2013 BIGGEST WEEK IN AMERICAN BIRDING
A ROUSING SUCCESS!

By all estimations, the 2013 Biggest Week was a smashing success! Record numbers of people registered, and they came from 46 states and at least 13 countries! More than 200 volunteers worked together to make the event run smoothly, the weather was spectacular, and the birds did their part, too, delighting and dazzling people who traveled here from all over the world! The event also raised thousands of dollars to support local bird research, education, and conservation, and brought together an astounding number of partners and sponsors.

Our sincere thanks to all of our wonderful volunteers, to our co-hosts at Destination Toledo and Lake Erie Shores and Islands, and a special thanks to Patrick Czarny and his outstanding staff at Maumee Bay Lodge and Conference Center! We'd also like to thank our sponsors for their support of the festival.

BSBO AND BIGGEST WEEK IN AMERICAN BIRDING
TO BE FEATURED ON NATIONAL TELEVISION!

BSBO and The Biggest Week In American Birding will be featured on CBS News Sunday Morning THIS SUNDAY, May 26th in a segment about birdwatching. On-air correspondent Serena Altschul interviewed BSBO Executive Director Kimberly Kaufman and volunteers Tom Kashmer and Drew Lanham! The crew joined us for a stroll on the Magee Marsh boardwalk and also filmed one of our canoe trips with Sandusky County Parks! Check your local listing for air times.
 

BSBO PARTNERS WITH CORNELL LAB OF ORNITHOLOGY
TO DEVELOP THE YOUNG BIRDERS NETWORK!

The Young Birders Network aims to provide resources for young birders to connect and learn,  while giving their adult advocates resources to encourage and support. 
 

BSBO and RESPONSIBLE WIND ENERGY

Breaking News: BSBO has just learned of ANOTHER wind turbine scheduled for installation only a few miles from Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, deep in the heart of critical migratory bird stopover habitat along the lake shore. We learned of this turbine from private citizens; even the wildlife agencies weren't aware of it until we brought it to their attention. We are still working to find out how this turbine could be nearly ready for installation without any wildlife review whatsoever.  We'll keep you posted.

BSBO is currently working to convince officials to relocate a large-scale wind turbine proposed for installation at the Camp Perry facility on the Lake Erie shoreline. Based on more than 30 years of studies of songbirds, raptors, and shorebirds in this area, we believe that this project poses a significant threat to migratory birds (including multiple endangered species) and to the resident Bald Eagles on the site.

Read more on concerns about this project’s location HERE.

BSBO submitted a letter to officials at Camp Perry and to Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur. Many organizations signed on in support of our position. They include, American Bird Conservancy, American Birding Association, League of Ohio Sportsmen, Grange Insurance Audubon Center, Black Swamp Conservancy, Ohio Ornithological Society, Ohio Wetlands Association, Indiana Audubon Society, Toledo Naturalists’ Association, Greater Mohican Audubon Society, and Kelleys Island Audubon.

READ BSBO’S LETTER TO OFFICIALS HERE

The following organizations also wrote independent letters in support of our position on this project. The include: National Audubon Society, American Birding Association, The Nature Conservancy, Ohio Environmental Council, Ottawa County Visitors' Bureau, Ducks Unlimited

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) have also expressed serious concerns about a wind turbine in this location. Their comments on the Environmental Assessment for the project (conducted by an outside consulting firm) are found below.

READ COMMENTS FROM USFWS ON THE PROJECT HERE
READ COMMENTS FROM ODNR ON THE PROJECT HERE

Click HERE for an editorial piece about this issue by Matt Markey, Outdoors Editor for the Toledo Blade.

Citizen action can have an enormous impact and we encourage you to support our efforts in two ways.

1) Write a letter to Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur

Click HERE for a sample letter. Just copy and paste the letter (remember to delete the words "sample letter") sign and date, and mail to Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur.

By customizing this letter even a little bit, you can be even more effective. Starting it with phrases like "As a long time birder, I have concerns about..." or I've taken our children to this area to enjoy the many birds found there..." will take only another minute of your time.

2) Send an email to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR)

ODNR's office of Coastal Ohio Management is conducting a "Federal Consistency review" of the Camp Perry wind turbine project. Because Camp Perry is on the lake shore, it falls under federal regulations applying to "Coastal Management." ODNR is required to accept public comments before certifying that the wind turbine project is consistent with the enforceable policies of the Ohio Coastal Management Program.

BSBO has prepared a sample message, found HERE.

Copy and paste the sample message into an email (or write your own message) and send to: coastal.consistency@dnr.state.oh.us

Thank you for helping us protect migratory bird habitat. Your support is deeply appreciated.

2012-2013 FEDERAL DUCK STAMP
Now available in the BSBO Gift Shop!
and in Our Online Swamp Shop HERE

Joseph Hautman of Plymouth, Minnesota, won the 2011 Federal Duck Stamp Contest with his acrylic painting of a single wood duck. Hautman has previously won the contest three times, in 1991, 2001 and 2007. His art will be made into the 2012-2013 Federal Duck Stamp, which will go on sale in late June 2012. Second place went to Adam Grimm of Burbank, South Dakota, for his oil painting of a single gadwall. Richard Clifton of Milford, Delaware, took third place with his acrylic painting of a pair of mallards.
 

BSBO PARTNERS WITH EAGLE OPTICS!
Now you can help support Black Swamp Bird Observatory by purchasing optics equipment through our Eagle Optics link below. For every purchase through this site, Eagle Optics will donate 5% of the sale to BSBO. If you prefer to order by phone 800 289-1132, please be sure to ask for the 5% donation to BSBO when you order.

THANK YOU!


 

1% FOR THE PLANET
Black Swamp Bird Observatory is happy to announce our partnership with 1% for the Planet, an alliance of over 1,380 member companies in 43 countries that give one percent of revenues to environmental causes.

BSBO is now eligible to receive donations from 1% member companies, placing them among a diverse, global network of environmental organizations. 1% member businesses fuel this non-profit network through their annual contributions, which totaled over $22 million in 2010. Partnership with 1% greatly expands the potential pool of funding to which the Observatory can look to for support. Find out more about 1% for the Planet HERE.

Last updated on Thursday, May 23, 2013