A Field Report From Audubon’s President, David Yarnold
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10/19/2010
Tejon Ranch
The golden eagle swooped out of a blue oak tree 60 yards to our left and, as if it were leading our caravan, flapped its broad brown wings and towed us up the road that enters Tejon Ranch, among Audubon’s greatest conservation successes in the nation’s most populous state.
The early morning sun hinted at another warm day in the mountains three hours north of Los Angeles. The oaty smell of dry grass, the familiar rolling oak woodlands, and the sounds of rock wrens and ravens all reminded me that I was home. This is the California where I grew up and where I backpacked, terrain I know in my soul.
That was two weeks ago, at the start of the second leg of my month in the field, meeting Audubon’s chapter, state, and staff leaders. I called the trip Boots on the Ground, and I made this trek to meet some of the people who give Audubon its unique local and national wingspan.
From towering Douglas-fir forests in Portland to the nation’s largest old-growth cypress/tupelo forest in South Carolina, generous birding partners have helped me hear and see in new ways. We counted California towhees along the Lower Arroyo Seco, just two miles from the Rose Bowl. We saw flocks of great egrets, white ibis, and brown pelicans on Mississippi’s Pascagoula River.
Beidler Forest
I met powerhouse chapter leaders from Biloxi to Charleston. Midway through my month-long journey, I met a dozen more chapter presidents from Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey at our Board meeting in Connecticut. All impressed me with their knowledge and passion. (Not surprisingly, I found lingering anger over a decade-old increase in dues from the chapters and a sense they felt they had been overlooked. But I also found that this cloud has largely passed.)
In Yolo County, south of Sacramento, past president Alison Kent and her chapter team showed me western sandpipers—and 47 other species. They also showed me how restored habitat, much of it in rice fields, holds such great promise. Most important, at day’s end she told me she would be rejoining national Audubon and that I should invite all of the other chapter board members who left the fold some years ago to do the same.
I’ve seen some of Audubon’s crown jewels: the Rainey Preserve in Louisiana, Beidler Forest in South Carolina, and Bobcat Ranch near Sacramento.
I’ve seen centers that reflect their distinct regions—and Audubon’s commitment to building a new and diverse constituency for the environment.
 Meryl Redisch |
At Seattle’s Seward Park, I saw Gail Gatton’s laser-like effectiveness at community outreach in one of America’s most diverse zip codes. Also in the Northwest, Meryl Redisch shared Portland’s 143-acre Douglas-fir forest. Her dynamism makes it clear why that Audubon chapter is such a major force for conservation across Oregon.
One day, as the sun was rising, I saw Golden Gate Audubon’s work with the city of San Francisco to restore wetlands just a mile from the Golden Gate Bridge and chapter members’ heroic efforts to save dunes habitat for western snowy plovers.
Diane Ross-Leech and Karim Al-Khafaji, president and board member, respectively, of the Golden Gate Audubon Society
Diane Ross-Leech and Karim Al-Khafaji, president and board member, respectively, of the Golden Gate Audubon Society
I’ve met committed leaders like Dr. Patty Hagen in St.
 Dr. Patty Hagen at her new Audubon center |
Louis, who are humble and effective. At her new Riverlands Center, at the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers near St. Louis, Patty introduced me to U.S. Army Corps of Engineer staffers who view Audubon as a reliable, trustworthy, non-ideological partner. And at Debs Park, in the Latino heart of Los Angeles, I met Ximena Gil, who takes the hands of third graders and shows them the place where, when she was their age, she used to hop the fence to wander in the 300 acres of the Debs preserve, to “dream the fantasies of a little girl.”
I saw the power of partnerships. Our largest partnership, with Toyota through the TogetherGreen program, has engaged literally hundreds of volunteers on “Project Protho” in South Carolina. Citizen scientists helped us learn that the prothonotary warbler had a summertime preference for the low brush of surrounding farmlands. The result: Norm Brunswig, the director of Audubon South Carolina, worked with neighboring landowners to preserve those nesting sites.
And I saw plenty of the faces of the future, like 15-year-old Ben Van Doren, who volunteers at Connecticut’s Greenwich Audubon Center, and 17-year-old John Garrett, a Southern Californian who was a Young Birder of the Year.
I asked Garrett why he’s so passionate about birding. “It’s addictive,” he said.
I asked: “What, the birding thing?”
“No,” he said. “The knowledge thing.”
And I saw the face of birding in Mexico. Gustavo Ramon methodically measures and weighs birds six days a week at a remote hawk-banding station atop rolling dunes near Veracruz (more on Veracruz in a minute). Gustavo is 22 years old and has three studs or rings in each ear, a lightning bolt carved into his gelled hair, and a flame for birds in his heart.
Gustavo Ramon
Some of the most moving stories came from the Moss Point Volunteer Center in Mississippi. After the BP gusher, Audubon became known locally as the organization that actually called volunteers back—more than 20,000 of the 34,500 who reached out, and counting.
