Blue Ridge Audubon Chapter
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Blue Ridge Audubon's
Meetings & Walks are Free and Open to All!
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Bird Walks
We are sorry to report that Blue Ridge Audubon bird walks will be suspended through December due to continuing concerns about Covid 19 and public gatherings.
Please check our website and Facebook page for updates.
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Chapter Meetings
November Program (Online)
Tuesday, Nov. 17th at 7 pm
Conserving the
Peruvian Rainforest
with Seth Buddy
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Chapter programs will be online this fall via our Facebook page.
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Blue Ridge Audubon
Board of Directors Meeting
Tuesday, Nov. 12th at 6:30 pm
If you'd like to attend, please email us for the Zoom link
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Dear friend,
In the aftermath of a bitter presidential election, National Audubon's President, David Yarnold, sent a message of common ground and hope to Audubon members. In part, he said:
"In a recent survey of our membership, we found that nearly every Audubon member agrees that every American, regardless of race or color, should have equal access to clean air and clean water...and more than 95% of all Audubon members...report a concern about the destruction of habitat for birds and other wildlife, air and water pollution, attacks on bedrock environmental laws, and oil drilling and mining on protected public lands. Our membership demonstrates strong support across the political spectrum for action on environmental, climate, and community priorities."
While we may feel a sense of division, we can join together to work on a common goal: protecting birds and the environment for future generations.
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Great Egret. Photo: Andrew McCullough/Audubon Photography Awards
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November Program Meeting
Conserving the Peruvian Rainforest:
Birds and Indigenous Cultures
with Seth Buddy
Tuesday, November 17 at 7 p.m. online
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You don't need a Facebook account to view the program. If you have trouble accessing the live video, try refreshing the BRAC Facebook page shortly after 7 pm. Alternatively, if you have "liked" our page and you're on a desktop computer, you can click Watch on the Facebook home page and then on Live to find our live feed. On a smartphone, click Live Videos. Can't watch it live? The recording will be available on Facebook to watch anytime.
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In Northeastern Peru, an indigenous people called the Maijuna are defying odds in striving to preserve their culture and their land. Their success is fragile, but their unfolding conservation story has provided hope that a combination of community action, government policy, and outside support from engaged NGOs can have a large positive impact at multiple levels. In the early 2000’s, illegal logging and poaching on their ancestral lands had driven the Maijuna to the brink of starvation and cultural collapse. By 2015, they had successfully kicked the loggers off their land and worked to officially protect nearly one million acres of primary rainforest in a conservation area. The Maijuna communities and the affected rainforest are rebounding together, and multiple species—including birds—are repopulating what was thought to be an irretrievable “ghost forest”. Please join us to hear this tale of an indigenous community on the forefront of successful sustainability and conservation programs in the most biodiverse region on our planet.
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Seth Buddy is an ardent conservationist and for the past 16 years, a teacher at Asheville School. Growing up in Connecticut, he had an early affinity for the outdoors, the local Audubon center, and his birdfeeders. He started keeping a life list in the back of a Peterson’s Guide in the first grade after a birder came to speak at his school. Although birding was set aside for many years, in 2016, his son Miles and a friend simultaneously became obsessed with birds, and Seth was swept up by their passion. He’s very happy to have reconnected to his childhood love.
Maijuna children photo by Phil Kahler
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Birds and the Cherokee People
by Susan Richardson
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The month of November is recognized as National Native American Heritage month. According to the National Congress of American Indians, this month is a time to celebrate the rich and diverse cultures, traditions and histories and to acknowledge the important contributions of Native people. The website for the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, in nearby Cherokee, North Carolina, notes that the Cherokee elders say they have lived in the southern Appalachians forever - that the Creator placed them here and gave them their language and customs.
James Mooney, an American ethnographer and author of History, Myths, and Sacred Formulas of the Cherokees, features several fascinating stories about birds in his book. For example, he writes about The Ball Game of the Birds and Animals, How the Turkey got his Beard, and The Race Between the Crane and the Hummingbird. Other stories tell about the "news bringers" birds. The Carolina Chickadee is said to be a "truth teller" and the Tufted Titmouse is "scoffed at as a lying messenger." The Eagle is the sacred bird of the Cherokee and is featured in ceremonial rituals, particularly in activities related to war. There are many fascinating Cherokee stories that highlight their relationship with nature and birds that have thankfully been documented for all of us to discover and enjoy!
Bald Eagle photo by Alan Lenk
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Bird Notes
by Rick Pyeritz
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Alexander F. Skutch
b. May 20, 1904, d. May 12, 2004
Alexander Skutch, arguably the world’s most accomplished field ornithologist, almost did not devote his life to the study of birds. While in college, an initial experience mist netting and bird banding “put him off” ornithology for a time because the indignity of handling birds repelled him. After he earned his doctorate in botany from Johns Hopkins, his first job was with the United Fruit Company in Panama studying banana trees. Traveling throughout Central America exposed Skutch to a profusion of bird life, and the decided lack of literature about the avian life of tropical birds. He began his life’s work studying and documenting the life histories of over 300 species of tropical birds without collecting a single specimen, relying only on his observational skills. Skutch also began writing about an interest he had in the origin and continuing evolution of life on Earth. If you would like to read excerpts of his fascinating thoughts on the origin of nature’s beauty, follow this link.
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Beaver Bits
Text and photos by Jay Wherley
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With cold weather moving into our area, many species of ducks may show up at Beaver Lake. During past Novembers over the years, 16 species of ducks have been observed at the Sanctuary. Many female ducks can be mystifying to identify but there are also difficulties with look-alike males. Commonly confused species include Lesser Scaup and Ring-necked Duck. From a distance, look for the white sides and gray back of Lesser Scaup vs. the gray sides and black back of Ring-necked Duck. Once close enough, the white outline of the bill on Ring-necked Duck should stand out. (The more appropriate name might be Ring-billed Duck). Hens (females) of these species look even more similar than the drakes (males) – look for the white ring around the eye of the Ring-necked Duck, which the Lesser Scaup lacks.
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It has been a few years since a Scoter species has been seen in November on site, but with reports of Surf and White-winged Scoters already in the area, keep an eye out for these diving sea ducks on the lake.
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Notable recent sightings at Beaver Lake include Nashville Warbler and Lincoln’s Sparrow.
Images:
Ring-necked Duck – Beaver Lake, February 2019
Lesser Scaup – Asheville, March 2015
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About the Blue Ridge Audubon Chapter
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Blue Ridge Audubon is a chapter of the National Audubon Society, serving Buncombe, Henderson, and surrounding counties in western North Carolina.
We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations are
tax-deductible to the extent
allowed by law.
Blue Ridge Audubon Chapter
PO Box 18711
Asheville, NC 28814
Raven's Nest Editor:
Marianne Mooney
mooney.marianne@gmail.com
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Blue Ridge Audubon's mission is to protect birds and the places they depend on. We believe that a world in which birds thrive is a world that benefits all living things.
Our vision is a vibrant and just community where the protection of birds and our natural world is valued by everyone.
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For the latest information and schedule changes,
check our Website or Facebook/Instagram page.
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