Welcome to the Huachuca Audubon Society
The Huachuca Audubon Society (HAS) offers monthly meetings in the form of
lectures or slide shows on birding and natural history
subjects. Meetings take place in Sierra Vista, usually on the third
Tuesday of the month, September through May. Frequent birding trips to
a variety of birding hotspots are offered year round.
Whether in the area for a few days or newly relocated here, you are
invited to join us in any activity offered. Check out recent
trip reports of travels in Mexico and locally.
June Trogon News is available!
Read the latest edition of the Trogon News
here.
Join our Trogon News e-mail list for chapter announcements: email our
webmaster.
Breaking News!
Cornell's Challenge: Find Funky Nests!
Learn more....
Do you have a passion for birds and photography? Enter the
Birds in Focus contest
! (deadline July 15)
Read about the life journey of a
wild bird rehabilitator.
Learn more...
Read about the life journey of a
wild bird rehabilitator.
Hide details...Flyaway: How A Wild Bird Rehabber Sought Adventure and Found Her Wings
by Suzie Gilbert
In this captivating memoir, Suzie Gilbert tells the rollicking story
of how she turned her family life upside down to pursue her unusual
passion for rehabilitating wild birds.
Through adolescence and into adulthood, Suzie Gilbert struggled to
find her calling. But when she took a job working at the animal
hospital near her home in New York's Hudson Valley, her passion was
born. She began bringing abused and unwanted parrots home and
volunteering at a local raptor rehabilitation center, activities she
continued for the next eleven years, even as she started a
family. Then came the ultimate commitment to her cause: turning her
home into Flyaway, Inc., a nonprofit wild bird rehabilitation center.
Gilbert chronicles the years of her chaotic
household-cum-bird-hospital with delightful wit, recounting the
confusion that ensued as her husband and two young children struggled
to live in a house where parrots shrieked Motown songs, nestling
robins required food every twenty minutes, and recuperating herons
took over the spare bathroom. Gradually, however, the birds came to
represent the value of compassion and the importance of pursuing even
the most unlikely of dreams.
Often funny, sometimes painful, Gilbert's encounters with these
beautiful creatures reveal profound truths not only about animals but
also about our own lives -- lessons of birth and death, suffering and
empathy, holding on and letting go.
Original, lyrical, and highly entertaining, Flyaway
will forever change the way you see this amazing member of the animal kingdom.
This book is available on
Amazon,
where you can find price, editorial and customer reviews, and product details.
Interested in HAS field trips?
Join us Monday, July 20th at 7pm.
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Interested in HAS field trips?
Join us Monday, July 20th at 7pm.
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If you are interested in leading bird walks or want to provide input
on potential locations and dates for field trips, you might wish to
attend the next Huachuca Audubon Society Outings Committee meeting.
Please contact Robert Weissler via e-mail to
weissler@aves.org
or by calling (520) 803-0794 to get directions to the meeting.
Candidates for HAS board/officers for 2009/2010. Vote July 13!
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Candidates for HAS board/officers for 2009/2010. Vote July 13!
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The membership is invited to join us for the HAS Annual Meeting and
Potluck Picnic at 5:00pm, Saturday, June 13, 2009 at the
Ramsey Canyon Preserve.
The Nominating Committee of the Huachuca Audubon Society
has assembled the following slate of candidates for its board of
directors and officers for the 2009/2010 year starting in July. Voting
will take place during the annual meeting.
President, Mike Guest
Vice President, Robert Weissler
Secretary, Elaine Emeigh
Treasurer, Phil Tucker
Director, Ginny Bealer
Director, Mel Emeigh
Director, Alan Blixt
Director, Tricia Gerrodette
Make your voice heard and vote!
