Western Cuyahoga Audubon Society Member Meeting and Speaker Series 2020-2021

Member Meeting and Speaker Program, “Inclusive Engagement for Everyone 2020+: Encouraging Inclusive Activism and Environmental Engagement in a Virtual World" with Tammi Fierro-Zeis, Audubon Washington and Audubon Miami Valley, July 6, 2021 Recording. 

Description: The years before 2020 were all about reaching out to underserved communities, building rapport with others, and keeping all peoples engaged in environmental projects, protections, and activism. COVID-19 social distancing abruptly severed ties and we had to get creative. Communities and environmental organizations faced barriers to Internet accessibility, lack of computer competency, resource scarcity, digital leadership know-how - all further stymied by an inability to safely lead programs in person. In the past year many creative and dedicated people have come together to bridge the gaps. This program features stories about the tools and brilliant ideas that have kept everyone engaged in this new, remote world. Tammi Fierro-Zeis is "passionate about equitable advocacy, most of my environmental engagement has been centered on breaking barriers of access and hoping to inspire an appreciation of nature in everyone. In my spare time, I'm an unabashed birder and have an undying love for shorebirds and quail!"

Timestamps (approximate): ​
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Member Meeting
[00:00:00​​] Nancy Howell, Treasurer & Membership, Chair, WCAS, provides welcome. News update on the OH bird disease. [Songbirds in Ohio are being affected by a disease. The primary species affected at this time are blue jays, common grackles, European starlings, American robins, and house sparrows. - Ohio Department of Wildlife, Bird Disease Reporting: https://ohiodnr.gov/wps/portal/gov/odnr/home/additional-resources/division-of-wildlife/bird-disease-reporting ] Nancy conducts the Spring Membership New Member Raffle Drawing, updates on the Institute for Bird Populations of Nicaraguan bird-banding stations. Contact: NancyHowell@wcaudubon.org

[00:14:16] Michelle Brosius, WCAS Board Member & Field Trip Co-Coordinator, provides information on 'Christmas in July' Raffle, June 2021 Second Saturday Bird Walk Report & July details, Tremont Bird Walks, Virtual Field Trips, Evening Walks, Social Distancing Birding Guidelines, and social media. Contact: MichelleBrosius@wcaudubon.org

[00:21:11] Kurt Miske, WCAS Board Member, Bluebird Box Committee, Rocky River Reservation report read by N Howell. Contact: KurtMiske@wcaudubon.org

[00:24:45] Kaoru Tsubone, Native Plant Sale Committee & Ambassador to Japan, report read by M Brosius. Native Plants, Coffee Sale & Bird Walks at Tremont Arts & Culture Festival 9/18 & 9/19/21. Volunteers needed. Purchase Tilth Soil for gardens at Store. Contact: KaoruTsubone@wcaudubon.org 

[00:26:01] Amanda Sebrosky, NEO Chimney Swift Conservation Society (NEOCSCS) reports towers Walker Road Park - City of Bay Village OH & City of Kent, OH led by Rhonda Boyd, P.E., P.S. City of Kent, Senior Engineer. Donate to NEOCSCS: https://bit.ly/3xlPyaD. Contact: AmandaSebrosky@wcaudubon.org 

[00:30:33] Drina Nemes, Book Club Leader, fall program proposal and survey. Contact: DrinaNemes@wcaudubon.org

[00:33:40​​] Betsey O'Hagan, Digital Strategist. Updates: Guardians of Nature, 'Christmas in July' preparations, Book Club proposal/survey, Board nomination process, July Photo contest, Bird Friendly Coffee Club orders in by July 10th. Contact: BetseyMerkel@wcaudubon.org

[00:39:55​​] June speaker announced. July speaker program, questions, and discussion. N Howell thanks speaker and participants for attending. ​

Western Cuyahoga Audubon is a chapter of the National Audubon Society based in Cuyahoga County in Northern Ohio, USA. WCAS connects and educates the public to conserve natural habitats for the sustainability of all bird species.

Photo: Protesters gather at memorial for George Floyd in Minneapolis, MN. Photo: John Minchillo AP

WCAS Member Mtg and Speaker Series July 2021

WCAS Virtual Field Trip to Cuyahoga Valley National Park June 2021

WCAS Virtual Field Trip Co-Coordinator Michelle Brosius leads a virtual field trip Wed July 14, 2021 to Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio.

