Many MOU members are probably unaware that the MOU Awards and Recognition Committee does more than decide on the recipients of each year's Thomas S. Roberts, Bro. Theodore Voelker, and Young Birder awards. We also present MOU Certificates of Appreciation to those who welcome visiting birders to see a rare bird on their property – e.g., homeowners who have something of interest at their bird feeders.
The criteria for these certificates can involve several factors; some of these considerations might include how unusual the species is, the number of visitors who came to see it, how accommodating the property owners were to visitors, etc. Besides a certificate, recipients who are non-MOU members receive a complimentary one-year membership. Those who have received certificates in recent years include: - Janet Anderson (Lewis's Woodpecker in Roosevelt MN, 2014) - City of Herman (Black-necked Stilts at the wastewater treatment ponds, 2014) - Jason Olson (Wood Stork in Faribault County, 2014) - Mary & Steve Nesgoda (Rufous Hummingbird in Le Sueur County, 2014) - Cynthia & Steve Broste (Western Tanager in Champlin MN, 2014) - Elijah Parker (King Rail in Zumbrota MN, 2014) - Jeff Newman (Golden-crowned Sparrow in Duluth MN, 2015) - Jeff & Jean Reed (Eurasian Tree Sparrow in Hastings MN, 2015) - Gerald & Jill Binstock (Varied Thrush in Good Thunder MN, 2015) - Steve & Patrice Roberts (Vermilion Flycatcher in Becker County, 2015) - Jacqui Baker (Rufous Hummingbird in Isanti MN, 2016) - Bev & Mark Junghans (White-winged Dove in Ramsey MN, 2016) - Pat McHale (continuing Kapper’s Ponds access in Fillmore County, 2017) Accordingly, if you know of any property owners who you also think deserve recognition for their hospitality to visiting birders, the Awards and Recognition Committee would like to hear about them. Contact me or anyone on the committee (see below) with their names, mailing address (so they can be sent a certificate), the species and when it was present, and any information relevant to their hospitality. Currently, the members of this committee are: Kim Eckert <[email protected]> (chairman) Paul Egeland <[email protected]> Barb Martin <[email protected]> Bonnie Mulligan <[email protected]> Linda Sparling <[email protected]> And please don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions about these certificates. Thank you. – Kim Eckert ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
