| 60th
Anniversary of the NYSOA Annual Meeting
a
Highlight in Rochester
by
Tim Baird
photos by Bob Mauceli,
Carena Pooth, and Herb Thompson
Approximately 170 birders and friends met over
the weekend of September 20-22nd at the Rochester Marriott Airport
Hotel to enjoy the NYSOA Annual Meeting hosted by the Rochester
Birding Association and the Burroughs
Audubon Nature Club.
Those who attended were able to take advantage of field trips,
displays, informative workshops, poster and papers presentations,
good food, a raffle, an internationally known speaker, and the
camaraderie of fellow bird enthusiasts.
Field trips started on Friday afternoon and continued with excursions
on Saturday and Sunday mornings. The trip leaders showed participants
the rich birdlife of the Rochester/Lake Ontario region. Migrating
shorebirds, waterfowl, gulls, and passerines were highlighted.
Trips to the Braddock Bay Bird Observatory to observe the banding
of passerines provided an up close look at several species. |
Keynote
speaker Peter Harrison
click photo to enlarge |
Betsy
Brooks tending mist nets
Braddock Bay Bird Observatory
photo by Carena Pooth
click photo to enlarge |
Saturday morning included
the delegates meeting where the official business of NYSOA was
conducted, and reports from the officers and various committees
were presented.
The official business of the delegates included the election of
officers, directors, and members of the Nominating and Auditing
Committees. The following officers were elected: President, Bill
Ostrander; Vice-president, Carena Pooth; Treasurer, Bill Reeves;
Recording Secretary, Joan Collins; and Corresponding Secretary,
Tim Baird. These officers will serve for one year. Elected directors
to serve two year terms are Victor Lamoureux, Jane Graves, and
Kathy Schneider. (Note: John Confer, an original director nominee,
had to withdraw due to commitments that would not allow him the
time he felt was needed to properly serve NYSOA. NYSOA appreciates
John’s previous service as a director and his continued service
on the Conservation Committee.) Currently, Bob Adamo, Bob Mauceli,
and Andy Mason are directors entering the second year of their
terms. |
The elected Nominating Committee for 2009
includes Jerry Lazarczyk, Berna Lincoln, and Kathy Schneider.
The elected Auditing Committee members are Irving Cantor, Peter
Capainolo, and Isaac Grant.
John Ozard, Leader of the Nongame & Habitat Unit for the
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, updated
the delegates on the projects relating to birds in New York State.
The NYSDEC is trying to adjust to budget restrictions imposed
by State government. The cuts in funding for the NYSDEC will
impact their staff and bird related projects.
Young birders
at the banquet
Carena Pooth, chair of the New York State Young Birders Club (NYSYBC)
committee, introduced Annette Lehner to the delegates. Annette is
the adult coordinator of the NYSYBC. Carena gave a presentation of
the program her committee has put together for information and promotion
of the NYSYBC. This program is available for presentation to NYSOA
Clubs. |
At the Saturday afternoon papers
session, the audience heard about projects in New
York State involving Arctic Tern occurrence
on Long Island, Double-crested Cormorant
populations in New York harbor, Goldenwinged
Warbler conservation, the effects of
light polarization on bird migration , the utility
of data submitted to e-bird , colonial waterbird
populations on Lake Ontario and the St.
Lawrence River, and bird habitat management
at Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge.
The Saturday night banquet is the
climax of NYSOA Annual Meetings. A fine meal preceded the
presentation of NYSOA awards and
the featured speaker.
The Lillian Stoner Award was given
to three students this year: Shawn Billerman and Tom Johnson
nominated by the Cayuga Bird Club, and Jeb
McConnell of SUNY Cobleskill.
NYSOA awarded several Certificates
of Appreciation for service to NYSOA and birders. Deep
Hollow Ranch, Bill and Loretta Groell, John Haas,
Curt McDermott, and Larry Wilson received certificates
for their cooperation, hospitality, and able
assistance to visiting birders, and Brian Wheeler
of American Printing Co., was given a certificate
for his long and exemplary service to NYSOA for
production and printing of the organization’s publications.
|
Valerie Freer accepting the
Gordon M. Meade Award
|
The John J. Elliot Award, recognizing
excellence
in an article submitted to The Kingbird, was given
to Alex Wilson for his article: “Western Reefheron
(Egretta gularis gularis) at Calvert Vaux
Park, Brooklyn.” (The Kingbird, Vol. 57, No. 4,
December 2007.)
|
|
Brenda
Best accepting the
Gordon M. Meade Award
|
NYSOA presents a Gordon M. Meade Award
periodically when someone has provided exceptional service to our
organization. This year two people were awarded this distinction.
