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Audubon Action Alert!
Oppose Efforts to Undermine the Endangered Species Act
You can make a difference
The Endangered Species Act (ESA) protects the habitat of threatened and endangered species, but a proposal is pending that would weaken the law.
The proposed rule to remove the definition of “harm” under Endangered Species Act regulations could be devastating to a vast number of birds and other wildlife by weakening protections for habitat. Bird populations are in decline, with a loss of 3 billion birds in North America since 1970, and numerous species of birds are now protected under the ESA, primarily due to habitat loss. This proposed rule could open the door to habitat loss for some of our most vulnerable species and discourage proactive measures, making it harder for species to recover.What YOU can do to help
Follow the link below to the Audubon Action Center to…General Meeting – Online Presentation – Tiffany Kersten
Friday, June 20, 2025 – 7:00 PM
Via Zoom
“Healing Through Birding”
presented by Tiffany Kersten
Tiffany Kersten did not set out to do a Big Year, but after a series of unanticipated and serendipitous events, she found herself amidst one. As a sexual assault survivor, she spent 2021 traveling to all corners of the Lower 48 States, tallying birds and gifting personal safety alarms to women she met along the way. Her goal was to see 700 species and to raise awareness of women’s safety in the outdoors. She ultimately surpassed her goal and set a record of 726 species. In her presentation, Tiffany will lead us through the fear, empowerment, and struggles that all play vital roles in her personal growth, which she experienced on this wild adventure.
Tiffany Kersten is a Wisconsin native. She holds a B.S. in Wildlife Ecology from Northland College. She has spent over a decade as an environmental educator, teaching about bird migration with the Cape May Bird Observatory, monitoring shorebirds on Cape Cod, banding Honeycreepers in Hawaii, and finally landing in South Texas, where she worked for the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge and then managed the McAllen Nature Center. After completing her Lower 48 States Big Year in 2021, she founded her own company, Nature Ninja Birding Tours. She guides primarily in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas and offers international tours as well.
The meeting room opens at 6:30 p.m.
The General Meeting starts at 7:00 p.m.
Join us at 6:45 p.m. for a Sea and Sage project highlight.
(If this link isn’t working for you, try Meeting ID: 841 9842 3399)
Need help? Email Melissa Rapp at reedjandm@cox.net
Melissa & Catherine, Program Co-Chairs
Summer BBQ 2025
at the San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary
Sat., July 26th – 4:30 to 8:00 p.m.
Bring the family and friends and join us for this special occasion: dining in the meadow, listening to the birds and watching them fly overhead, used book sale, live music, evening walks around the marsh, a brief program and door prizes.
Our menu will include baked chicken, freshly grilled hamburgers, hot dogs, vegetarian burgers, gluten free buns for those who request them, Caesar salad, chips, watermelon, cake, lemonade, iced tea, soft drinks, and coffee.
If you need a reserved parking space due to mobility problems, contact Nancy Kenyon at nancykenyon@cox.net
We are determined to be more environmentally friendly by reducing the paper and organic waste, trash, and single-use items going to the landfill. Reusable place settings will be available. If you would like to bring your own, we welcome you to do that. We thank you for your support. A scrape/rinse station will be available, and we happily accept volunteers to help us with this activity.
Advanced reservations for the Summer BBQ are essential so we can know how much food to buy. To register and pay for your tickets, go to the Eventbrite registration link. Tickets for the barbecue and program are $25.00, children under 5 are free; tickets for the BBQ volunteers are $20.00. Everyone will need to pick up their meal ticket at the Welcome Table when they arrive. You will be served according to what is on your ticket.
Activities begin at 4:30 pm when the Used Books Sale opens. Dinner will be served from 5:00 to 6:30 pm. A guided marsh walk begins at 6:00pm that will take in the sights and sounds of evening marsh life. At 7:00 pm, the program will start with a drawing for the door prizes. Then we will introduce our 2025 Bloom-Hays Award recipients, followed by door prizes at 7:30 pm. We will not be hosting a speaker this year, to avoid the mosquitoes that arrive at dusk. The evening will conclude after door-prizes.
This event is staffed entirely by chapter volunteers! If you can help us out in any capacity, we would really appreciate it and you will save $5 on your barbecue ticket! Gail Richards will be contacting everyone who volunteered last year. Be ready to give her a big “yes”! For information on volunteering, contact Gail Richards at agrich@me.com