We’re so happy that this year Blue Ridge Audubon will again have a Birdathon! Our Birdathon teams will be ready to go in May on a one day race to out-bird each other. More good news is that we’re also keeping the Everyone Can Birdathon component. There was so much enthusiastic participation from friends, families, and birders last year that we wanted to keep the spirit alive of everyone birding “together”. Mark your calendars for Everyone Can Birdathon on the weekend of May 14-16. Everyone can participate, anywhere, anytime and do your own "Big Day". Keep track of all the bird species you see or hear all day long and fill out this form. We hope you’ll join in the fun.  

Even if you don’t go birding, there is another important way that you can contribute to the cause: by making a donation. Our Birdathon serves as a fundraiser that supports an American Bird Conservancy project in Colombia benefiting neo-tropical migrants that nest here in Western North Carolina. We also fund a scholarship for a UNCAsheville environmental studies student. You can learn more about the American Bird Conservancy project and get a mail-in donation form here. You can also contribute online by using the donate link at the bottom of the first page on our website. Please remember to select Birdathon from the drop down menu at PayPal. Your generous donation will help us reach our goals.

Our May program is the traditional Birdathon fundraiser event. We will be hosting it on our Facebook page and hope you’ll join us for a fascinating talk by Dr. Maria Whitehead on the charismatic Swallow-tailed Kite!

Click on Blue Ridge Audubon's Facebook page to watch!

Join us for an exploration into the journey of the Swallow-tailed Kite. Dr. Maria Whitehead will explore the conservation efforts surrounding a beloved migratory bird of the Southeast, the Swallow-tailed Kite. Kites are considered one of the most threatened birds in the Southeastern US without federal protection. Kites face numerous challenges related to habitat loss, social dynamics of the species, and climate change. Dr. Whitehead’s talk will focus on how research, habitat protection, conservation planning and stewardship have worked together to better understand the enigmatic species and to ensure this amazing bird has a safe place to land.

Maria Whitehead is Senior Program Manager at the Open Space Institute, where she works across the eastern United States on varied conservation projects and initiatives including interpreting climate science for land-protection professionals and communities impacted by climate change. During her professional career, she has held positions as an ornithologist, professor, and conservation professional. Dr. Whitehead has worked for 15 years in the direct conservation of land and water and the interdisciplinary realm of avian conservation, climate adaptation and community resilience.  She has taught courses in Ornithology, Conservation Biology, and Biodiversity, Ecology and Conservation at Furman, The Citadel and the College of Charleston.  She continues to serve as an adjunct professor at the College of Charleston guiding graduate student research in avian studies.  

At our April meeting, the Blue Ridge Audubon Board of Directors approved a slate of candidates presented by the Nominating Committee. The membership is asked to vote on the proposed candidates for the Board of Directors using the link shown below. We encourage all BRAC members to cast their vote. The 2021/2022 BRAC board slate is: Nancy Casey, President, and Kelley Coleman, Secretary. Current board members nominated as At-Large Members are Kristin Anderson and Susan Richardson. We are very pleased to nominate four new At-Large board members: John Koon, Yuhan (Douglas) Rao, Bonnie Snyder, and Leslie Stewart. There will also be a vote on a proposed change to the chapter by-laws, adding an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee to the BRAC standing committees.

Please vote by June 15th by clicking this link. Get to know our new board candidates by reading about them here. We all thank our candidates for giving their time and talents to serving on the Blue Ridge Audubon board. When we can meet again in person, we look forward to introducing our new At-large directors to our chapter.

May is a month to enjoy all that springtime has to offer such as blooming wildflowers and spotting migrating birds in our communities. May is also Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage month. The National Audubon Society published an article last year outlining the ways that AAPI Heritage month intersects with birds (How Asian and Pacific Islander American Heritage Month and Birds Intersect | Audubon). The article gives examples of birds in literature, art and music. For example, in East Asian countries, the crane represents luck and longevity. By folding 1,000 paper cranes, according to Japanese legend, one is granted a wish and good health. So, collect some paper and start folding those cranes!

I also learned from the article that falconry, or the sport of hunting with birds of prey, has been popular across Asia for thousands of years. The birthplace of this art can be traced to Mongolia around 3,000 years ago however Iran and the Persian Empire have also been credited.

If you are interested in dance, the Cendrawasih dance was first performed in the 1920s and inspired by birds of paradise, or burung cendrawasih in Indonesian and as manuk dewata ("the bird of the gods") in Balinese. This dance is performed by two women and features the birds' mating rituals. The dancers wear feather headdresses and flowing scarves similar to the colors of the birds of paradise's wings. You are welcome to follow the choreography using the following YouTube video as your guide: BALI'S CULTURAL SERIES | CENDRAWASIH DANCE - YouTube. 

It is inspiring to see how other cultures embrace their appreciation of birds. I hope you all can celebrate your love of birds this month by watching our birds build their nests and raise their young and, at the same time, have a renewed appreciation that birds touch the lives of all nations and cultures around the globe!

For a statement on the significance of this action, see the American Bird Conservancy: abcbirds.org/article

The monthly Birding Community E-bulletin, is full of cutting edge news about birds. It's editors are the renowned team of Paul Baicich and Wayne Peterson. To get on the mailing list: http://tinyurl.com/E-bulletinSIGNUP

Len worked tirelessly championing the Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary, and guided the chapter through a successful fundraising campaign which supported upgrades to the Sanctuary. He and his wife Esther devoted countless hours helping to maintain our special Sanctuary. “Len was a dedicated advocate for Audubon and birds.Though quiet and unassuming, he never hesitated to share his wisdom with the Board. We listened. He was loved by all and was a mentor to me.” --- Tom Tribble, past President.