Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Birdathon 2007 - Betsy Feinberg We’d like to thank the following businesses for
NAAS Birdathon teams altogether identified donating prizes:
163 species this year, a surprising number consider- • Olsen’s Feed & Grain (Flagstaff)
ing the drought conditions that prevailed during the • Native Plant and Seed (Flagstaff)
winter of 2006-2007. Two trees full of nesting cor- • Bea Cooley (Flagstaff)
morants at Willow Lake in Prescott showed off for • Village Ace Hardware (Oak Creek)
the Beasts of Birdin’ team. A week later, the Wings • photographer Sue Clemenz (Oak Creek)
Over Wabbits team watched a couple of still-fuzzy • Catharon Software Corporation (Sedona)
cormorant babies exercising their wings whilst
standing precariously on the edge of the nest. And especially, thanks to all the individuals
Noah Gaines and Lauren Harter, the Nemesis who made donations to the Birdathon. Many were
Birders, counted the most species for a single team: NAAS members, but we received donations from
129. Their list included a saw whet owl. The Im- as far away as Pennsylvania!
peachable Old Finches, Bill and Inez Prather (John
Prather’s parents) and their friends Dean and Mona Many thanks to everyone who donated to the
Hill, came all the way from Longmont, Colorado Birdathon this year! We would like to give
to participate. They had 99 species, including a extra recognition to the business and profes-
California gull. sional people who so kindly supported us.
At this writing, the Birdathon raised $2,371 for
Michael Amadei, M.D
NAAS education and habitat restoration projects.
SEC, Jim Sullivan
So many prizes were donated that all partici-
Judy Deans
pants received prizes. The other teams included
Chic Hair Salon
the Whoa, Nellies!, Over the Top (because the team
Pink Jeeps, Shawn Wendell
worked only above the rim), the Icteridactyls, and
Dr. Ellen Bunch, Williamson Valley
Ardea. (Diana Herron was on this team. Ardea is
Dr. Kelly Larson, Prescott Valley
the heron genus . . . )
Condor Country - Bea Cooley predators to coyotes to lead bullet fragments. You
Can the California Condor be saved? Is the ef- will read about volunteers of the project who spent
fort ill-advised, too expensive, doomed to failure? nights on freezing ledges, watching over naïve
Whatever your personal opinion, you should not young condors who had not learned to select safe
miss a new book by Sophie Osborne, “Condors in roosting spots. Your heart will be in your throat
Canyon Country, The Return of the reading about the young condor who
California Condor to the Grand Canyon misjudges her capabilities and falls
Region.” It’s all here. Sophie covers into the roaring Colorado River. And
the history of the California Condor you will feel you are present when So-
Recovery Program from the decision phie describes a young condor taking
to capture the last free-flying condor his first flight.
to the bird’s present status of over Sophie writes from her own ex-
300 individuals living both in the wild perience as leader of the Recovery
and in captivity. Condor behavior and Program and while her bias is clearly
even personalities (yes, condors are in favor of the program, she details the
very personable and identifiable as individuals) effort with all its failures and triumphs. This is a
are covered in graceful text and extraordinary well written, informative, even exciting book and
photographs. would make a great gift for any bird enthusiast as
The book reads like a mystery novel, with the well as for anyone who loves everything about the
“bad guys” shifting every few pages, from human Grand Canyon. You can purchase a copy at www.
grandcanyon.org.
Another Coal Power Plant
for the Four Corners Region... Welcome to our new and renewing members:
Please speak out now against plans for a dirty, Marlies Allen Michael McCarthy
coal-fired power plant in New Mexico that would Linda Besnette Joy Mosley
Sylvia Breakey Mary Natali
release mercury and other toxic contaminants into Ron & Pat Brown James Simmons
the environment, pollute waterways and threaten Virginia Chanda Donna Reese & David Sligar
human health. A global energy company and the Ed & Sandy Clark Terri Tarango
Dine Power Authority want to build the plant on Dawn Gardner Trisha Travis
the eastern edge of the Navajo Nation in north- Andrew Gould Irma & Klaus Wagenbach
Muriel Hannig Marsha Wall
western New Mexico. Sarah Lantz Jan Young
The Four Corners region is already home to two Mary Lawrence
of the most polluting power plants in the coun-
try. In addition to mercury, the proposed Desert ing pollution in New Mexico at a time when states
Rock plant would increase emissions of soot and should be working to curb these dangerous emis-
soot-forming pollutants, which can cause asthma sions.
attacks, heart disease and other health problems. In a time when the effects of global warming
The Navajo Nation would receive less than five are becoming more and more apparent, we should
percent of the projected electricity output from be working to develop new initiatives that focus
Desert Rock, even though many Navajo people on energy efficiency and clean, renewable energy
still have no electricity in their homes. Most of solutions, not more old-fashioned coal-fired power
the power would likely be exported to Las Vegas plants. Go to http://www.savebiogems.org/yel-
and Phoenix. lowstone/takeaction to sign a petition asking the
Last month, NRDC Members and online activ- Bush administration to reject the proposed Desert
ists turned out at public hearings in Albuquerque Rock power plant.
and Santa Fe to oppose the Desert Rock plant,
which would significantly increase global warm-
Page 6
NEWS ... BLACKHAWK WATCH
Bashas Thanks-A-Million
JOIN US! We recently received a check for $252.05
NORTHERN ARIZONA AUDUBON SOCIETY from the Basha’s “Thanks-a-Million” program.
Figures for the previous 5 years are $199.84
Please enroll me/our household as a Chap-
(2006), $285.09, $302.40, $167.11, $100.00-
ter Member of Northern Arizona Audubon
-making a total of $1,306.47 received from the
Society (NAAS).
program since it began. Thank you to all of you
who take the time to participate in the program!
Name:
It’s easy - next time you shop at Basha’s, when
Address:
you give them your Thank You card, tell them
City, State, Zip
you want Northern Arizona Audubon (NAAS) to
Phone:
be your charity. 1% of what you spend will go to
Email:
(If you wish to be a part of the NAAS email list) NAAS. It costs you nothing and it helps promote
our education and conservation expenses.
Enclosed:
Check here if this is a
$12 for 1 year
change of address
$22 for 2 years
$30 for 3 years Check here if this is a
renewal • The BlackHawk Watch is published bi-monthly Septem-
ber through June , and is sent to members of the Northern
Please make checks payable to NAAS and mail to: Arizona Audubon Society as a membership benefit.
Membership Chair, NAAS • Articles are welcome from members and non-members. Send
PO Box 1496, Sedona, AZ 86339 proposed articles by email to bryan@coopsmaps.com Deadline
for copy is the 10th of the month.