VOLUME 34, NUMBER 2 OCTOBER 2002

HOSPITALITY: Bonnie Kruck will provide post-program refreshments.

BOARD MEETING: In the Sundquist Building biology conference room, D126 at 7:00 p.m.

FIELD TRIP: Fall colors at Pennyrile State Park, afternoon of October 27, meet in APSU McCord lot at 12:30 p.m..

Our October program will cover the flight and plight of the whooping crane, the most endangered crane species in the world. We hear and read the words "endangered" and "extinct" so often that they lose their punch. My first deep understanding of extinction was when I flipped through a book of John James Audubon's paintings. It actually brought tears to my eyes as I came across the beautiful prints of the passenger pigeon, the ivory-billed woodpecker, and the Carolina parakeet. To think that my children and I will never have the opportunity to see and hear these marvelous creatures both saddens and motivates me. It makes me determined that we must do all we can to protect the endangered and threatened species and the habitats they call home. (TWRA lists 4 endangered birds - Bachman's sparrow, peregrine falcon, least tern, and Bewick's wren. TWRA also lists 4 threatened birds - saw-whet owl, golden eagle, lark sparrow, and northern raven.)

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Jan Shaw presented wonderful slides and video of her trip to Panama at our September 5^th program meeting. Jan, who is current president of the Nashville TOS, spent a week in March 2002 at the Canopy Tower, which is a former radar installation converted to a marvelous birding facility. The tower provided great looks at many tropical birds (toucans, cotingas, hummingbirds) and other wildlife (sloths, monkeys). We also learned of a Gecko, which dropped in for Jan’s dinner party! Technical difficulties prevented the audience from hearing some of the more interesting bird calls on Jan’s video, however that did not dampen the quality of the show.

With less than 400 Whooping Cranes remaining between survival and EXTINCTION, volunteers in Tennessee are planning a walk-a-thon to raise awareness about this majestic bird. Standing more than five feet tall with a seven-foot wingspan, this white bird is sometimes called the "poster child" of endangered species.

The Whooping Crane is the tallest bird in North American, but is also the most endangered crane in the world!!! The Whooping Crane once inhabited much of North America, including Tennessee, but was nearly wiped out due to human development which brought on the loss of wetlands, disturbances of nesting habitats as well as unregulated hunting.

Jerry and Sandy Ulrikson will join us at 7:30 p.m. at the Sundquist Science Building, Room E-106 and share information about the upcoming ultra light aircraft led southerly migration of as many as seventeen Whooping Cranes. The Whooping Cranes learn their migration route from their parents. In this way, a route established a thousand years ago is passed from one generation to the next. If the birds are eradicated from an area, the route is lost forever.

The cranes, schedule permitting, will be crossing Tennessee in early November flying from their training grounds in central Wisconsin to their wintering grounds at the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge in Florida.

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I had tentatively planned to do fall foliage at Pennyrile State Park, northwest of Hopkinsville on Sunday afternoon, October 27 and anyone wanting to could stay over for dinner at the lodge. However, I will gladly defer to the Whooping Cranes (see the information on the "Whooping Crane Walk-A-Thon" below), but I will be in Colorado on Oct. 18 so cannot participate myself.[Editors note: After discussions with Randy Ellis, we decide to proceed with an Audubon field trip to Pennyrile State Park on Sunday afternoon, Oct. 27. Since Barbara is out of town, you may contact me and let me know that you are interested in going. I will coordinate with Barbara upon her return. You are still encouraged to participate in the Whooping Cane Walk-A-Thon. In formation on registration is found below.]

The November field trip is tentatively scheduled for the evening of Monday, November 18. We will journey out into the darkness to observe the Leonid meteor shower. Last year's shower was absolutely spectacular!!! We counted more than 1,000, then quit counting and just laid back in total awe. This year's shower is expected to be much better than last year's. And, to quote a 20-year-old astronomy friend of mine, "This year's shower is supposed to be one of the best meteor showers in our lifetime."

