a tempting intergrade bird appeared on Fellows Lake. I ultimately decided it was a Western Grebe, but only after 2-3 days of mulling it over in my mind. This place is always special. It is the location of my life Clay-colored Sparrow, Northern Shrike, and Pacific Loon discoveries in past years. Last, but surely not least, it is the main piece of the pie in my section of the Springfield Christmas Bird Count circle, where I learned that "every bird counts."

9. Environmental Education Excellence!: Receiving a $26,000 grant from the Together Green project to set up the first annual Green Leadership Academy for Diverse Ecosystems (GLADE). Our plan is to select 16 of the finest young environmental leaders in Southwest Missouri high schools, to have them converge in a week long residential adventure and to put them to work near the Arkansas border in an effort to restore habitat for Swainson's Warbler, Bachman's Sparrow and other endangered species of Missouri. Check it our plans at www.greenleadershipacademy.org

8 Bodacious Bois D'Arc Boids! I have underbirded Bois D'Arc Conservation Area. I vow not to do it again this year! In 2008 the area produced stunning views of LeConte's Sparrow, Wilson's Snipes, and American Pipits. A single Dunlin appeared in November. In December, I spotted 2 late Least Sandpipers that stayed for at least 2 weeks.7. Aldrich Avian Adventures! On a comfortable August morning, Marvin and I headed up to the Aldrich arm of Stockton Reservoir in search of Buff-bellied Sandpipers. Although our target species eluded us, we enjoy large numbers of terns and shorebirds, getting soul satisfying views of Western Sandpipers and Least Terns.

6. Lockwood Luxuries! Although I had discovered a Northern Shrike at Fellows Lake last winter, I was again thrilled when birder friends Charley, Lisa, and David found another Northern Shrike in the Lockwood area. I convinced Charley to join me a few days later. We quickly found the cooperative Northern Shrike and added a stealthy Prairie Falcon to my Missouri list. The speedy bird was hard to keep up with, but as I look back, I realize that we were very fortunate to get three looks before it disappeared into the distant prairie.

5. Gustav Gulling! When Hurricane Gustav's landfall path reached into Southwest Missouri, I beelined down to Table Rock Reservoir in seach of Royal, Sooty, or Bridled Terns. Although unsuccessful in my tern quest, I was fortunate to be with one of Missouri's top birders, Joe Eades. He spotted my life Sabine's Gull along a distant shore, and we marveled in its distinctive yin-yang triangular wing pattern.

4. Wetlands Wonders! In September, I journeyed out to Kansas, where I birded Cheyenne Bottoms for a single afternoon. Not only did I add Red-necked Phalarope to my life list, but I photographed grace in action in wading American Avocets and swarming Monarch butterflies. Quite a sight!

3. Big Day Bonanza! An unbelievable 125 species on our May Big Day! Marvin, Charley and I arrived on the Missouri Prairie at sunrise, covered the roads down to the Busiek State Forest glade and Mark Twain National Forest, on to the Palmetto Meadows and urban waters, and finished some 14 hours later at Lake Springfield! This awesome day broke my previous big day record by 20 species!

2. Outer Banks Odyssey! The holidays provided a wonderful opportunity to visit my NC son and daughter-in-law and we all ventured to the the Outer Banks. Besides spending 4 days on the beach and visiting three light houses, I managed to pick up 4 life birds as my son struggled to pick up his 300th NC bird for 2008. Birds that I added to my list were Red-throated Loan, Mute Swan, Surf Scoter, and my favorite, the Purple Sandpipers of Oregon Inlet near Pea Island NWR.

