November-December 2009 Wings and Things Newsletter Venice Area Audubon Society

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Wings&ThingsThe neWsleTTer of The Venice AreA Audubon socieTy | va. Founded in 1965

Nov/Dec 2009

A u d u b o n S o c i

e t y

V e n

i ce Ar e A

Ma m t Pt – M l. ct

VAAS. When you see this acronym what comes to mind? Hopeully, Venice

Area Audubon Society. Indulge me or a minute while I present another take on

what the VAAS acronym stands or.

V is for VOLUNEER. Energize Inc. describes a volunteer as “Someone who

contributes time, eort and talent to meet a need or urther a mission, without

going on the payroll.”

A is for AIUDE. Wikipedia explains, “An attitude is a hypothetical con-

struct that represents an individual’s degree o like or dislike or an item. Attitudes

are generally positive or negative views o a person, place, thing, or event—this is

oten reerred to as the attitude object.”

A is for ACION. Wordnetweb.princeton.edu states, “carry through: put in

eect; carry out a task; execute the decision o the people.”

S is for SEWARD. Yourdictionary.comdescribes a steward as “ a person mor-

ally responsible or the careul use o money, time, talents, or other resources, esp.

with respect to the principles or needs o a community or group.”

Volunteer. While searching or volunteers to serve on the Board o Directors,

one o the most disheartening statements I heard was “Are you kidding? Tat

Board is known or its contentious nature, no way am I going on that.” While at

times it eels like there is some truth to that statement, the current Board is antas-

tic. Just look at the make-up o these great people.

Attitude. Over the past ew weeks, considerable non productive time and

energy ocused on items such as irrigation systems and Audubon Adventures.

Misinormation appears to be the stem o this movement. Tese incidents may

prove to be an alarm system. Misinormation rom sources outside o the board is

getting in the way o progress. Rest assured, the Board o Directors hears the alarm

and will continue to search or the best way to distribute accurate inormation.

Te Conservation Committee ocusing on Green Initiatives or the building,

Scrub-jay management, protecting coastal habitat or beach nesting birds, and thedevelopment o a second rookery. Te Ways and Means group working on a pro-

gressive und raising agenda. Te Publicity Director is seeking new and exciting ways

to tell the VAAS story. Te Program Director is arranging an incredible line-up o

speakers. New and exciting eld trips are happening. What an incredible list!

Steward. Going back to the VAAS acronym, as we know it, the Venice

Area Audubon Society has incredibly devoted and dedicated members and

V olunteers with A ttitude willing to take A ction and strive to be the best

Stewards o resources. However, all too oten, energy is expended putting out

2009-10 cAlendAr of eVenTs

noVeMber

7 Felts Audubon Preserve, 7:30 a.m.

10 Jelks Preserve, 7:30 a.m.

14 Venice Landfll/Venetian River

Club, 7:45 a.m.

15 Carlton Reserve, 7:30 a.m.

17 Conservation Cmte, 3:00 p.m.

17 Board Meeting, 5:00 p.m.

21 Shamrock Park, 7:30 a.m.24 General Meeting, Venice

Audubon Center, 7:00 p.m.

deceMber

1 Conservation Cmte, 3:00 p.m.

1 Board Meeting, 5:00 p.m.

2 Placida Boat Trip, 8:00 a.m.

2 Shamrock Park, 7:30 a.m.


8 Holiday Party Mtg., Venice

Audubon Center, 7:00 p.m.

10 Myakka River State Park, 7:30 a.m.

15 Christmas Bird Count

18 Wings & Things deadline or

January newsletter

19 Deer Prairie Creek Preserve, 7:30 a.m.

JAnuAry

2 Celery Fields Trip, 7:30 a.m.


10 Emerson Point Park, 7:30 a.m.

13 Shamrock Park , 7:30 a.m.

15 Robinson Preserve, 7:00 a.m.

President’s Message continued on page 3

in MeMoriAMbaaa l. sapptWe are saddened to learn o the death

o our dear riend and aithul VAAS

member, Barbara, on October 1.

Although wheel chair bound or

several years, she continued to

support VAAS by attending meetings.

Our sympathy goes out to her husband

Walter and daughter Cindy Julius.



2 Wings&Things | Nov/Dec 09

uPcoMing ProgrAMs ATVenice Audubon cenTer

endeMic, indigenous AndexoTic birds of hAWAiinv 24 at 7:00 p.m.Barry Rossheim, zoology teacher at

Venice High School and member oVAAS, will share his recent birding

eperience on the islands o Oahu

and Maui. His presentation will

eature the boardwalk area o the

Nature Conservancy o Hawaii’s

Waikamoi Preserve and the difcult

to access nesting area o the

Laysan Albatross. You will enjoy

hearing about Barry’s adventures

in his quest to see these “once in

a lietime” birds and his beautiul

photos will leave us all yearning ora trip to the Aloha State.

holidAy PArTyd 8 at 6:30 p.m.The Board o VAAS has planned

a estive evening at the Center

to share the warm spirit o the

holidays. VAAS will provide

beverages, cups, plates, etc. Please

bring hors d’oeuvres or dessert

(fnger ood to keep it simple) to

share or “cocktail hour” while wevisit and listen to holiday music.