Committee chairs
Field Trips, Alan Blixt & Robert Weissler
Programs, {vacant}
Conservation, Tricia Gerrodette
Education, Ginny Bealer
Membership, Ginny Bealer
Audubon Adventures, Sally Rosen
Webmaster, Robert Weissler
Trogon News Editor, Brooke Gebow
If you are interested in joining one of our committees, we welcome
additional volunteers! If you have a special interest in the monthly
programs sponsored by Huachuca Audubon, we have a vacancy for our
Program Chair. Previous experience is not necessary, guidance is
always available.
If you have any questions in this regard, please contact
has_admin@huachuca-audubon.org.
We invite additional nominations for
any of these positions from the membership at large at the annual
meeting.
Help Science: Build Your Own
Bird Tracker, Cheap.
Bino Box Available!
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Bino Box Available!
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Huachuca Audubon Society, in partnership with Audubon Arizona, is
pleased to offer a free educational resource to the community. We have
a portable box containing 24 binoculars, several field guides and a
copy of the “Science Takes Wing” lesson set. Teachers are encouraged
to checkout the box for use with their students. Scout and other
community groups may also use the box. Conservation starts with
understanding so share the wonder of birds with your favorite club or
class this year! The box is available for one week periods. To
reserve the box, please contact Tricia Gerrodette in Sierra Vista at
triciag2@cox.net
or (520) 378-4937.
Help preserve and protect the San Pedro River. How?
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Help preserve and protect the San Pedro River. How?
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What Can I Do?
What steps can you take to help preserve and protect the San Pedro
River, our special desert treasure? In addition to reducing your
personal water consumption as much as possible, with little to no
outdoor watering unless it's greywater or rainwater, there's now
another action you can take to help.
Current Arizona law does not take into account the health of rivers or
the impact on private wells when deciding if there is an adequate
supply of water for a proposed subdivision. We the people have the
power in our hands and pens (or mouses - mice?) to change that. If you
will dash off a quick note to the following address (see below), you would
help me immensely in the work I have done for over a decade now to try to
protect the San Pedro. I really need everyone's help on this and would
greatly appreciate your participation. If you have any questions about
this, please contact Tricia Gerrodette at 378-4937 or
triciag2@cox.net).
Thank you!
Send your letters to:
Arizona Department of Water Resources
Attention: Doug Dunham
3550 North Central Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85012
Ask for a modification of the standards for defining physical
availability under SB1575 in the Upper San Pedro River Basin to include:
- Protection of the San Pedro River
- Protection of the Babocómari River
- Protection of Fort Huachuca
- Protection of existing private wells
- Any other ideas you have for aquifer protection
Find out how you can support local environmental education with
Audubon Adventures.
Schedule of Events for June 2009
[E-mail
us
about coming events & corrections]
Local Programs and Events
13th, Saturday, 5pm. HAS Annual Meeting,
Potluck Picnic at Ramsey Canyon Preserve.
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13th, Saturday, 5pm. HAS Annual Meeting,
Potluck Picnic at Ramsey Canyon Preserve.
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The membership is invited to join us for the Huachuca Audubon Society
Annual Meeting and Potluck Picnic at 5:00pm, Saturday, June 13, 2009 at
The Nature Conservancy's Ramsey Canyon Preserve. Bring a dish to share,
utensils, and whatver you need to spend a pleasant evening outdoors.
The business portion of the event includes the election of new officers.
See Breaking News
above for the slate of candidates assembled for the
2009/2010 board of directors and officers. We invite additional
nominations for any of those positions from the membership at large
at the annual meeting.
Field Trips
7th, Sunday, 7am. HAS Field Trip to Hunter Canyon Spring (USFS Bird Survey protocol training). Meet at parking area just beyond cattle guard immediately adjacent to S. Hwy 92 (1/4 mile before Stump Canyon Rd).
10th, Wednesday, 7 am. FSPR bird walk. Meet at San Pedro House (SPH).
13th, Saturday, 7am. FSPR Hike to Charleston & Points North.
Learn more...
24th, Wednesday, 6am. HAS Field Trip to
Ramsey Canyon Preserve.
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24th, Wednesday, 6am. HAS Field Trip to
Ramsey Canyon Preserve.