Valerie Freer received the award for her efforts as the Steering
Committee chair for the Atlas 2000 Project. Valerie’s skillful
guidance of this project is a major factor in its success. Brenda
Best earned this award through her exemplary handling of her duties
as the Recording Secretary, membership coordinator, and publications
manager for the last seven years. Brenda managed this complex and
time consuming job with great proficiency.
The featured speaker, Peter Harrison,
entertained
the crowd at the banquet with an engaging “yarn”
describing his trek round the world as a young
man. Author and illustrator of Seabirds: An
Identification Guide, Harrison brought humor and great
(Annual Meeting...Continued from page 3) enthusiasm as he related
many of his adventures
on land and sea. Harrison illustrated
his talk with photographs of his trip
and many of the birds he encountered.
|
NYSOA is indebted to all of the hard work and many hours spent
by the volunteers from the Rochester Birding Association and
the Burroughs Audubon Nature Club.
Thank you!
It is unfortunate that, as of this writing, there
are no locations nor hosts for NYSOA Annual
Meetings in the future. If none is forthcoming,
the meeting in 2009 will likely be
limited to a single day for a delegates meeting
to carry out the required business of the
organization.
With the success of this year’s event fresh in
mind, the loss of the traditional weekend
event for our Annual Meeting would be most
regrettable.
Published
in New York Birders, October 2008
|
More photos taken during
the NYSOA 2008 Annual Meeting - Click
on thumbnails to enlarge.
Ryan
Kayhart with
Nashville Warbler
Braddock Bay Bird Observatory
photo by Carena Pooth |
Ryan
Kayhart performing
measurements on a
Blackpoll Warbler
photo by Carena Pooth |
 <
Putting together
the Young Birders' poster
photo by Carena Pooth |
Young
Birders' poster
photo by Carena Pooth |
Peter
Harrison (right) inspiring
young birders.
Annette
Lehner, NYSYBC Adult Coordinator is at left.
photo by Bob Mauceli |
Sean
Billerman accepts
Lillian Stoner Award
photo by Bob Mauceli |
Tom Johnson accepts
Lillian Stoner Award
photo by Bob Mauceli |
Jeb McConnell accepts
Lillian Stoner Award
photo by Bob Mauceli |
Shai
Mitra presents the
John J. Elliott Award
to Alex Wilson
photo by Bob Mauceli |
 |
NYSOA
Annual Meeting
60th
Anniversary Logo
courtesy of
Burroughs Audubon
Nature Club &
Rochester Birding Association
|
|
|
)
)
 "Ryan Kayhart with Nashville Warbler, photo by Carena Pooth")
 "Ryan Kayhart measuring a Blackpoll Warbler, photo by Carena Pooth")
 "Hope Batcheller, Brent Bomkamp, and Mary Batcheller putting together the Young Birders' poster, photo by Carena Pooth")
 "Young Birders' poster, photo by Carena Pooth")
 inspiring young birders-Left to right: Annette Lehner (NYSYBC Adult Coordinator), Greg Lawrence, Hope Batcheller,
Mary Batcheller, Erich Lehner--photo by Bob Mauceli') "Peter Harrison (right) inspiring young birders-Left to right: Annette Lehner (NYSYBC Adult Coordinator), Greg Lawrence, Hope Batcheller, Mary Batcheller, Erich Lehner--photo by Bob Mauceli")
 "Sean
Billerman accepts Lillian Stoner Award, photo by Bob Mauceli")
 "Tom Johnson accepts Lillian Stoner Award, photo by Bob Mauceli")
 "Jeb McConnell accepts Lillian Stoner Award, photo by Bob Mauceli")
 "Shai
Mitra presents the John J. Elliott Award to Alex Wilson, photo by Bob Mauceli")
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