Volunteer Nancy Garett paints a mural at the Audubon Volunteer Response Center at Moss Point, Mississippi.
Dozens of selfless teachers, citizen scientists, backhoe operators, and shop owners worked long shifts, making personal connections with people in Arizona, Maine, Wisconsin, and across the U.S.—all of whom wanted to come to the Gulf to help. While Audubon did put 2,000 people to work, there weren’t enough roles for everyone who opened their hearts.
But when we called them back and told them how to get more involved with their local Audubon chapters, to establish bird-friendly backyards, to work to protect habitat in their communities, we supercharged a new battalion of volunteers who will dedicate themselves to preserving America’s flyways.
Louisiana wetlands
Louisiana wetlands
One of the volunteers, 70-something Harold Preble, told me, “This experience has changed my life. I didn’t really get the connection between birds, their lands, and the need to move away from fossil fuels—but now I do.”
Another volunteer, Suzanne Schneidau, challenged me to set Audubon’s course. “You can’t think BIG enough,” she told me. ”That’s how much potential Audubon has.” I’ll take that challenge, Suzanne. We have a team of leaders who are up to it.
But nothing prepared me for the River of Raptors, “el Rio de Las Aves Rapices,” in Veracruz on the last leg of my trip. Reading about it doesn’t give you the true sense of vertigo you get from scanning the sky and seeing five pillars of Swainson’s hawks and turkey vultures. Looking at the horizon, they stood at 7, 11, 1, 3 and 5 o’clock. We were there for a peak moment—possibly 20,000 birds formed up in these five tornados of migration and took my breath away.
Behind me, atop a hotel in Xaljapa, spotters clicked
 A raptor counter in Veracruz, Mexico |
their counters, registering birds by the hundreds. Clicking with both thumbs, the counters rattled away, churning through nearly 200,000 birds on October 14. A good day, the best of the week, I was told, but far from the 800,000 that our Pennsylvania Audubon board member Scott Weidensaul writes about in his book Living on the Wind or that Susan McGrath describes in the September-October issue of Audubon magazine.
We ended our three days in Mexico at a celebración. “The winds of change always blow for the birds in Veracruz,” I told 150 people in the community center of a tiny town that houses the observatory run by Pronatura, Audubon’s BirdLife International partner. “But today they blow for a different kind of change.”
David at the celebración
We were there to honor 14 ranchers who have been participating in a three-year-long project with Pronatura to set aside more than 3,000 acres for woodlands restoration. Instead of letting their lands get ravaged by grazing—and cutting down the night roosts for their migrating visitors—they’ve changed generations of ranching practices.
Their leader is Rene Altamirano Acosta. I told him that I thought he was a man of vision, and he told me his family was angry that he wasn’t generating revenue from grazing.
I asked him why he made this change and he responded: “The day my daughter, Tonalli, was born I said to myself that I could continue to make a little money off my land or I could find a new, better way to make a higher income from the land.” (How universal is this story—about people wanting to find a better path and to preserve the environment for their kids and their grandkids?) “I’m going to build a business for ecotourism,” Rene added. “And we will harvest some of the trees for wood pellets.”
With that, Tonalli came up from behind Rene. She put her cheek down on top of his head and softly said, “Hola, Papa.”
“Hola, mi corazón (my heart),” he said, smiling.
| For a slideshow of my trip, click on the screen below.
|
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Now I’d like to hear from you. Why are you an Audubon member? How can we engage you more deeply? Please let me know at officeofthepresident@audubon.org.
Comments
Hope to see you in Indiana
Hope to see you in Indiana soon. Amos Butler Audubon has lots to share. Lights out Indy, Eagle Creek Ornithology Center and our new project Wings Over Indy. http://www.amosbutleraudubon.org/
David, Hog Island, Maine is
David,
Hog Island, Maine is the home of Audubon's oldest and first camp. I realize that you could not visit every jewel in Audubon's crown, but a visit to this one, which celebrates its 75 anniversary in 2011 would have gone a long way in your understanding of the history of Audubon. Hog Island is of significance because of its importance in the history of the conservation movement nationwide. Audubon volunteers, supporters, and staff are passionate, loyal, and hardworking as you saw on your trip. This is true of former alumni and friends of Hog Island - 30, 40, 50 years later. I hope you will do everything in your power to see that it remains in Audubon's crown and care for another 75 years. Perhaps, you'll come and visit. I'm a long-time supporter of Audubon as a volunteer, chapter founder and board member, and state trustee.
Juanita Roushdy, a Friends of Hog Island supporter
Chapters desperately need
Chapters desperately need your help (at least ours does). We are struggling to attract new volunteers and the board is shrinking. The dues share from National is not even enough to pay for printing and mailing the newsletters we send. Leadership from National has been nonexistant for many years. Forgive me, I'm jaded, but I will reserve judgement until such time as I can see real change.