Bring items you would like to donate

and/or solicit items rom a avorite

merchant or a silent auction—a

riendly bidding event to obtain

Holiday gits or yoursel or others

and a un way to add some unds to

our budget. You can bring articles to

the November meeting or contact

any board member prior to the

event so we can include them in

our inventory. Help is needed on theHoliday Committee. I you can be

a part o making this event happen,

call Marty Shirley at 941-496-4494.

Venice Audubon inPAnAMA – ca samp

Eight VAAS Panama trip members

had a antastic time as guests o the

Canopy Lodge in El Valle de Antón. We

were treated royally, with a short visit

to the Canopy ower, and then in the

mountains at the Lodge or nine days.

We enjoyed two birding excur-

sions daily which took us to dierent

Panamanian habi-

tats. Tere were two

all day outings, one

to Altos del Maria,

located at a higher

elevation in the

mountains, and the

other to the Pacic lowlands and a beachon the Pacic Ocean.

Our birding guides, José and Moyo,

amazed us. Tey heard and located birds

in the most dicult places. We were

told that the 237 species we saw was a

new record or nine days at the Canopy

Lodge. Te birding was so good, that

even our guides bagged a ew “liers!”

We all had a great time and everyone

saw all the birds. I anyone missed a bird, José and Moyo made sure to locate the

bird again. We can’t say enough about

the guides and the eorts they made to

accommodate us all—the casual and

hard-core birders alike.

Te ood was out o this world. We

enjoyed ne dining under a canopy

porch with a mountain view next to a

rapid fowing stream.

Te birds seen on this trip are toonumerous to list. I you’re interested see-

ing in a complete list, come to the “rips”

table at the next VAAS general meeting.

Te “Panama/Venice Fantastic Eight”

are: Virginia Bates, Rhea Guertin, Gail

Pigeon, Marian Shern, Norma Sayres,

Bill Fairbank, Carolyn Edmunds and

Charlie Sample.

oVerdue dues dueb faak

Annual dues are due by September 1

We have only received 1/3 o the mem-

bership dues so ar. We encourage t

ebers wo ave not et sent in

teir dues to do so as soon as possible

Tere is a renewal for located in te

2009-2010 Trip & Program Guide

Tese unds make possible the many

activities o Venice Audubon including

our educational programs.

Tank you to all members o VAAS

who paid their annual dues or thei

continued support.

We thank and welcome all new VAAS

members: Marie Beall, Dan Harris

Joyce Leary, Michael and Carrol Malott Jerey and Jane Parsons, and any othe

new members that might have missed.

I you have questions call Bill Fairbank

at 941-412-1610 or e-mail him a

[email protected].

uPcoMing field TriPs

nv 7 - Felts Audubon Preserve, 7:30 a.m.

nv 14 - Venice Landfll and the VenetianGol & River Club, 7:45 a.m.

nv 21 - Shamrock Park, 7:30 a.m.

d 2 - The Placida Boat trip. Lunch at

Fishery Restaurant. Registration required,

limited space. 8:00 a.m.

d 10 - Myakka River State Park, 7:30 a.m

Ja 2 - Celery Fields, 7:30 a.m.

Ja 10 - Emerson Point Park, 7:30 a.m.

For more details about any o the tripsabove, please see the 2009-2010 VAAS

Trips & Program Guide.

I you have any comments about any o

this season’s trips or have suggestion

about places to go net season, drop

by the Trips table at the VAAS genera

meeting or contact Bill Fairbank a

941-412-1610 or [email protected].

Wings is going greenTo receive the January edition, we

need your current e-mail address.

See mailing panel or details.



Nov/Dec 09 | Wings&Things 3

President’s Message continued from page 1

res instead o ocusing on the great

tasks this group can accomplish. Maybe

that is the root o the confict, “keep the

res stirred” so VAAS cannot achieve its

ull potential.

Please remember that VAAS is a com-

munity o people with a variety o opin-ions, hopes, ears, expectations, and a

desire to achieve great things. Te Board

o Directors wants to assure you that we

are really trying to do a great job or our

organization. In addition, although we

may choose to do things a little dier-

ently rom the past, we are trying to be

the best we can be…and sometimes we

need to change in order to improve.

YOU are the vehicle that keeps all

things moving orward. Your construc-

tive support and guidance is needed to

increase VAAS’s potential. Should you

hear something that doesn’t sound right,

or eel something may be going haywire,

please channel it in a productive man-

ner by contacting a Board Member, or

asking to address the Board at a Board

meeting. In this venue, inormation will

be rst-hand and clear. Your knowledge,

experience, and insight may be the per-

ect stimulus to aid in moving a project

to great heights.

VAAs AT A glAnceChRISmAS BIRD COUN Te CBC is on uesday, December 15. Te

compiler or the Venice-Englewood count is Rett Oren. I you can help with

the count, contact Rett at [email protected] or 941-486-1424.