"Cuyahoga Valley National Park lies along the Cuyahoga River between the Ohio cities of Cleveland and Akron. The Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail is a restored section of the canal's original towpath. In the park’s north, the Canal Exploration Center details the 19th-century waterway’s history. Towering Brandywine Falls is one of several waterfalls. The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad runs through the park." ― Google

Photo: This Red-winged Blackbird baby was alone and wondering where's mom ? - June 17, 2021 - Beaver Marsh, Cuyahoga Valley National Park by Tom Fishburn.

Western Cuyahoga Audubon is a chapter of the National Audubon Society based in Cuyahoga County in Northern Ohio, USA. WCAS seeks to connect and educate the public and conserve natural habitats for the sustainability of all bird species.

WCAS Virtual Field Trip to Cuyahoga Valley National Park June 2021

Western Cuyahoga Audubon Society Member Meeting and Speaker Series 2021

Program:  “Don’t Touch That Nest (or can you?)!”
Presenter: Dr. Jim Tomko, Audubon Society of Greater Cleveland
Recorded: Tuesday, August 3, 2021 at 7:30 PM 
Location: Cleveland, OH US Online/virtual

Description: Late summer into autumn is a time when some birds are finishing up nesting and many birds are molting. Did you know that you may be breaking a federal law by disturbing nesting birds or possessing a feather or egg collection? Dr. Jim Tomko shares his knowledge about the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1916, how it is intertwined with the beginning of the National Audubon Society, and how having feathers, nests or eggs may ... or may not ... be cause for concern. 

Western Cuyahoga Audubon is a chapter of the National Audubon Society based in Cuyahoga County in Northern Ohio, USA. WCAS seeks to connect and educate the public and conserve natural habitats for the sustainability of all bird species.

WCAS Member Meeting and Speaker Program August 2021

WCAS Virtual Field Trips 2021

Dates: July 1-31, 2021
Location: Kopf Family Reservation, Armour Rd Trail, Avon Lake, OH 44012 
Featured Bird Species: Red-headed Woodpecker and Eastern Wood-Pewee 

Notes: Kopf Family Reservation is open starting 8 a.m. to Sunset and has three miles of woodland trails.
Meet Up Recording: Wed August 11, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. ​at the WCAS Virtual Conference Center.

Bird Walk Leader: Michelle Brosius, Director-at-Large and Field Trip Co-Coordinator, WCAS, invites birders to bird at a monthly designated field trip location and share stories to a public digital scrapbook.

Announcement: https://www.wcaudubon.org/news-blog/virtual-field-trip-to-kopf-family-reservation-in-avon-lake-oh-july-1-31-2021

Photo: 2 American Crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos by Shaun Missig.

Western Cuyahoga Audubon is a chapter of the National Audubon Society based in Cuyahoga County in Northern Ohio, USA. WCAS seeks to connect and educate the public and conserve natural habitats for the sustainability of all bird species.

Virtual Field Trip Kopf Family Reservation July 2021

Western Cuyahoga Audubon Society Member Meeting and Speaker Series 2021
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Program: “Teaching the Scientific Process: Linking Hypotheses to Data Using Migratory Birds”
Presenter: Sarah Winnicki, PhD Candidate, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign @skwinnicki
Recorded: Tuesday, September 7, 2021. Member Meeting at 7:30 PM and Speaker at 8:00 PM EDT

Speaker Description:​ Dr. Alice Boyle and I developed an activity for participants to “get their science on”. In this interactive workshop, Sarah Winnicki encourages participants to hypothesize about the cause of avian migration from gathered data about bird bill morphology, diet, and migratory tendencies. Throughout the program, participants discuss and have questions answered about their data and revisit their hypotheses.

View: https://www.wcaudubon.org/news-blog/member-meeting-and-speaker-program-teaching-the-scientific-process-linking-hypotheses-to-data-using-migratory-birds-september-2021-recording

Western Cuyahoga Audubon is a chapter of the National Audubon Society based in Cuyahoga County in Northern Ohio, USA. WCAS seeks to connect and educate the public and conserve natural habitats for the sustainability of all bird species.

WCAS Member Meeting and Speaker Program September 2021

WCAS Virtual Field Trip to The Rookery August 2021 hosted by Field Trip Co-Coordinator Michelle Brosius on Wednesday, September 8, 2021.