1. Wyoming Wonders! An incredible family trip to Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Park. It all started when my brother-in-law planned a family reunion there. Fourteen of us converged in Moran Junction, Wyoming, sightseeing our way up to Cooke City, Montana, and back to Moran Junction. The valley of the Lamar provided an amazing wildlife viewing experience that I will never forget. We arrived early in the morning in the valley of the Lamar, shortly after the Slough pack of wolves had taken down a young bull elk. Lying on the banks of the river, the carcass became the hub of biological activity for at least two days. The wolves gorged themselves, magpies and coyotes waiting on the sideline for a clearing in the mob. As the wolves dispersed, a Grizzly Bear barreled down the hill at an incredible speed. At one point, it confronted a member of the wolf pack. There was no doubting who the boss was in that valley as the bear chased the wolf out of sight. In the distance, huge herds of American Bison grazed in valley. At one point the distance between us and a bull buffalo became too close for comfort, however. We barely got into the car as the behemoth passed within inches of our vehicle. Amazing mammals were joined by Amazing birds on the trips, as Ferruginous Hawks, Prairie Falcons, Peregrine Falcon, Golden Eagle, Cordilleran Flycatcher, Trumpeter Swans, Red-bellied Sapsuckers, and Western Grebes rise up in my memory, but there were more..... many more. It was truly a "once in a lifetime" experience!

So that's another year passed. Wishing you many life birds and many life birding relationships in 2009! Cheers to all!

Six Random Things Meme

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 01:15:00 +0000

I was tagged by Mike at the Feather and the Flower with a Six Random Things meme. Although up to this point, I have stuck fairly closely to birds and conservation issues on this blog, I've decided to dive into the meme world. I ask myself.....why would anyone care, but then I, too, visit blog sites looking for interesting writers and people in general. I only hope I have something of interest to share.

Here are the rules for Six Random Things:

Link to the person who tagged you. *done
Post the rules on your blog. *here they are.
Write six random things about yourself. *below
Let the tagger know when your entry is up. *will do

I skipped a couple of rules, but hey, as far as I know, anyone that wants to can do this on their blog. Who needs an invitation?

1. I play bluegrass music, although not as much as I used to play. I own a Martin D-15 LE with a spruce top and a Wynn mandolin built in the late 70's. In the early 80's I played with a band called Backwoods Harmony at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri. Later I played with the Wynn boys in a band called Cedar Ridge. We played fairs and local venues. Now I just go up to the Ozark, Missouri, Square and pick with jam groups on summer evenings.

2. I also ride a sweet road bike. I posted about my Colnago Dream Plus on my blog once. I was going to sell it to buy a spotting scope and binoculars. Well, I couldn't sell the bike because I still love it, and I bought the scope and bins anyway. So, I've decided to start riding it again. There are recently completed greenways trails in my town, and they keep me off the road, where increasing numbers of drivers are text messaging and not looking at the road!

3. I went to college in 1970 on a small baseball scholarship at Kansas Wesleyan in Salina, Kansas. I am left handed and was a pitcher. I pitched when it was very cold in the early spring of my freshman year and ruined my arm. It still is painful for me to throw a baseball hard, but

4. I play disc golf for recreation and exercise. The closest course is only 2 blocks away, and my friends and I completed a country version of a 10 hole course at Lindenlure on the Finley River just last Saturday. We used big galvanized tubs for the baskets, and tucked the tubs back into the brush. It's a decently challenging course. 5. My wife and I were married in 1973, that's 35 years ago although she doesn't think I remember how long ago it was. We were part of the original Mother Earth News and Rodale Press Organic Gardening "back to the land" movement and lived way off the beaten path for many years. I had what I called the "Appalachian School Teacher Dream", where one goes to a poverty stricken mountain community, drives the school bus to and from work, and gives young people the key to escape from their world of poverty and illiteracy. So, we did all of that it in the Ozarks. However, we live in the suburbs now. My lovely, social daughter needed the town connection and besides, that simple, but hard life just burned us out after 24 years. Bicycling to work makes more ecological sense any way!

6. I have not always been a birder. When we camped on the Mulberry River in northern Arkansas in 1973, I thought that the Turkey Vultures soaring above us were Eagles for longer than I care to say. I know what you're saying...... "what was he smoking?" It was years later that my 11 year old son told me he read that the Native Americans often referred to vultures as "peace eagles", as they always appeared above their gatherings and took no life to sustain their own. I like that story, and it was one of the first of myriads of bird lore, tales, trivia, and facts that I have learned from my son since.