Brian
Prairie Woods Audubon
Illinois
Decades of involvement with
Decades of involvement with Audubon from a chapter president to conservation chair, etc. The National office is mostly an irrelevant money-sink. Mr. Yarnold, your nice field trip was so wonderfull for you. Now what REALLY is National going to do to SUPPORT the chapters to actually save habitat and otherwise acheive effective bird conservation? I am too old to be impressed by your "Travels with Charlie" tales. How about writing an article about what you will drive to do in 6 months, one year, three years...Then challenge all to hold National to it.
Dave
Sigh. Money wasted sight
Sigh. Money wasted sight seeing just as Audubon starts to pull itself out from under a fiscal crisis...
Welcome Mister President, I
Welcome Mister President,
I am sure we are all glad to see your boots on the ground. It seems you have had an enlightening tour of some of the best Audubon has to offer. We all hope to meet you at the up and coming Assembly. There I hope you will see how many dedicated volunteers with historic longevity have carved a niche for Audubon into the hearts of the many diverse residents of Florida. Our bio-diversity is legendary and our habitats varied but not all of our chapters can claim the types of funding and production on the scale of what you have viewed so far. We are sucessful none the less and hope you will view us through the lens of time.
Susan LRAS
David: The stories and
David: The stories and photos of your field tour are very inspiring. It is clear that the power and spirit of birds coupled with place-based conservation allow Audubon to touch the hearts and minds of many Americans. Thank you for sharing your field report with the rest of the network. On your next field tour, consider visiting us on the Rio Grande, in New Mexico!
Beth Bardwell, Director of Freshwater Conservation, Audubon New Mexico
The next time you're out and
The next time you're out and about, be sure to stop in and see the PUFFINS in Maine! http://www.projectpuffin.org
I am glad to see your
I am glad to see your interest in chapter activities is strong enough to motivate you to tour some of them. As we try to meet the challenge of adapting grassroots involvement to changes our volunteers face, all of us would benefit by learning from each other for renewal.
You would be welcome in Nebraska where you could visit some of Wachiska Audubon's prairies - as well as the NAS' Spring Creek Center. Wachiska owns 5 prairies and manages 16 conservation easements.
Sincerely,
Julie Huddle
President
Wachiska Audubon Society
4547 Calvert St., Ste 10
Lincoln, NE 68506
I guess you missed Montana.
I guess you missed Montana. We have a fantastic center in Billings also many sincere volunteers who work with children in the schools and adults in our local clubs.
Carol Weber UMBA
David, Thank you for the
David,
Thank you for the inspiring report from your whirlwind tour. You have a good sampling of the quality and dedication of Audubon members and staffers - but you have only begun to visit the full network. We'd love to have you visit Minnesota and other places across the headwaters of the Mississippi River Flyway. Please put us on your calendar!
Don Arnosti
Start with the ground
Start with the ground up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Give local chapters the support that they need. We are a big state without many people, but some VERY devoted birders. Many of us support our local chapter, but not National because we have not received your support
Umm...most other
Umm...most other conservation organizations' local chapters are created to support the national organization's efforts!!! By truly supporting the national organization (both financially and in practical matters), the local chapter can help form a solid, cohesive organization, AND fully realize their potential to be a force for change in their local areas.
What state are you talking
What state are you talking about?
Thank you, David. I am
Thank you, David. I am linking your account to our November newsletter, Feathers, which will be released on November 1st on our website: www.paynecountyaudubon.com. Sounds like you are off to a good start.
Susan
David, You now need to stop
David,
You now need to stop at the Audubon's Rowe Sanctuary near Kearney, Nebraska in the spring to see a world class migration of cranes seen nowhwere else in the world.
Clem Klaphake
Bellevue, NE
Looking forward toward your
Looking forward toward your continuing leadership.
Wilson B. Lutz H08
Any chance you would share
Any chance you would share your travels w/ our group? (Gifford Pinchot Audubon)
Jim
David, Thank you for sharing
David,
Thank you for sharing wonderful stories about your first days and weeks on the job, reaching out to the people that we engage. Thanks also for focusing your attention on the volunteers with whom you visited. I watched you during your trip to Mississippi as you sought out each and everyone of the folks we brought before you. You listened to them and truly asked them about what they thought was important. I can tell you from the feedback that I have heard that they truly appreciated the time you spent with them and are hopeful for the future of the organization. That attention to our volunteers and supporters is invaluable to your staff, as it addes value to our ongoing relationship with the people that do the work for and with Audubon. Thank You!!! We, your staff and volunteers, look forward to your return visit. Bon Chance!
Sorry...Anoymous is really
Sorry...Anoymous is really Mark LaSalle, Pascaoula River Audubon Center.