WELCOME AND HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PAST YEAR
Board president Gerry Kelly welcomed all to the BCNA's 42nd annual meeting this year on Zoom, thanked everyone for their hard work this past year, reiterated BCNA's appreciation for the many donations received, and reminded everyone of the vision of BCNA's founders: To conserve resilient natural ecosystems in our region through science, education, and advocacy.
THANKS TO THOSE RETIRING FROM THE BOARD
BCNA appreciates the work and accomplishments of Board members who have or are retiring this year. Larry Arp skillfully chaired the Grants Committee for six years and guided BCNA in many ways. David Fletcher co-chaired and contributed significantly to the Education Committee.
We also honored the retirement from the Board of Sue Cass, a mainstay of BCNA for many, many years. Sue served as president of BCNA for many terms. She has long been the leader, trainer, and steadiness behind the Raptor Monitoring Program. For years, Sue organized meals and treats for the BCNA Annual Ecosymposium. Sue's ready smile and in-depth knowledge of Boulder County and BCNA have inspired many.
BRIEF COMMITTEE REPORTS
The Education Committee strives to promote environmental awareness, to foster a deep understanding of the ecosystems of Boulder County, and to build personal connections between individuals and their local ecosystems through short courses and field walks. Classes and field trips will be offered throughout the warmer months. Stay tuned: https://bcna.org/classes/
William Bowman now chairs the Grants Committee, and will continue to solicit, evaluate, and award grants for the coming year. Last year, BCNA awarded four grants.
Greg Levandoski chairs the newly formed Science Committee. The first major project is pulling together and properly storing all the data that has been collected over the past 40 plus years so that it will be preserved and accessible. This committee will also oversee and manage the many science projects that BCNA currently does: the annual Indian Peaks Bird Count, Winter Raptor Monitoring, Bird Banding at Allegra Collister, and the Ecosteward Program.
The Advocacy Committee, chaired by Gerry Kelly, tracks and comments on issues of importance for local conservation and advocates for the sound management of open lands and the many species living there. The goal of this committee is to secure a “seat at the table” where important local conservation issues are being addressed and solutions developed.
The Ecosymposium Committee, chaired by Sandra Laursen and Claudia VanWie, oversaw the return of the annual ecosymposium after a hiatus due to Covid restrictions. The 2023 topic was "It starts at the top: The intertwined fates of water and ecosystems in the climate crisis."
Under the expert guidance and skills of Sandra Laursen, BCNA and Boulder Audubon oversee Nature-Net, an email ListServ for sharing local environmental news, observations, concerns, and notices. More information: https://bcna.org/nature-net/
ELECTION OF NEW BOARD MEMBERS
Two new members were elected to the Board: William (Bill) Bowman and Greg Levandoski
Bill Bowman was on the faculty of CU Boulder in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department for 32 years and was director of the Mountain Research Station for 30 years. He also served on numerous small grant committees within the CU system.
Greg Levandoski has worked in avian research and conservation for 28 years, including 11 years with Colorado's Bird Conservancy of the Rockies. Currently, Greg is the owner and lead biologist at Regalis Environmental LLC where he continues to prioritize research and monitoring with meaningful impacts for bird conservation.
Continuing Board Members are Gerry Kelly, president; Cathy Cook, secretary; Leslie Larson, treasurer; Tony Sigliano, membership; and Martin Ogle, at-large.
