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Saratoga Springs, NY – March 30, 2008
 The
Audubon Council of New York State spring meeting was
held on March 28-30 at the Gideon Putnam hotel in Saratoga
Springs, NY. Over 55 people, including leaders representing
20 Chapters were in attendance. In addition to finalizing
their conservation priorities for the year, attendees
enjoyed presentations from National Audubon Society’s
Global Warming Campaign Director, Julia Levin; workshops
by Audubon New York’s Jillian Liner on wind energy;
and an orientation for chapter presidents led by Gladys
Goldman former a past chair of the council. Members
were also treated to a panel discussion on New York
States priorities on global warming with Paul DeCotis
from Governor Paterson’s Office, Peter Iwanowicz
from DEC’s Office of Climate Change, and Mark
Watson from NYSERDA.
This year’s field trips included a tour of Saratoga
Battlefield and a hike to the various springs throughout
Saratoga State Park, in addition to a group who went
to Vischer Ferry and were treated to a rare sighting
of a Barrow’s Goldeneye on the Mohawk River.
On the Friday evening, attendees heard a presentation
on the intersection between Audubon’s mission
and hunting by Audubon New York’s Director of
Conservaton and Science, Dr. Mike Burger and Bryan Swift
of the NYSDEC. Saturday evening’s Dinner honored
Norm Shapiro with the Norm Stotz Award for his
decades of service to his Chapter and the Audubon Council
of New York State. In addition, the Council also honored
Andrew Spano, Westchester County Executive, with this
year’s William Hoyt Environmental Excellence Award
(see press
release) for his strong commitment to conservation
and his many programs to protect and restore the habitat
and biodiversity of Westchester County.
When the meeting drew to a close on Sunday, after an
informative Chapter roundtable discussion, Chapter leaders
were already looking forward to the Fall Council meeting
to be held the weekend of October 10-12 in Jamestown,
New York.
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