Christmas Bird Count

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 13:19:00 +0000

It was December 18, 1993, when my son and I ventured out on our first Greater Ozarks Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count. At the time, we had no idea of the luck that spread over us on that day and in the years following. The "piece of the pie" that we were assigned to was then, and is still today, the finest chunk of habitat in the Springfield circle. It includes the beautiful and spacious water supply for the city, Fellows Lake.

View Larger Map
Fellows Lake is not so big that it cannot be fully covered, a scope view from the north shoreline can reach the main body of the lake. Only a southeast extending arm in out of sight in the early morning of the CBC count but we make sure that we pick that up in the slanting rays of the late afternoon sunlight on CBC day.
On that day in 1993, all the birds were magical. I remember vividly my son Nathan saying that, on this day every single bird counts........., even the single Starling on the line was added to the 20, 000 others, blowing away my scientific concept of "significant digits"! I will never forget our views of an immature Cooper's Hawk on a fence post. It is a species that is regularly encountered in modern southwest Missouri CBCs, but in 1993 it required documentation. On top of that, it was a lifer for both my son and me. We carefully described to each other every detail of the reasonably cooperative accipiter. Ultimately, our documentation was accepted, a beginning birder triumph.

We learned quickly that our leader, former Springfield Conservation Nature Center director and current Director of Field Support or the National Audubon Society, Dave Catlin, was all about the number of species that we accumulated for the day. At lunch we would carefully identify the gaps in our list, and we would target specific habitats to fill them in.

When I think back, I am amazed that we were invited to be part of his "elite" birder team. I guess Dave probably saw the potential and precocious birding ability of my son, and thought that he was an excellent bet! I just happened to be his driver!

Speaking of that team of elite birders..... Although my son is now unable to join us since his move to Tarheels land in North Carolina, we still will be putting together a formidable group. The most noteable to bloggers is world traveler, founder of Birdstack, author of Search and Serendipidity, and birder phenom David Ringer. See the current Birds of the Solistice count day link on the sidebar.

Second is Bo Brown, long time musician, bohemian, and birder extraordinaire, whose work, along with Dave Catlin's is sited here and here. Bo has birded around the world, participating as a professional bird researcher at various locales from Point Reyes to Northwest Arkansas and far beyond.

Third is Charley Burwick, retired from the FAA; he joined Nathan and I on that "first for him, too" CBC count in 1993. Charley has risen through the ranks to become an excellent birder. He is currently the president of both Audubon Missouri and the Greater Ozarks Audubon Society.

And so, we set out to our Fellows Lake sector again this Saturday. It is my 16th year in a row to participate in southwest Missouri CBCs. The excitement is palpable, and I just can't wait to see what turns up this year.............. on that very special day when "every single bird counts".

The Least of These

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 22:50:00 +0000

The 2 Least Sandpipers that I reported 2 weeks ago still remain at Bois D'Arc CA this afternoon, December 14. Forty + degree drop this evening will surely test their resolve.Also saw 2 Loggerhead Shrikes out by Fellows Lake. No luck so far in the search for Northern Shrike out in the Fellows Lake area this year.

Lockwood Luxuries

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 18:19:00 +0000

In hot pursuit of a Northern Shrike spotted by Charley Burwick, Lisa Berger, and David Ringer last weekend, I bee lined to a largely agricultural area north of Lockwood on both Monday and Friday this week. Although the Monday trip did not result in the NSHR, I was not disappointed.