MARK YOUR CALENDARS: One of Warioto's BIG field trips for the year will be February 1, 2003 to Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, Decatur, AL. (approximately a three-hour trip). Please mark your calendars now to be sure and participate in this opportunity to see - and hear - thousands and thousands of wintering waterfowl. In addition, the visitor center there is outstanding so for those of you who do not care to brave the February weather out-of-doors you can experience a real treat in the luxury of the center.

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I was reading the editorials in the Leaf Chronicle last week and came across one that I just could not let pass without comment. It is one of those articles that demonstrate much of what is wrong with journalism. The article was titled "Cooling it on Kyoto accords," by Jay Ambrose. The reason I say this article demonstrates much of what is wrong with journalism is that it was so one-sided. In addition, it violates all of the principles itself was condemning. Let me explain. The gist of the article is that global warming is not real and there is no scientific evidence to support it. To support this position Ambrose marches out three "eminent" scientists who hold views contrary to the generally accepted view of atmospheric and climate scientists that global warming is real and is caused by human activity.

There is no question that the three individuals cited by Ambrose are legitimate scientists, but one must remember that scientists are human too (try to convince my students of that). We are all products of our culture and subject to influence by our circumstances. Upon closer inspection it appears that Dr. Sallie Baliunas is the only expert cited by Ambrose who does not have close financial ties to conservative think tanks or the fossil fuel industry. Dr. Baliunas is a professor of astronomy at Harvard who has done excellent research on fluctuation in solar output and other topics. Dr. Baliunas contends that most, perhaps all, of the global temperature increase observed to date can be explained by fluctuations in energy output of the sun. Her work appears in peer reviewed scientific journals and is relevant to the climate change debate. However, her work, though providing an important counterpoint to other scientific evidence for global climate change, does not in and of itself refute the great weight of evidence for global climate change.

One of the other scientists quoted by Ambrose is Patrick Michaels a professor of Environmental Science at the university of Virginia, and a senior fellow at the CATO Institute, a nonprofit think tank that promotes a libertarian perspective advocating free market capitalism and limited government. There is nothing wrong with holding such views, but it must be pointed out that most of the opposition to the US participation in the Kyoto Protocol on global warming stems from the business sector which provides the CATO institute with most of its financial support. The third scientist cited by Ambrose is Myron Ebell. Director of global-warming policy at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. Mr. Ebell has a graduate degree in economics, but not in any of the sciences, further, most of his professional career has been spent with far right public-policy advocacy groups including the Frontiers of Freedom and the American Land Rights Association, both groups with long-standing opposition to the endangered species act in particular and most environmental conservation policies in general.

The body of evidence supporting global climate change comes from many independent lines of scientific observation that when taken together has led to a general consensus among most of the worlds scientists. This consensus is reflected in the formal positions stated by US and international scientific organizations. According to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences: "Based on assumptions that emissions of greenhouse gases will accelerate and conservative assumptions about how the climate will react to that, computer models suggest that average global surface temperatures will rise between 2.5 and 10.4 degrees Fahrenheit (1.4 and 5.8 degrees Celsius) by the end of this century.

With regard to the basic question of whether climate change is occurring, the report notes that measurements show that temperatures at the Earth's surface rose by about 1 degree Fahrenheit (about .6 degrees Celsius) during the 20th century. This warming process has intensified in the past 20 years, accompanied by retreating glaciers, thinning arctic ice, rising sea levels, lengthening of the growing season in many areas, and earlier arrival of migratory birds."

Some other effects that can be predicted are increased evaporation which will increase average global precipitation. However, because of the warmer temperatures, soil moisture is likely to decline in many regions, and intense rainstorms are likely to become more frequent. Sea level is likely to rise two feet along most of the U.S. coast.

The problem with the Ambrose editorial is he either intentionally failed to provide the reader with the evidence contradicting the views he put forward, or he was unaware of them. Ambrose is a bright fellow and it is unlikely that he is unaware of the arguments against his opinions. Since this was an editorial and not a report, Ambrose has every right to slant the story towards his position. However, he is trying to convey an appearance of journalistic impartiality to increase the legitimacy of his position. This strategy of argument by omission and obfuscation is not new. It is a tried and true strategy of right leaning opponents of environmental policy in this country. The approach was pioneered by the cigarette industry, and we all know what civic minded honest people they are. The approach goes like this. Fund a private, nonpartisan, nonprofit institute; populate it with otherwise respected scientists that either happen to hold views friendly to your industry or are willing to acquire them; and disseminate their "scientific" findings to the public, press, and government policy makers.

