The Missouri Audubon Council, its member chapters and the Audubon Society of Missouri want a Missouri State Office of the National Audubon Society (NAS). Audubon Missouri, as it will be called, will strengthen the grassroots efforts of the already active Audubon entities. We see a program of action in which we help to lay out a coordinated conservation strategy involving all interested partners. Audubon Missouri s director and staff will actively integrate the efforts of all participants into an effective force that will work productively, in parallel with constituent organizations, agencies and citizens to carry out the goals laid forth in this proposal.
Audubon Missouri will physically be located in central Missouri, where proximity to the seats of government and central location will afford the greatest efficiency for all. Accommodations for Audubon Missouri will be humble at first; the quality of its staff and its goals and objectives are our primary focus. The thrust of our efforts will be to conserve our natural resources and promote good land stewardship for birds, wildlife and habitat.
Audubon will be known statewide for its science-based conservation ethics. We will participate in NAS campaigns and programs that are relevant to Missouri, as well as initiate others. As an example, we propose a grassland bird conservation campaign that promotes the preservation of native grassland communities of high quality as benchmarks and seed sources for the restoration of degraded former grasslands. We hope to work in conjunction with other states Audubon offices as well as join in the grassland restoration efforts already spearheaded by Partners in Flight, of which Audubon is an important and active partner.
We believe that fund raising should be driven by an agenda and not by bricks and mortar. Our goals and objectives, our involvement with Missouri s citizens, and our hard work will encourage a sponsorship of Audubon Missouri that will sustain and secure all base operation and program funding. Through annual workshops conducted by National and Missouri Audubon fund raising staff, we will market our agenda and seek the support of sponsors and collaboration of partners.
By seeking opportunities to be more effective and efficient, Audubon Missouri will act as a catalyst as well as an action organization. It will be just as important for Audubon Missouri to stimulate others to conserve birds and habitat as it is to undertake projects ourselves. Also, we will avail ourselves of the property resources at hand. As an example, the recently purchased Jerry J. Presley Education Center of the Missouri Department of Conservation is available for use as a teacher training center to expand Audubon education efforts in Missouri.
Because our combined efforts are establishing a from-scratch State Office, we expect to formulate a close and effective relationship with national, state and local Audubon members. Audubon Missouri will be responsible for coordinating and establishing multi-level programs that impact birds and bird habitat. We see this as an opportunity to bring all the pieces of the puzzle together and lay them on the table in one big picture.
We endorse fully the mission of the National Audubon Society to conserve and restore natural ecosystems by focusing on birds, other wildlife and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the Earth s biological diversity. We also endorse the vision of the National Audubon Society best summarized by the following: In short, we seek a culture of conservation and an environmental ethic.
Audubon enjoys a long and enduring history in Missouri. At the turn of the century, Missourians interested in conservation and preservation of birds and other wildlife formed the Audubon Society of Missouri (ASM). Founded in 1901, this statewide organization continues to thrive and functions as an affiliate of the National Audubon Society. ASM is part owner of the I. R. Kelso Wildlife Sanctuary (140 acres) in Cape Girardeau. The 27-acre area consists of mesic and dry-mesic upland forest of the Mississippi River Section of the Ozark Border Natural Division. The sanctuary is managed by Southeast Missouri State University.
Following a few years after ASM the St. Louis Bird Club was established in 1916. This club became the first National Audubon Society chapter in the nation in 1944. Some of the chapter members who provided impetus for the 1944 vote that transformed the club into a NAS chapter remain active in St. Louis Audubon and ASM activities today.
Over the years, the number of NAS chapters in Missouri has grown to 14, and their territories cover a majority of the state. In most communities, the local Audubon chapter is one of a very few voices, and in some cases serves as the only voice, espousing the conservation and environmental ethic. Therefore, Audubon members and the chapters play a vital role in their communities and the state. This grassroots involvement is one of the most important attributes of the National Audubon Society. We believe the formation of a state office will further strengthen chapters and increase their effectiveness.