A light dusting of snow in the area made Monday a day for Longspurs. I ran into 3 mixed flocks of Horned Larks and Lapland Longspurs. With snow these little guys are a little easier to find, but locating them in a picture is still very difficult. I shot at least 20 photos and came out with only one that clearly identifies the species.
On the way home from Lockwood on Monday, I decided to stop by a mudflat area in the Bois D'Arc Conservation Area to check for late shorebirds. I found these two Least Sandpipers hanging out with the regular Killdeer and occasional Wilson's Snipe found during Ozark winters. After running a few errands on Friday, I realized that I had a window of opportunity to dash out to Lockwood once again. I called Charley and he was up for another search of the Lockwood area. Not long after leaving the main highway to the region, we saw a flock of 80 Lapland Longspurs scattered across a field. Shortly thereafter, 40 Brewer's Blackbirds were spotted sharing a tree with a Red-tailed Hawk. I was surprised when I entered my observation of these Brewer's Blackbird on e-bird, the sighting required confirmation by a reviewer. I saw flocks of them on both days, and they are truly winter regulars in the Lockwood area. I was intriqued by a MoBird post this week by Larry Herbert of Joplin. He said that of the 10 or so Northern Shrikes that he has seen in his lifetime, 8 have been associated with brush piles, and that is true of this Lockwood shrike. The second brush pile from the left that this particular shrike inhabited is clearly visible on Google maps. It must be a fairly recent picture.
View Larger Map

And, On this day, the Northern Shrike was right where he was supposed to be, on the second brush pile. One year ago, on December 8, I saw my first Northern Shrike, but it was not in a brush pile nor was it as cooperative as this one was. All the key field marks are visible in the photos. Take a look!
It would have been a wonderful 2 hours of birding if it had ended there. But one mile south of the Northern Shrike, we were delighted to spot a Prairie Falcon zipping low down the road in front of the car. We were lucky enough to observe the restless bird briefly as it sat on a fence post, and then we flushed it to another fence row and I got a great swing by look at it as it darted for cover. Although this isn't my photo, it certainly is a picture etched in my memory. Although I believe I had a very brief glance at the bird on Monday, this look would go down as my first Missouri Prairie Falcon. Just after a look like the one below, the bird hung a sharp left and I clearly saw the dark wingpits. Check! Got it!

Photo by Doug Backlund at http://pie.midcoat.net/dougback/North%20Cave%20Hills.htm

Since I had another committment at 4:00, we headed for home. The drive home was largely uneventful except for a nice look at a Black Vulture soaring over the Springfield Conservation Nature Center. Some days, like this Friday, the great birding boils down to a couple hours in the field. Guess that is proof that anything can happen the instant you slip out that front door!

Western Grebe at Fellows Lake?

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 00:25:00 +0000

Ok, I know very well the role that anticipation plays in birding...... Once I was sure that a stick was a Belted Kingfisher at Fellows Lake on a pre-dawn CBC morning..... And, the thought of a life bird (or an Ivory-billed :) ........) literally changes what you "see" in the field. But I confess here. I'm second guessing this bird. I know the default is a Western, but this black cap seems to run very high, above the eye even, and that bill..... it sure is yellow.

I thought I had the Clark's Grebe, and from what I've read, some individuals are indistinguishable from Western. Better safe than sorry, I conclude. But why is this a distinguishable Western Grebe? I'd really like to know for some reason other than the 90% Redtail Rule in the Ozarks. And, I may just have to go back to try for a closer look. But here's 4 crummy pictures of a bird waaaaaayyyyyyyyy out there, two from Charley and 2 from me.

Any insight would be great!

Charley's photo: To me, the verdict is out. Just what is it: Clark's or Western?

My photo: The black cap seems to intersect with the bill at the top of the culmen

Charley's photo: Most convincing evidence of Western, thick black on back of neck. But still, note the pale plumage on the back.

Ok, I know that white "bleeds" in photos, but again the black cap intersects at the culmen.

And so, I make my case, tenuous as it is. But, I'd like to learn......... And, I hope the bird sticks around a while, and decides to come closer to shore when I am there.....

Green Leadership Academy for Diverse Ecosystems (GLADE)

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 19:09:00 +0000

I promised in my last blog entry to elaborate on a brand new environmental education project that my colleagues and I have been developing. The best way to describe the whole exciting project is to share the press release with you, incorporating a few green partner logos* and pictures along the way. So, here's our new project, the collective brainchild of GOAS environmental activist Lisa Berger, MSU Biology professor Dr. Janice Greene, field station manager Celeste Prussia, and environmental educator, me!

