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AUDUBON
CALIFORNIA NOTES
April e-newsletter
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In this
issue:
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Chapter Assembly Returns to Asilomar with
Great Success
The
California Audubon Chapters Assembly from March 19 to 21 was an
enormous success. Over 150 participants attended, including
representatives from 34 chapters, Audubon California board and
staff members, staff from National Audubon Society’s D.C. policy
office, wildlife experts, government officials, political and
media specialists, and more. The theme of the Assembly was
Saving the Endangered Species Act and speakers came from the
national Endangered Species Coalition, the California Coastal
Conservancy and Wildlife Conservation Board, local government
officials, Audubon staff and several members of Audubon
California’s board.
The
Assembly opened with a keynote address from Brock Evans,
president of the Endangered Species Coalition and former Audubon
staffer. Brock shared tales from forests of the pacific
northwest to capital hill from his life as an eco-warrior and
inspired the audience with unflagging optimism after 30 years of
working to conserve nature. Monday was chock-full with workshops
and plenary speakers. Favorite workshops included Avian Flu –
What are you doing to be prepared for it, The Endangered Species
Act: Crafting a Message that Matters and Recruitment Techniques.
While
our minds were swimming with inspiration and information, we
headed out in the rainy night to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The
evening’s magic started a reception in the blue light of the
outer bay exhibit as sharks, tuna and sea turtles swam by.
Tuesday morning participants returned from ocean’s paradise for
three more workshops and a series of panel speakers. Audubon
took a look forward at the changing ethnic composition of our
state and the changing uses of our landscape and prepared to
engage in both. Audubon California’s new chairman of the board,
Steve Blank sent us off with rousing speech about his journey to
Audubon and where he hopes we are headed.
All
in all, the Assembly was a chance to reconnect with old friends
and make new ones, share best practices and new conservation
tools, commiserate over the many challenges facing the
environment, and renew our optimism and commitment to Audubon’s
conservation mission. Many of the presentations from plenary
speakers and workshops will soon be available on Audubon
California’s website at
http://www.ca.audubon.org/audubon_assembly.htm.
Thanks to everyone who attended and shared their positive energy
and we look forward to even more participants at the next
Assembly, to be held at Asilomar in fall 2007. Look for a save
the date in September 2006!
ESA Update – No
New is Good News
 Since
the passage of Representative Richard Pombo’s awful Endangered
Species Act ‘reform’ bill [HR3824] in September, Audubon along
with a broad coalition of conservation groups is working to
prevent this rollback of the landmark Endangered Species Act
(ESA). For background information on the ESA and our campaign go
to
http://ca.audubon.org/action.htm.
Our
strategy is to keep the Senate from passing any bill because we
know that whatever bill that comes out of the Senate will
conference with Pombo’s House bill and the compromise will be
one that endangered wildlife cannot abide. But we are not
sitting still waiting for the 2006 congressional clock to run
out. We are taking action with events, phone calls, letters and
emails. Our focus is sending a message to our Senator Feinstein
that the ESA is working and any action on the law in this
congress will end up “Pombo-ized”.
To
that effect, we have had 6 endangered species field trips lead
by our chapters and great success with getting our message to
the public through coverage in newspapers big and small. And
last month, the Audubon California Chapter Assembly’s theme was
Saving the ESA with workshops on the issues, the species and
taking action. Assembly participants were inspired to call and
write Senator Feinstein and start planning for more endangered
species field trips. Thanks to all of you who have sent letters
or emails and made phone calls to Feinstein’s office to let her
know how many Californians value strong protection of endangered
species and their habitat. Some of these letters were
hand-delivered by 3 Audubonner’s from California who traveled to
DC in March for a two day advocacy training and legislative
visits to our representatives in support of the ESA.
Our
efforts must be working because with the congressional clock
winding down, no bill seems forthcoming from the Senate. Let’s
keep the pressure on until then we can rest and get to more
proactive conservation issues at hand.
