Arctic Daisy, FWS

Volume 6, Number 6

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Circulation: 4,700

“It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is.
And when you've got it, you want -
oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want,
but it just fairly makes your heart ache,
you want it so!”

- Mark Twain

 

Please continue to send your news and updates to Dianna Parker at diannaparker@audubon.org.

In this issue:

ANNOUNCEMENTS & EVENTS

US to Ignore Environmental Laws for Border Fence

New York, NY -The Department of Homeland Security has announced it is bypassing environmental and land-management laws to build hundreds of miles of border fence between the United States and Mexico.

Conservation groups have said the current design amounts to an impenetrable concrete wall that would prevent wildlife from migrating and fragment habitat. Among the 30-some laws being waived are the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental Policy Act.

Audubon president John Flicker called the plan "unprecedented and extreme." Read his full statement at http://web1.audubon.org/news/pressRelease.php?id=440.

Audubon Launches TogetherGreen with Toyota Grant

New York, NY - The National Audubon Society and Toyota launched TogetherGreen, a nationwide Audubon program to fund conservation projects, train environmental leaders, and offer volunteer opportunities to significantly benefit the environment.

A $20 million Toyota grant-the largest Audubon has received in its 103-year history-will fund TogetherGreen for five years, enabling Audubon to expand the scope and reach of its internationally-known conservation programs. TogetherGreen will include three program components: innovation grants, conservation fellowships, and volunteer days. A new website for the program, www.TogetherGreen.org, will be available this spring.

To learn more about the program, please visit: http://web1.audubon.org/news/pressRelease.php?id=400.

New York Joins Great Lakes Water Resources Compact

Albany, NY - In one of his first in-office acts, New York Governor David Paterson announced that the state has joined the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact, a multi-state agreement designed to protect, conserve, and improve the water resources of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin. The Compact will implement a strong and effective water management plan for the Great Lakes ecosystem, and must be adopted by all eight Great Lakes states and ratified by the U.S. Congress before taking effect. Among the protections in the compact is a measure to prohibit removing or diverting water from the Lakes, squashing recent threats that conservationists say would disturb the fragile ecosystem.

To learn more about the compact, please visit: http://www.cglg.org/projects/water/CompactImplementation.asp.

Audubon Adventures Named Among the Year's Most Outstanding Educational Products

New York, NY - Audubon Adventures was named a finalist for the 2008 Distinguished Achievement Awards yesterday by the Association of Educational Publishers. The Distinguished Achievement Awards (DAAs) recognize outstanding educational resources within the categories of Curriculum, Periodicals, and Professional Development. Audubon Adventures was named a finalist in the "Whole Publication" category for an audience of Grades K - 5 . Last year, improvements were introduced to give "Audubon Adventures" greater visual impact, thereby increasing its appeal to children. This was the publication’s first redesign in 5 years, and it resulted in a new set of guidelines and standards for its writers and designers.

To see a complete list of winners, please visit: http://www.aepweb.org/awards/printwin.htm#wholepub.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Audubon Settling into New Headquarters - Audubon has relocated to a new headquarters at 225 Varick Street in New York's dynamic Hudson Square district. The move will result in a solid combination of financial, employee, and energy efficiency improvements that will benefit Audubon and its conservation mission well into the future. Our new home office was designed and constructed applying the highest green design standards. Audubon is once again raising the standard for environmentally responsible workplaces and anticipates that our new office will be viewed as the greenest rental in New York City! To read more about the office's new green features, please visit: http://www.audubon.org/nas/NewOffice.html.

Internships Available for Bird Monitoring in Costa Rica - The USDA Forest Service has openings for Volunteer Bird Banding Interns at a bird monitoring station in the coastal Caribbean town of Tortuguero, Costa Rica. Positions are available throughout the year with the minimum length of stay around 2 months. Participants are expected to have experience in identifying birds, and to have removed from mist nets and processed at least 200 landbirds.

Positions will be open until filled. For more information on the internship and applications, please visit: http://www.fs.fed.us/psw/topics/wildlife/birdmon/landbird/tortuguero/crintern.shtml.

Nominations Due for Tamar Chotzen Award - The Tamar Chotzen Audubon Educator of the Year Award is an exciting opportunity to celebrate an outstanding educator at your center or chapter. This award aims to honor Audubon employees whose primary responsibility is connecting people to nature through on-the-ground education and/or public outreach. The winner will receive $2,500 in recognition of service to education and to Audubon. All staff members involved in education programs, activities, or services at Audubon Centers or Centers operated by NAS-certified Chapters are eligible.

The successful applicant will be someone who: Has done something innovative or extraordinary to move the Audubon Education and Centers vision forward; is a model of professionalism; has made a significant contribution to Audubon Education's body of knowledge and best practices; and has made a significant contribution to Audubon's conservation outcomes. Completed nomination forms can be submitted by any staff member or volunteer (e.g. State Board members or volunteer naturalists) in the Audubon network. All nominations should be sent to tamarchotzenaward@audubon.org. Nominations will be reviewed by National Audubon Education and Centers staff, and top candidates will be evaluated by a committee comprised of National Audubon staff and Board members.

If you would like a nomination form, please contact Jackie Zubrzycki at jzubrzycki@audubon.org. Nominations must be received by 5 PM Eastern Time on April 25, 2008.

What You Are Doing This Spring? - What a time for celebration! Spring migration has begun and International Migratory Bird Day is coming up on May 10. But don't forget Earth Day on April 22nd and John James Audubon's Birthday April 26th.

We are collecting information on events throughout Audubon in order to include as many as possible in our web and other promotion plans. Chapters, Centers and others who have not yet submitted events are encouraged to send information about what you have planned to kconnors@audubon.org.

Stories Sought: What You Are Doing to Help Fight Global Warming - We're still looking for stories from the Audubon family. Tell us what steps are you taking - both individual actions and chapter or other group initiatives. We will share your experiences through Newswire and on the Audubon website - inspiring others to join Audubon in making a difference. Please send your story to kconnors@audubon.org - with photos showcasing what you are doing, if you have them!