In researching this and other issues on the internet I have been very impressed with the number of such industry funded organizations out there. One such institute I ran into during my research for this article was the Center for Carbon Dioxide and Global Change. The title sounds innocent enough, perhaps even an environmental advocacy group. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact the entire Institute directorship is comprised of members of the Idso family. Although they all hold degrees in various areas of science and have respectable scientific credentials, it is likely that their incomes from the Institute far exceed those from their academic appointments. This institute is almost certainly supported mostly, if not entirely, from corporate grants. Craig Idso the current chairman, a geographer and agronomist, just happened to work for the Peabody Energy Company for a year.

The worst part of Ambrose’s editorial was the hypocrisy. Whereas two of the experts he cited have significant financial ties to organizations supported by business interests with long records of public opposition to government regulation of carbon dioxide emissions, Ambrose insinuates that "many U.S. scientists are receiving large grants from the federal government for their work on global warming; they don’t want to shout truths that might cause those grants to be snatched away." The problem with this reasoning is that the government would like nothing more than for these scientists to find no evidence for global warming. In fact, most of these scientists work for agencies whose directors were appointed by the Bush administration and selected in part for their demonstrated animosity throughout their careers towards environmental regulation in general and the Kyoto protocol on carbon dioxide emissions in particular. The fact is, it is much more lucrative to hold a contrarian point of view and rake in all the largesse private foundations funded by large corporations can provide.

One final note. Jay Ambrose is the director of editorial policy for the Scripps Howard Newspapers. Scripps owns 22 newspapers across the country including the Memphis Commercial Appeal and the Knoxville News Sentinel. This fact, coupled with the sources Ambrose cited in the above article, should help to dispel the myth of the "liberal bias" of the news media.

A reminder, October is Solar Energy Month, and the National Tour of Solar Homes is Saturday Oct 5, 2002. There are tours planned in the Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis/Jackson, Summertown, and Nashville areas of the state. Contact me at schillerjoseph.@ netscape.net or Sam DeLay at sjdelay@cs.com for more info.

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TAKE PART IN THE WHOOPING CRANE WALK-A-THON OCTOBER 10-19, 2002

(from the Chattanooga TOS newsletter)

Whooping Cranes Over Tennessee (WCOT) is a non-profit organization of volunteers whose goal is to make Tennesseans aware of the Whooping Crane reintroduction program by familiarizing the general public with the needs and opportunities of helping to save this species from extinction. Because the Whooping Cranes will migrate through this state it is vital to inform people across the state of their endangered status. One objective of WCOT is to reach out to schools, civic organizations, and clubs in an effort to share the reintroduction program with people in all walks of life. A second part of the WCOT project is a walk-a-thon that will cross Tennessee beginning in Pickett County on Oct. 10, 2002 and will end in Hamilton County on Oct. 19. The walk will roughly follow the route the Whooping Cranes fly in their ultra-lighted southern migration in fall and on the return unassisted springtime flight north. To focus attention on their route and the means by which the flight is accomplished.

WCOT is working with the Whooping Crane eastern partnership (WCEP), Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, and other volunteers including the Tennessee Ornithological Society to raise much-needed funds for this year’s flight. WCEP is an organization of both government agencies and non-profit organizations who together have worked to produce a viable migrant flock of endangered Whooping Cranes which will follow a route being chosen for them, and taught them by the partnership. This accomplishes two things: It lessens the danger that will Whooping Cranes in the wild flocks would be wiped out in one disaster. Secondly, it provides for diversity in the gene pool to strengthen the flock. The stability of this flock will depend on teaching the migratory route to as many birds in the early stages of the program as possible. The monetary needs of the program have increased proportionately as the number of birds that migrate increase and the loss of Federal matching funds since September 11, 2001. There is a great need for more manpower and new equipment. This project is planned to extend for at least 10 years to reintroduce the Whoopers into the flock, but the ultra-lighted element is planned for only 4 more years. That puts the bulk of the budget up front. The partners must accomplish a great deal in a short period of time.