For
more information on taking action with a field trip, letters or
phone calls, contact Claudia Eyzaguirre
at 510 601 1866x3.
Update on
Conservation Funding Bond
 Although
the State Legislature failed to pass legislation to qualify a
bond for the June ballot, legislators continue to negotiate over
a package of infrastructure, flood control and education bonds
(a bond provides the authority for the state to borrow money for
specified purposes). Meanwhile, the conservation funding bond
that Audubon and other conservation groups are supporting has
gathered nearly enough signatures to qualify as an initiative on
the November ballot. The initiative would provide over $5
billion in conservation and water quality funds, which are
sorely needed by the Wildlife Conservation Board, California
Coastal Conservancy and other state agencies to continue our
tremendous progress on acquisition and restoration of important
habitats, water quality improvement and park protection in
California. To see the specific funding categories contained in
the initiative, visit our website at
http://www.ca.audubon.org/2006_Bond_Funding.htm
Laying the
Foundation for Audubon at Home in
California
 At
the next meeting of each Audubon Council, we will ask chapter
members to help develop the objectives and the elements of an
Audubon At Home so we can draw on our collective experience and
brainstorm new ideas to form the basis of a statewide Audubon at
Home Program. Then in July, Audubon California will solicit
proposals from Chapters to implement the collectively created
statewide program. As part of additional Collaborative Funding,
$20,000 will be granted to chapters for promising Audubon At
Home pilot projects.
With
California’s population growing from 34 million to over 50
million in the next twenty years, we need to help Californians
make decisions at home that support a healthy environment. With
the loss of native habitat, urban and suburban parks and gardens
play an increasingly important role in providing habitat for
native species. Native songbirds are adapting to our
communities, and Audubon wants to help Californians bring these
birds and native plants into their backyards and lives.
Audubon California in collaboration with our 50 chapters would
like to reach out to Californians at their homes. Some chapters
have already begun Audubon At Home programs suited to California
landscapes and communities. In a statewide program we plan to
build upon this experience, the experience of National Audubon,
and further the California Audubon at Home program.
The
Objectives and Elements of an Audubon At Home Program sessions
will be held at the next council meetings. Please attend your
next council meeting and add your ideas!
Next Council Meeting Dates:
Bay Area – April 8
Central Coast – April 22
Southern California – June 10
Central Valley – June 17
For
information on council meetings contact Claudia Eyzaguirre
Avian Influenza
Symposium
April 15, 2006 Davis, California
 The
H5N1 strain of avian influenza is the potential source of a
pandemic that could be extremely lethal to humans and wildlife.
It has been widely reported that this strain is hosted by wild
birds, especially waterfowl. As frequently is true with complex
scientific issues, Avian flu is not well explained in the press.
As a result, the potential role of wildlife in a future pandemic
is poorly understood by the public, elected officials, and even
interested individuals.
Protecting birds and other wildlife depends on our ability to
understand the potential for wild birds to transmit the disease
to humans and contribute to the evolution of a virus that could
be transmitted form human to humans. In other countries, culling
waterfowl populations and draining wetlands have been proposed
as means to reduce human health risk. The public has expressed
concerns that bird feeders could be a source of infection for
their families. Are these ideas and concerns founded?
Yolo
Audubon Society has organized a symposium that will present the
best and latest information about avian influenza, and you are
invited to attend. The event will be held at the Davis Senior
Center on Saturday, April 15th. Co-sponsors of the event include
Audubon California, California Waterfowl Association,
Environmental Stewardship and Planning, Padre Associates, Abbey
Road Press, City of Davis, and UC Davis.
There
will be panel discussions on avian influenza and wild bird
populations, domestic birds (especially poultry), and humans.
The keynote speaker will be Virginia Hinshaw, Provost and
Executive Chancellor of UC Davis and a virologist specializing
in influenza. Other presentations and panel discussions will
include experts on wildlife and public health issues. There will
be plenty of opportunities for questions from the audience.