Members of the National Audubon Society were instrumental in the Design for Conservation that formed the basis of the funding for several new programs and land acquisition efforts of the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC). In 1969, Mr. and Mrs. Warren Lammert worked with the MDC to get help with a NAS conference in St. Louis in 1969. In exchange, they offered NAS help to MDC. In an effort to expand the programs and funding , the MDC asked for and received NAS endorsement of the Design for Conservation. Also in 1969, the late Charles H. Callison, a former information chief of the MDC, and at the time executive vice-president of the NAS, began a study with Starker Leopold, a University of California - Berkeley professor, and Irving Fox, a regional planner from the University of Wisconsin. The study of the MDC and its programs resulted in recommendations for the expansion of its programs to include natural history, species diversity, and nature-based recreation. On retiring from NAS, Charlie Callison moved back to Missouri and worked as a lobbyist and mentor for Missouri s Audubon chapters. The legacy of conservation in Missouri and the energy and effort that Charlie Callison gave to Audubon is one that will always be with us.
Missouri members further enhanced the Audubon presence by forming the Missouri Audubon Council in 1988. During these years, the MAC initiated numerous efforts including fiscal sponsorship of lobbying activities on behalf of Audubon in the Missouri General Assembly and opposition to construction of all-terrain vehicle trails in the Mark Twain National Forest.
Approximately 9,000 Missouri citizens belong to the National Audubon Society. To date, 7,000 of these members are affiliated with 14 chapters located throughout the state.
The Audubon Society of Missouri is responsible for collating data from the Christmas Bird Counts, for publishing the state s ornithological journal, The Bluebird, and for verifying unique bird sightings through its Bird Records Committee. ASM sponsors a series of bird identification workshops and conducts semi-annual three-day meetings, which consistently draw a large number of Audubon members for intense weekends of birding and conservation-oriented programs.
World Wide Web sites have been established by the Columbia, River Bluffs and Greater Ozarks chapters; Audubon Missouri (MAC); and the Audubon Society of Missouri. These sites contain information about the groups purposes, current activities, membership information, current officers and contacts.
The Missouri Audubon Council, which is composed of delegates of the 14 chapters plus the Audubon Society of Missouri, most recently has focused its efforts on support for the newly created Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge along the Missouri River and opposition to lead prospecting on state-owned public land.
INTRODUCTION
In partnership with the National Audubon Society, Missouri Audubon members, their chapters and Audubon Council are establishing a new Field Office called Audubon Missouri. This new Audubon partnership, initially envisioned in the National Strategic Plan of June 18, 1995, is designed to facilitate and implement our common vision, mission, goals and objectives. It will establish a shared mission among all Audubon parties members, chapters, states and regions.
The Field Office Steering Committee of the Missouri Audubon Council in partnership with National Audubon Society staff have designed a simple organizational chart for Audubon Missouri that enhances the contact between Audubon Missouri staff and members (see attached chart). The design expands the reach of Audubon in Missouri and the Midwest through a chapter-national partnership on a Board of Directors that will establish the policy and guidelines for Audubon Missouri. Missouri s Audubon chapters and the Missouri Audubon Council have unanimously endorsed the new organizational structure and plan for Audubon Missouri.
Audubon Missouri will develop a conservation blueprint that is mutually beneficial to and implemented in concert with land management agencies, non-governmental conservation organizations, conservation-minded industries and Missouri s citizens. We believe the following organizational structure, goals and objectives explain the direction in which we wish to travel and the tasks we seek to engage.
A NEW ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE IN MISSOURI
Audubon Missouri will coordinate and facilitate all Audubon efforts in the state and with other states. Audubon Missouri will be governed by a Board of Directors in partnership with National staff. The Board of Directors (BOD) will be staffed with one representative from each existing chapter and up to an equal number of additional members at large. Chapter representatives on the BOD should be chosen for their business sense, communication skills, fund raising ability, and their dedication to bird conservation. Audubon Missouri and the BOD hope to attract the at large members from dedicated conservationists who may not presently be Audubon members, but who would become members and greatly add to the BOD because of their business skills, their ability to guide Audubon Missouri in a network of conservation issues and organizations and their ability to raise funds for Audubon Missouri programs.