Field Trip Details:
Dates: August 1-31, 2021
Location: The Rookery, 10110 Cedar Rd, Chesterland, OH 44026 https://goo.gl/maps/jqTg3jwRGVYvK7eN9
Featured Bird Species: Eastern Phoebe
Recorded: Wed Sept 8, 2021, 7:00 PM, The Western Cuyahoga Audubon Virtual Conference Center
Bird Walk Leader: Michelle Brosius, Board Member and Field Trip Co-Coordinator, WCAS, invites birders to bird at a monthly designated field trip location and share stories to a public digital scrapbook.

Notes: The Rookery has a really interesting history including an old Interurban Railroad Junction, as well as a Great Blue Heron rookery, but please don't go looking for the Great Blue Heron nesting area unless you are with a park-led program. Restrooms and handicap accessible trails are identified on The Rookery map https://geaugaparkdistrict-org.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/28131040/map-tr.pdf

Photo: The Rookery by Michelle Brosius.
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Western Cuyahoga Audubon is a chapter of the National Audubon Society based in Cuyahoga County in Northern Ohio, USA. WCAS seeks to connect and educate the public and conserve natural habitats for the sustainability of all bird species.

WCAS Virtual Field Trip to The Rookery August 2021 Recording

Western Cuyahoga Audubon Society Member Meeting and Speaker Series 2021
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Member Meeting and Speaker: “Trash to Treasure: Rust Belt Riders Composting Program”
Presenter: Daniel Brown, Co-Founder, Rust Belt Riders
Recorded: Tuesday, October 5, 2021. Member Meeting at 7:30 PM and Speaker at 8:00 PM (EST)
Location: Cleveland, OH USA

Description: What a story ... Rust Belt Riders creating wonderful soil products from composted waste from homes and businesses! This Cleveland-based company started as a humble project collecting compostable material via bicycle, but has since grown and produces tons of beautiful soil products. It is amazing how much food is thrown away or wasted in the U.S. and how food waste and potentially compostable items contribute to global climate change. Whether you compost at home or want to become part of this “trash to treasure” story, please join us for the story you will want to hear and a company you may want to support.

Daniel Brown is one of the founders of Rust Belt Riders, a Cleveland-based social enterprise that provides Northeast Ohio businesses, organizations, and individuals with an alternative to landfills for their food waste. Their mission is to feed people, not landfills. Prior to starting Rust Belt Riders in 2014, Daniel held roles in community and economic development. Daniel has served on the Cleveland-Cuyahoga Food Policy Coalition, Cuyahoga County's Next Generation Council and is a National Fellow for the Environmental Leadership Program and was most recently named a 2019 Echoing Green Climate Fellow.

Read, "Natural compost helps women farmers in Burkina Faso get better yields" at Birdlife International. "Natural compost is a reliable alternative to chemical fertilizers in improving agricultural yields for women farmers in Burkina Faso, while promoting conservation of micro-organisms and insects, ensuring the survival of migratory birds and optimal pollination of crops." 

Western Cuyahoga Audubon is a chapter of the National Audubon Society based in Cuyahoga County in Northern Ohio, USA. WCAS seeks to connect and educate the public and conserve natural habitats for the sustainability of all bird species.

WCAS Member Meeting and Speaker Series October 2021

WCAS Virtual Field Trip to Headlands Dunes State Nature Preserve September 2021 Meetup Recording

Virtual Field Trip September 2021
Dates: September 1-30, 2021
Location: Headlands Dunes State Nature Preserve, 9601 Headlands Rd, Mentor, OH 44060 
Featured Bird Species: Fall Warblers
Host: Michelle Brosius, Field Trip Coordinator
Virtual Meetup: Wednesday, October 13, 2021, 7:00 p.m., The Western Cuyahoga Audubon Virtual Conference Center

Notes: The Ohio Ornithological Society says, "This legendary site is one of the best-birded sites in Ohio and is famous for its rarities and big fallouts of migrants." So, we checked it out! The preserve features 1 mile of hiking trail, a portion of which is wheelchair accessible. There is a boardwalk and also rough trails through the shrubby areas. Restrooms are located at Headlands Beach State Park to the west of the preserve. Headlands Beach State Park also has a wheelchair accessible path. Participants birded both locations and submited bird lists, photos, journaling, etc.