CONSERVAION COmmIEE One o our initiatives is to see i we can

make a positive impact on global climate change by making the Venice AudubonCenter more energy ecient and a model o sustainability. We engaged a volun-

teer engineer to investigate.We hope our Center can be a demonstration Center

or the South Sarasota County area, promoting VAAS’s name and conservation

mission to the community. We need help nding a name or this initiative. I

you have a suggestion, please send it to us at the Venice Audubon Center.

ROOkERy COmmIEE Te second rookery preparation is underway. Te

County has excavated a deeper channel on either side o the island to make it

(potential second rookery) less vulnerable to predators and human penetration.

Te next phase is to remove exotic vegetation and plant native trees.

AUDUBON ADVENURES It has come to our attention that misinormation

has been circulating via e-mail rom some about the Board’s recent decision regard-

ing our Audubon Adventures (AA) program. We’d like to set the record straight.

Te Board has decided to continue oering AA to the Girl Scouts and to

home-schooled children. Both groups have been ully utilizing the AA materials.

Tereore, all donations collected or this year’s AA program will support these

two groups. Te Board decided to discontinue oering Audubon Adventures to

the schools. Te reasons are as ollows: 1) AA materials were not ully utilized

2) costs have increased to $3,000 and 3) donations collected only totaled 1/3 o

the actual cost. Te VAAS teacher in the schools and other school educational

programs will remain in place.

We’d like to take this opportunity to say that when you have concerns about

things that VAAS is doing or any decisions the Board makes, please eel ree to con-

tact us directly to discuss your concerns and/or request to attend a Board meeting

to present your point o view. We are ready and willing to listen.

Tis is exactly what Jackie Barrett and Lori Stover did recently. Tey came to a

Board meeting to present their concerns about the Board’s decision to discontinue

oering AA to the schools and the unds collected or this part o the program. Te

Board commends Jackie and Lorie or caring enough about the education o school

children to present their concerns in a constructive manner to the Board.

BIRDS IN PARADISE At the September general meeting, Janie Dancho

did a great presentation on the Magnicent Frigatebird! Te members present

enjoyed the inormative and entertaining addition to our meeting and we are

looking orward to more. Janie will keep the list o volunteer presenters and will

have a sign-up sheet available at meetings. ell us about your avorite, conus-

ing or unusual bird. Contact Janie at 941-244-0769. For more inormation on

this program reer to the Sept/Oct edition o Wings & Tings.

VAAs finAnciAl rePorTba bma

Te reasurer’s April 2009 is too

detailed to be printed in this Wings &

Tings issue. Te report in its entirety

will be posted at the monthly meeting.

ma 2008 – April 2009

Income: $41,760.52

Expenses: $38,150.18

Current Assets as of April 30, 2009:

Checking/Savings: $21,672.13

Other Assets: $71,080.80

otal Assets: $92,752.80



our Mission: T pmt tt w a t t a vat wt mpa a t atat

V A ct(haqat) a rk4002 S. Tamiami Trail(at Anne Road, behind the R. L.Anderson Administration Building)Venice, FLPhone: 941-496-8984

Mailing address:Venice Area Audubon SocietyP. O. Bo 1381Venice, FL 34284-1381

Wings&Things is published by theVenice Area Audubon Society (VAAS).

As a member o VAAS you receive fveeditions o Wings & Things per year,inormation on our feld trips, chaptermeetings and programs. Individualmemberships are $20 per year andamily memberships are $30 per year.A lietime amily membership is $1500.All membership dues go to theVenice Area chapter o the NationalAudubon Society.

rtba dt

Pt Missy L. [email protected]

1t V PtMarty Shirley941-496-4494 or [email protected] Chair

2 V PtKen Reamy941-493-1042 or [email protected] Chair

r sta Don [email protected]

cp sta Kathy [email protected]

Ta Brenda Bossman

[email protected] and Means andEducation Chair

dtBill [email protected] Trips and Membership Chair

dt Carol [email protected] Chair

dt Julie [email protected]

dtVacant

hptat cat Virginia Koss

941-493-8812

nwtt cat Charles Sample, EditorCarolyn Edmunds, Designer941-497-6463

Vt cat Arlene Kelpsh941-486-9022

yt eat cat Alena Copek941-429-8725

Venice Area Audubon SocietyP. O. Bo 1381Venice, FL 34284-1381

A u d u b o n S o c i

e t y

V e n

i ce Ar e A NON-PROFIT ORG.

P. O. BOx 1381

U. S. POSTAGE

PAidVENICE, FL 34284-1381

MANASOTA, FL PERMIT NO. 917

finAl noTice

Wings is going green

The net edition o Wings & Things

will be sent via e-mail and also

posted on our website. It will no

longer be mailed. To receive

the January edition, make sure wehave your current e-mail address.

See Bill Fairbank at the

membership table or e-mail him at

[email protected].

November-December 2009 Wings and Things Newsletter Venice Area Audubon Society

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