Teen birders enjoying lunch with Scott Weidensaul (center)
The 2011 NYSOA Annual Meeting was hosted
by the Ralph T. Waterman Bird Club in
Dutchess County over the weekend of September
23rd-25th. This well organized and efficiently run event was
a testament to the dedication by the members of the Waterman
Bird Club to NYSOA and the New York State birding community.
The NYSOA Annual Meeting allows birders from all over New
York State to enjoy meeting old friends and making new ones.
Meeting attendees were led by local experts on a variety of field
trips, the delegates from NYSOA member organizations met to
complete the official business of NYSOA, and everyone had an
opportunity to socialize.
The rustic setting of Sylvan Lake Lodge complimented the natural
aspect that brings many of us to birding. Although the weekend
got off to a rainy start on Friday, the weather did not dampen the
enthusiasm for bird watching. Clearing weather on Saturday and
Sunday kept binoculars and birders dry.
Phyllis Jones, awarded the Gordon M. Meade
Distinguished Service Award
The delegates met on Saturday morning to hear an update on our
organization's status and activities from the officers and committee
chairs of NYSOA. The official business included elections of
officers, directors, and members of the Nominating and Auditing
Committees. The officers elected to one year terms were: Gail
Kirch, President; Kathryn Schneider, Vice President; Joan Collins,
Recording Secretary; Andrew Mason, Treasurer; and Michael De-
Sha, Corresponding Secretary. Elected directors to two year
terms were: Timothy Baird, Carena Pooth, and Angus Wilson.
The Nominating Committee for 2012 will consist of Robert
Adamo, Joan Collins (chair), and Bill Ostrander. John Cairns,
Irving Cantor (chair), and Peter Capainolo were elected to continue
as the NYSOA Auditing Committee. Delegates voted to approve
the proposed changes to the NYSOA Bylaws
Lillian Stoner Awards were given to: Greg Lawrence
(nominated by NYS Young Birders Club),
Sarah MacLean (nominated by the Cayuga Bird
Club), and Alexandra Hale (nominated by the
Linnaean Society). John Confer was recognized
with the John J. Elliott Award for his article:
"Avian Response to Shrubland Restoration
in the Forested Landscape of Sterling Forest
State Park, NY" in the March 2010 issue of The
Kingbird. The Gordon M. Meade Award for outstanding
service to NYSOA was presented to
Phyllis Jones for her many years of contributions
including archivist, director, and editor of
New York Birders. The Saturday banquet was
highlighted by Scott Weidensaul's entertaining
and informative presentation entitled Messing
Around With Birds (for Fun and Science).
Field Trip to Thompson Pond
The importance and value of the Annual Meeting
to NYSOA cannot be understated. It has been
an increasingly difficult task in recent years to
find a member organization to host this event.
NYSOA offers assistance to any group willing to
be a host. Please have your club or organization
consider hosting the event for 2012 or thereafter.
After this year's meeting our friends at the
Ralph T. Waterman Bird Club reported that they
were glad to have taken on the job of hosting –
not only to help NYSOA, but to introduce other
birders to the club and the area's birding hotspots.
RTWBC member Maha Katnani said, "It
felt so good for a member of RTWBC to see our
club hosting the convention and showing off our
region." Thank you Ralph T. Waterman Bird
Club!
Published
in New York Birders, October 2011 Posted online 12/5/11
Photo Gallery - see more photos taken during
the NYSOA 2011 Annual Meeting
Field Trip Lists - view a chart showing bird sightings on each trip |