If you are currently in the 10th or 11th grade in Southwest Missouri and have a strong interest in ecology and environmental issues, the Greater Ozarks Audubon Society Green Leadership Academy for Diverse Ecosystems is looking for you!The Greater Ozarks Audubon Society is pleased to announce that it is the recipient of a TogetherGreen Innovation grant to help fund a Green Leadership Academy for teens. The seven day residential academy is a joint project of GOAS and Missouri State University, and will be held June 21-27, 2009. GOAS is one of 41 newly-announced TogetherGreen national innovation grants that will help change the lives of some local young people and help them to shape a better environment.

Teens working with entomologist at recent TogetherGreen Volunteer Day.

A $26,000 one-year grant will allow the Greater Ozarks Audubon Society and Missouri State University to join forces to create a seven-day teen leadership skills academy, building on previous educational collaborations to bring new environmental skills and restoration opportunities to local students.

Participants in the GLADE project, located at MSU’s Bull Shoals Field station, will learn about local species and habitats, endangered species, riparian corridors and water quality. They will participate in hands-on habitat restoration and will design environmental programs.

Organizers expect the program will equip academy attendees with a green skills toolbox for initiating conservation projects in their schools, homes, and communities.

"Each teen participating in the academy with develop the leadership skills and ecological knowledge to reach others and to make a positive difference in our natural environment," said Greg Swick, Director of GLADE.

“Our long-term goals are to build a network of young conservation leaders and to develop a working model for youth conservation leadership development. We are excited about the possibilities.” “We hope to build an enthusiasm for the natural world that will continue to grow as participants return to their communities, and we hope that each will gain the confidence to know that they can make a difference,” added Janice Greene, Director of the Bull Shoals Field Station.

The solar powered renovated Drury House at the Bull Shoals Field Station.

The Bull Shoals Field Station is located within the White River Glades and Woodlands Important Bird Area and the Drury-Mincy Conservation Area, managed by the Missouri Department of Conservation. This area was historically characterized by abundant hill-top gladed areas mixed with savanna and woodland and streams lined with giant cane. Today, many of the glades are overgrown with eastern red cedar. Encroaching commercial development from nearby Branson and Table Rock Lake resort districts poses a threat to habitat coverage, continuity, and management.

TogetherGreen is a National Audubon Society program funded by Toyota Motors.

For more information, go to the official GLADE website.

*logos of Missouri Department of Conservation, Missouri State University, Greater Ozarks Audubon, and TogetherGreen used with permission only.

Envisioning a World of Change

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 18:50:00 +0000

Being a science educator for 31 years, I often advocated for alternative energy use and habitat restoration/preservation in the biology classroom. As evidence of human-induced climate change mounted, I also incorporated this knowledge into the curriculum.

Since everyone I know is excited about the election results and is talking "change" these days, I thought I'd add my $.02. On that note, the interaction on ecological and energy related issues within the public school system is simply not enough to enact the scope of changes that we need in this area of public debate. We need hands on, experiential learning environments and resources for our brightest students so that they can develop the ecological ideas and technology that will lead us into an environmentally sustainable future.

Working specifically with identified populations of gifted students, as I still do, has allowed me to touch the future in many ways that are undetectable during the students' years in my classroom. I try to plant seeds, but it's these students' ideas and dreams have the potential to become the cornerstone of American ideals and to make indelible, positive marks on the world of the future.

The magnitude of human environmental impact is upon us. In this time of change, I envision the proliferation of green leadership academies that select enthusiastic, community minded young people from all over the United States and the world to participate in experiences designed to develop within them a deep ecological awareness and an equally in-depth awareness of leadership skills that can rally people to take actions that ultimately lead to a ecologically sustainable planet.

Awareness of environmental and energy issues among our very brightest can unleash a myriad of possible solutions. Ecological awareness, combined with training in leadership, conflict resolution, and group interaction will ensure that each of these young people returns to his/her community as an activist in the areas of environmental public policy, including, but not limited to, alternative energy sources, climate change issues, and habitat preservation/restoration projects.

I am excited to share that I am a green partner and the director of one such prototypic model of a habitat restoration based green leadership academy which will be launched next summer. More on that in my next post.

For a preview, go to our website, www.greenleadershipacademy.org