March 3, 2009 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: (505) 983-4609
LOCAL BIRDING HAS TOPICAL RELEVANCE The media has recently covered two news items that show how information obtained by local birding enthusiasts and groups can contribute to our awareness of the natural world as we plan for the future. A report released last month by the National Audubon Society found that the majority of bird species wintering in North America had shifted their range further north during the last 40 years possibly in response to global warming. The report reveals that the Pygmy Nuthatch and Mountain Chickadee, two of the birds “commonly” found around Santa Fe, have shown a decline of 90% in New Mexico. Volunteers from around the country took the data used for this study during 40 years of Audubon-sponsored Christmas bird counts, one of the oldest and most comprehensive examples of “citizen science.” A recent meeting (involving Santa Fe County Planners, wildlife advocates, and representatives from federal and state agencies) addressed an innovative way of tabulating wildlife resources so that future development decisions can be made without compromising critical wildlife habitat. The method involves mapping wildlife and its habitat with a geographic information system (GIS). To date, 20 priority wildlife species (10 of which are birds) that need protection have been identified. One of the next stages in this process is the training of volunteers to further collect information for the mapping. Both the Audubon New Mexico State Office at the Randall Davey Audubon Center and the local Sangre de Cristo Audubon Society in Santa Fe are seeking public participation in a number of activities that directly support these “citizen volunteer” birding efforts. The local Sangre de Cristo Audubon Chapter has two attention-getting bird talks on tap for its monthly evening meetings at the Unitarian Church (7:30 pm) this spring. The March 11th meeting will feature a presentation on hummingbirds by Bill Talbot from Albuquerque. He will discuss New Mexico hummingbirds and the incredible diversity of those found in Latin America. The April 8th meeting has a special relevance to understanding local bird populations. At this meeting Jonathan Batkin will report on his 2008 Santa Fe County “Big Year” of over 200 species with commentary on the bird life of Santa Fe. Lastly, the Sangre de Cristo Audubon Chapter has just issued its 2009-2010 field trip schedule that offers 15 opportunities to join a knowledgeable leader, free of charge, on a variety of birding adventures throughout northern New Mexico. Beginning in March the Randall Davey Audubon Center will be sponsoring a series of monthly classes that will describe “The Bountiful Birds of Santa Fe” for anyone who wants to start or learn more about birding. These classes will be in addition to the weekly, free, Saturday bird-watching walk (8:30 to 9:30 am) around the Randall Davey grounds, led by a naturalist. For further information log on to the web sites for the Randall Davey Audubon Center at www.audubon.org/chapter/nm/nm/rdac/ or the Sangre de Cristo Audubon Society at www.newmexicoaudubon.org/sdcas/. Contacts: |