You may remember that one of their veteran pilots, Deke Clark, had a stroke last year and will not be able to fly. Deke was an irreplaceable asset, yet there must be an experienced pilot in his place and they need a backup pilot as well.

Here is where YOU can help Whooping Cranes Over Tennessee. We need walkers for the Walk-A-Thon! To walk in the event you may register at their website at www.whoopingcranesovertn.org, or you may write for a brochure and registration form at Whooping Cranes Over Tennessee, P.O. Box 78, Kingston, TN 37763. All checks for donations and registration fees payable should be made out to Tennessee Wildlife Resources Foundation/Whoopers. Persons living in or near Dayton south to Chattanooga can e-mail craneinfo@ cs.com for information about the route and choose the place along the route they wish to walk.

Cynthia Wilkerson is in charge of the South Walk which will begin at Evensville, TN near Rhea Co. High School, and proceed south to Dayton, where it will cross through Birchwood on Hwy. 60E. It will then turn south along Hwy. 58 all the way to Murray Hills Drive near Hwy. 153. It will wind through Murray Hills to Amnicola Hwy. and across Hwy. 153 just before Chichamauga Dam. It will then proceed down Amnicola to the Riverfront Park just past Olan Mills. The South Walk is divided into 7 legs of varying distances. Anyone wishing to walk may walk as little of as much as they wish. This portion of the walk will begin in Evensville on Wednesday, Oct. 16 and finish on Saturday afternoon, Oct. 19. Persons north of the Evansville area may contact Sandy and Jerry Ulrikson at whoopingcranesovertn@earthlink.net.

Cynthia needs person who will be walk supervisors. These are walkers who will also ask at least two others to walk with tem. Please request information on being a walk supervisor.

There is also a program where you can be an absentee walker. You may organize a walk in our neighborhood or within your club, school, or organization and collect pledges for the walk. You would then send your donations to represent you on a mile of the walk. Ask for information on how you can be an absentee donor.

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Polly Rooker, Regional No-game Biologist for TWRA, sent me the following report last month the day that the September newsletter was mailed. I thought you would be interested in learning of the success of Bald Eagle re-establishment in Tennessee.

The eagle survey data have been compiled for the 2002 nesting season. Thanks to everyone who helped with data collection this year.

1. Tennessee had a record year in 2002.

2. 51 active eagle territories were reported in 2002.

3. 15 new nests were reported in Tennessee in 2002.

4. 44 eagle nests were reported with young in the nest.

5. 77 eaglets were counted in Tennessee nests in 2002.

The previous high for successful nests in Tennessee was 36 in 2000. The previous high for occupied territories was 44 in 1999. The previous high for fledged young was 60 in 2000.

We are fast approaching the bald eagle nesting goal as established in the TWRA 2000-2006 strategic plan. This plan calls for increasing bald eagle nesting to 45 successful nests by 2006.

Thanks again for all of your past and present efforts in surveying nesting bald eagles in Tennessee.

Troy Ettel

State Ornithologist, TWRA

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Polly Rooker has sent to me a flier announcing the Tennessee Bluebird Conference sponsored by TN Bluebird Trails. The conference will be held at the November 8-10 at the Ellington Agriculture Center in Nashville. The conference cost is $15.00 for TNBT members and $18.00 for non-members.

In addition to seminars on various aspects of bluebirds, there will be presentations on Tree Swallows and Carolina Chickadees. There will be field trips, silent auctions, display booths and door prizes.

To receive more information about the conference e-mail: tnbluebirdtrail@msn.com or call 1-800-500-8439 or 1-888-754-9613 (in Nashville area call 615-754-BIRD (2473). Ask for Steve or Regina. You can also get registration information at the following website: www.garrsrentandfeed.com. The program and registration form are copied below.

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