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Ramsey Canyon Preserve
Date: Wednesday, June 24th
Meet: 6:00 am at the preserve parking lot.
Join us for a 2-3 hour Monday morning bird walk at The Nature Conservancy's
Ramsey Canyon Preserve. The walk will go about 1 mile up through the
preserve at a very relaxed pace with some uphill walking. The preserve
is located at the end of Ramsey Canyon Road. Wear sturdy shoes. Open
to the public, but standard preserve entrance fees apply: $5/person for a
weekly pass, $3 TNC members or Cochise County residents.
Leader: Alan Blixt (515-9458,
alanblixt@yahoo.com)
27th, Saturday, 7 am. FSPR bird walk. Meet at San Pedro House (SPH).
28th, Sunday, 6:30am. HAS Field Trip to
Carr Reef.
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28th, Sunday, 6:30am. HAS Field Trip to
Carr Reef.
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Carr Reef and High-elevation Birds of the Huachucas
Date: Sunday, June 28th
Meet: 6:30 am at the Perimeter Trail parking lot in lower Carr Canyon,
then carpool to head up to the Reef Townsite campground where the birding
begins. Wear sturdy shoes, bring hat, water, snacks.
The field trip is free and open to the public.
Leaders: Robert Weissler (803-0794,
weissler@aves.org) and
Alan Blixt (515-9458,
alanblixt@yahoo.com)
Note: due to the particularly high price of gas, car pool passengers
are expected to provide adequate compensation to their drivers, about
8 cents per mile.
Weekly events
Every Sunday at 7am Apr-Sep (then 8am Oct-Mar),
Bird Walk at Sierra Vista Environmental Operations Park.
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Every Sunday at 7am Apr-Sep (then 8am Oct-Mar),
Bird Walk at Sierra Vista Environmental Operations Park.
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The Sunday EOP walks sponsored by Huachuca Audubon Society, Friends
of the San Pedro River, and the Southeast Arizona Birding Observatory
at 7 AM all spring have been fantastic. Please come early as tours
are limited to 20 participants with two docents.
Looking Ahead
July 6-31. Educators! Apply to the
Audubon Summer Institute program Picturing John James Audubon.
July 15, Sunday, 6am. HAS Field Trip to Ramsey Canyon Preserve.
July 18, Saturday, 7am. FSPR Hike to Little Boquillas Ranch.
July 27, Monday, 6:30am. HAS Field Trip to Grasslands & Del Valle Rd.
Aug. 2, Sunday, 7am. HAS Field Trip to Miller Canyon (USFS Bird Study).
Aug. 5-9, Southwest Wings Birding Festival.
For additional nearby field trips and programs, check out the
Friends of San Pedro River and
Friends of Sonoita Creek.
Interested in butterflies? Check out the
Southeast Arizona Butterfly Association.
International Bird Tours
Cheesemans' Ecology Safaris
See their trip to The Falklands, South Georgia, and the Antarctic Penisula.
Trip is on M/V Polar Star departing from Ushuaia on December 30 for 26 days.
For any member who participates they will donate $500 to HAS.
For full details go to Cheesemans'
web site.
Birding Festivals
Aug. 5-9, Southwest Wings Birding Festival.
In order to locate upcoming festivals, please consult the
American Birding Association
Birding and Nature Festivals Directory.
Mission Statement
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The goal of Huachuca Audubon Society members is to conserve and
restore eco-systems so that birds and other wildlife can flourish and
enrich the Earth's diversity. Members enjoy observing wildlife and
seek its protection through efforts to advance public understanding of
the relationships of all life forms and the consequences of
interfering with these relationships.
Huachuca Audubon Society members are concerned conservationists who
work to extend the public awareness of the value of conservation. They
also seek to inform and influence lawmakers so that their work may
reflect this value.
More about Huachuca Audubon
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Questions regarding Huachuca Audubon should be directed to the
web master.
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Last update: 17 June 2009 by REW.
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