The Missouri Audubon Council (MAC) is taking a bold new step in the establishment of Audubon Missouri. The MAC has been the sole uniting force for Audubon in Missouri. It was with great care and planning that MAC has decided to establish a new body the BOD to oversee the governance of the state office. The dedication, hard work and many accomplishments that the MAC has achieved over the last decade established the solid groundwork of cooperation in Missouri that allows us to enter this era of new partnerships. MAC has been extremely effective in its role, giving the 14 Audubon chapters in Missouri a more coordinated and powerful voice in conservation and legislative issues. The new BOD and Audubon Missouri will encompass the role of MAC and much more. MAC will evolve into the Conservation Committee of Audubon Missouri and work with staff and the BOD to develop recommendations of conservation and legislative issues.
Members of the BOD will serve three-year terms and no more than two consecutive terms of any length. The nomination process will be designed to have approximately one third of the terms lapsing each year. Chapters may change their respective BOD representative more frequently if desired. Each chapter may select its representative by a vote of that chapter s BOD or membership. Other vacant positions on the BOD will be filled at the discretion of the BOD. The BOD will be structured with the mission of Audubon Missouri in mind.
The BOD will have from two to four meetings each year. One of those meetings will be in conjunction with an annual organizational meeting designed to give Audubon members and chapter leaders from throughout the state an opportunity to learn more about Audubon and natural resources of the state. BOD meetings will be open to chapter leaders.
Many new committees, including those reflected in the chapter level structure, will need to be added at the state level. Audubon Missouri committees will enhance and expand the efforts of individual chapters to effect change and conserve birds and their habitat. Most committees will be coordinated by the state office, while several may be functions of the BOD.
Our plan seeks to reduce all redundancy in effort, especially valuable volunteer time. The plan will empower the director of Audubon Missouri to lead a united conservation effort in Missouri. The BOD, in partnership with national staff, will design a budget and plan to accomplish the short-term and long-term goals and objectives of this plan. The BOD, in partnership with national staff, will be responsible for staff hiring, approval of annual work plans and budget, service review and other personnel management duties.
ACTION GOALS and OBJECTIVES
We seek pledges for funding for at least three to five years so that we may dedicate our efforts to long-term conservation efforts in Missouri.
We intend that Audubon Missouri staff begin their first days working on conservation issues, meeting with chapters and learning about their new responsibilities, not looking for funds.
This position calls for an energetic, entrepenurial individual. Highly developed communication skills that excite others to learn and participate in projects are necessary assets. A knowledge of Missouri and its people will be distinctly important. An ability to understand and coordinate the different needs of agencies, non-governmental organizations and private citizens will be vital to accomplishing conservation goals.
Fund raising is essential to the Audubon Missouri s continued existence, and to that end, the Audubon Missouri requires someone with demonstrated ability to raise money for a non-profit organization, both by bringing in grant money from major corporate and foundation donors, and by mobilizing chapters to carry out grassroots fund raising strategies that can help to sustain Audubon Missouri. The optimal candidate would have good research and writing skills, organizational ability, and knowledge of and interest in environmental issues. Depending on the time required to raise money, this position might also involve aiding the director in working with chapters on other pieces of Audubon Missouri s agenda.
As the Audubon Missouri develops projects, there will be a need to hire project directors with specialized expertise. We will not fill these positions until projects are undertaken that require additional staff with specialized expertise and at such time that the Director needs additional project level assistance. Skills will be similar to director with a specialization in specific project areas.
This position requires someone with excellent computer, receptionist, and other standard office skills.
The office will enlist the help of many talented volunteers. Volunteers will work within the guidelines of the annual plan and under the supervision of Audubon Missouri staff.
Missouri has many natural resources to conserve and many that need to be restored. In order to achieve the goals and objectives set forth in this proposal, Audubon Missouri will act through education, awareness, direct conservation action, legislation, and partnerships. Audubon Missouri will keep Audubon members together as we explore and enhance our ideas and visions. We will catalyze a new era for bird conservation in Missouri.
Audubon members in Missouri are excited about the establishment of Audubon Missouri. We hope that
you will be an important part of Audubon Missouri as it helps conserve birds, their habitat and other
wildlife.
- Brad Jacobs: jacobb@mail.conservation.state.mo.us