July 31, 2003 Conservation Through Birding Summit Meeting In Green Bay, Wisconsin, September 11
By Greg Butcher Did you know that birdwatching is one of the fastest growing hobbies in the nation? According to a recent survey - the National Survey on Recreation and the Environment - more than 69 million adults watch birds each year. With so many birdwatchers around, many environmentalists are hoping that they will become an increasingly powerful force for conservation. A group called Conservation Through Birding will meet all day Thursday, September 11, in Green Bay, Wisconsin, to discuss how to tap this army of birdwatchers for conservation action. They will hear from speakers from at least 10 different states. Group leader Ted Eubanks of Fermata Inc., a nature-trail company, will present his vision of how birdwatching and conservation should work hand-in-hand. Following Eubanks, a series of presenters will discuss various portals to nature: How birdwatchers and conservationists discover the hobby and the calling. Famous bird-book author and editor Kenn Kaufman will discuss birding and nature festivals, while backyard-birding authors and experts Don and Lillian Stokes will talk about birding shows on television. There will also be presentations on nature trails, print media, and radio. Three speakers will discuss various ways in which birdwatchers affect conservation, primarily through economic impacts, local political action, and the Important Bird Area program. The summit will feature representatives from four different types of organizations - birding groups, conservation groups, government agencies, and for-profit companies - discussing how they interact with birdwatchers and conservationists. The summit will close with a look at specific issues of interest to the Conservation Through Birding movement: Ethnic diversity in birdwatching and conservation, and ways that birdwatchers can help to fund conservation activities. All interested are invited to attend. The summit is being held in conjunction with the Midwest Birding Symposium, which will begin Thursday night and continue through Sunday, September 14. More information about the summit, the Midwest Birding Symposium, and pre-registration for both events are available by visiting the Birder's World Web site at www.birdersworld.com. The Summit is sponsored by Conservation Through Birding and hosted by the 2003 Midwest Birding Symposium and the Wisconsin DNR, with financial support from Bushnell Sports Optics, Fermata, Inc., the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Region 3, and the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology. Greg Butcher Director of Citizen Science Audubon Science Office 545 Almshouse Road Ivyland PA 18974 Tel.: 215-355-9588, x. 20 Fax: 215-355-2353 [email protected] posted by Jim Williams, Wayzata, Minnesota