For
registration information and a full description of the program,
please visit the Yolo Audubon Society website -
www.yoloaudubon.org.
Registration closes on April 5th. We hope to see you there!
Chapter
Annual Planning and Volunteer
Recruitment Campaigns:
 At
the Audubon Assembly in Monterey, I had the pleasure of leading
a workshop on volunteer recruitment strategies. I would like to
offer my services in planning a volunteer recruitment
mini-campaign with any chapter interested. Recruitment planning
can happen independently or as part of the chapter’s annual
planning that often happens over the summer months. I can travel
to your meeting and together we can develop a plan for enticing
new volunteers to get involved. Look forward to hearing from
you! Claudia Eyzaguirre
- Chapter Coordinator
A
Climate of Change: The Planning
and Conservation League’s 2006
Legislative Symposium
Saturday April 29th , Sacramento
 Learn
the latest on climate change science and policy especially how
climate change is affecting species and the threat to
biodiversity.
The
Planning and Conservation League is non-profit alliance of
conservation organizations working at state, local and national
levels to protect and restore California’s natural environment
and protect and defend Californian’s public health through
legislative and administrative action and litigation.
This
year’s symposium confronts the realities of climate change and
its environmental and economic consequences. PCL’s Annual
Symposiums are always “action oriented,” focusing on legislative
and administrative solutions to California’s most pressing
environmental problems. Symposium panelists (over 60 experts in
diverse fields) provide real tools and an action program for
environmental groups and activists alike, helping us to focus
our work together, at the state and local levels, for the year
ahead.
For
over forty years, PCL has worked with elected officials to shape
California’s environmental laws. Many key elected officials have
been invited and historically have been eager to participate.
Audubon California is a member of PCL.
Take
a look at their workshops and more information at:
http://www.pcl.org/projects/climateofchange/climateofchange.pdf
 Audubon
Kern
River Preserve 25th Anniversary
We
are excited to announce another milestone: The Audubon Kern
River Preserve’s 25th anniversary. And, what better way to
celebrate our anniversary than with the acquisition of new
critical habitats? Over the past year, we’ve acquired a
1,662-acre parcel that more than doubled the size of the
Preserve and a strategic 105-acre parcel that holds nesting
Vermilion Flycatchers, Southwestern Willow Flycatchers and many
other sensitive species!
Upcoming
Birding Events
APRIL EVENTS
California
Desert Nature Festival
5th Annual Yuma Birding & Nature
Festival
Godwit Days Spring
Migration Bird Festival
HERON FESTIVAL &
WILDFLOWER BRUNCH
 Kern VALLEY Bioregions
Festival
Weldon - CA
April 29-30, 2006
Held on Audubon's Kern River Preserve in the Kern River Valley.
This is one of the West's premier spring migration
regions including the Giant Sequoia National Monument, South Fork Kern
River Globally Important Bird Area, Butterbredt Spring Nationally Important Bird
Area, and Sequoia National Forest Globally Important Bird
Area. Natural history of the region is the focus of this
spectacular festival.
MAY EVENTS
Yosemite Birding
Festival
South Bay
Bird Fest
Spring Wings Bird Festival
Sonoma Valley Spring
Bird Festival
Walk on the Wildside
NAS Spring BirdAThon
(800) 647-BIRD, EMAIL
International Migratory Bird
Day
JUNE EVENTS
Fifth Annual Mono Basin Bird
Chautauqua
Sierra Valley
Barns, Birds and Barbecue
See:
CALIFORNIA NATURE
FESTIVALS for a calendar of events throughout the year.
California Chapter Coordinator
– Chapter Coordinator
Audubon
California
4225 Hollis Street
Emeryville, CA 94608
(510) 601-1866 x (extension) 3
(510) 601-1954 Fax
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