Follow along with the Digital Scrapbook Online at: https://www.wcaudubon.org/news-blog/wcas-virtual-field-trip-to-headlands-dunes-state-nature-preserve-september-2021-meetup-recording

WCAS Virtual Field Trip to Headlands Dunes State Nature Preserve Sept 2021

WCAS Book Club October 2021 Recording hosted by Drina Nemes, Member and Chair, Book Club.

WCAS Book Club October 2021

WCAS Virtual Field Trip to Your Favorite Cemetery October 2021 Recording

Dates: October 1-31, 2021
Location: Your favorite cemetery! Suggested cemeteries:
- Lake View Cemetery: 12316 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44106
- West Park Cemetery: 3942 Ridge Rd, Cleveland, OH 44144
- Riverside Cemetery: 3607 Pearl Rd, Cleveland, OH 44109
- Erie Street Cemetery: 2254 E 9th St, Cleveland, OH 44115
- Highland Park Cemetery: 21400 Chagrin Blvd, Cleveland, OH 44122
Featured Bird Species: Sparrows

Notes: It is the month of Halloween so let’s explore the life that can be found in our cemeteries! Keep in mind that walking cemeteries can be tricky as some roads are in poor shape. Walking the grassy areas between headstones/monuments can be uneven (as is the case with Erie Street Cemetery, which is being undermined by woodchucks!). Lake View Cemetery is much better, but hilly in places.

Bird Walk Leader: Michelle Brosius, Director-at-Large and Field Trip Co-Coordinator, WCAS, invites birders to bird at a monthly designated field trip location and share stories to a public digital scrapbook. 

Announcement: https://www.wcaudubon.org/news-blog/virtual-field-trip-schedule-aug-sept-oct-2021-by-michelle-brosius-wcas-board-member-field-trip-co-coordinator

The Virtual Field Trip series is an option for engaging with nature and community while adhering to social distancing guidelines necessitated by COVID-19. Participants in the program independently visit a pre-selected location throughout a given month and then report back to Michelle Brosius with bird lists, journaling, and photographs regarding the visit. These items are then compiled into a scrapbook that is shared during a virtual meetup the second Wednesday following the field trip month.

Western Cuyahoga Audubon is a chapter of the National Audubon Society based in Cuyahoga County in Northern Ohio, USA. WCAS seeks to connect and educate the public and conserve natural habitats for the sustainability of all bird species.

Photo: "The natural colors of the Common Grackles were on display". Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula), Lakeview Cemetery, 12316 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44106, October 6, 2021 by Tom Fishburn.

WCAS Virtual Field Trip to Your Favorite Cemetery October 2021 Recording

Western Cuyahoga Audubon Society Member Meeting and Speaker Series 2020-2021

Program:  “Lichens: An Overlooked Organism”
Presenter: Tomas Curtis, undergraduate at Kent State University, studying Botany
Date & Time: Tuesday, December 1, 2020. 
Programs are free and open to the public. Donations are appreciated.

Description: What is a lichen? Is it a plant? A fungi? An algae? During this program we will find out and become lichenologists ourselves. Tomas Curtis, student at Kent State University, will discuss the history of studying lichens including the work and accomplishments happening in Northeast Ohio. In addition, we’ll discover why lichens are important to  ecosystems. Lastly, Tomas will cover information on some of the most significant finds of his current study.

Tomas Curtis is an undergraduate student at Kent State University majoring in Botany. Currently, he is working as a seasonal botanist for the Portage Park District (PPD) where he is preforming some of the first comprehensive surveys of vascular plants for PPD properties. As an amateur, has worked throughout his high school and college years conducting extensive surveys of lichenized, lichenicolous, and allied fungi, as well as vascular plants, throughout the northeastern United States with an emphasis on Ohio. His surveys have yielded nearly 6,000 herbarium specimens, numerous of which represent new and exciting finds including several species new to science. His studies are ongoing and currently focused in the Northeastern portion of the state.

Details and to Register: https://www.wcaudubon.org/news-blog/member-meeting-and-lichens-an-overlooked-organism-speaker-series-tue-dec-1-2020

Talking About Lichens With Tomas Curtis, Student, Kent State University

Western Cuyahoga Audubon is a chapter of the National Audubon Society based in Cuyahoga County in Northern Ohio, USA. WCAudubon connects and educates the public about birds, birding and environmental conservation.

Talking About Lichens With Tomas Curtis, Student, Kent State University

WCAudubon

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