VOLUME 33, NUMBER 1 SEPTEMBER 2001

WARIOTO AT A GLANCE
REGULAR MEETING: Thursday, September 6, 7:30 p.m., Sundguist Science Complex, room E106A, APSU
PROGRAM: "Historical Birds and Habitats of Tennessee" presented by Troy Ettel, State Ornithologist with TWRA.

HOSPITALITY: Suva Bastin will provide refreshments following Troy’s presentation.
BOARD MEETING: In the Sundquist Building biology conference room, D126 at 7:00 p.m..
FIELD TRIP: "Sense the Night" with night hike at Dunbar Cave. Meet at 7:30 in the park’s Visitors Center. No flashlights.

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE by Sally Schiller

The Important Bird Area (IBA) Program is a global effort to identify sites that provide essential habitat to one or more species of birds. The program had its beginnings in Europe in the 1980s by BirdLife International in recognition of the fact that habitat loss is one of the most important factors negatively effecting bird populations. Since that time the program has grown to include 51 European countries, as well as areas in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and North America. Efforts to identify IBAs in the United States since 1995 have been spear headed by The National Audubon Society. Currently there are 33 states in the U.S. that have identified IBAs representing more than 500 sites. The goal of the National Audubon Society is to have an IBA program in all 50 states by 2003. Tennessee’s IBA program began in the late 1990s. The Tennessee IBA program never fully developed due to a lack of a designated coordinator for the program. Unlike many other states, Tennessee doesn’t have a state Audubon office which would be the natural point of coordination. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) has stepped up to provide the central point of coordination that the program needs. TWRA working closely with National Audubon representatives, Local Audubon Chapters (namely ours and Harpeth-Cumberland Chapter in Nashville), Tennessee Ornithological Society, other state agencies, and The Nature Conservancy will work to identify IBAs in Tennessee and promote conservation and monitoring in these areas. Troy Ettel at TWRA will be the coordinator for the IBA program in Tennessee.

IBA identification occurs at the grass roots level. Individuals or groups can nominate sites by filling out a simple form that can be forwarded to Troy Ettel at TWRA. So, you should start thinking of locations in our area that should be nominated. I have some nominations forms and they are also available from the TWRA. Once the forms are received each nomination will be evaluated by an Experts Committee, a group of individuals that have expertise in ornithology and wildlife management. Nominated sites can be public or private lands of any acreage. The sites will qualify as an IBA if they satisfy any one of the following criteria: 1) Sites for rare, threatened, and endangered species or those deemed "in need of special management" by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. 2) Sites for species of national, regional, or local concern with distinct populations in Tennessee. 3) Sites for species associated with important natural community types. 4) Sites where birds concentrate in significant numbers when breeding, in winter, or during migration. 5) Sites where long-term avian research or monitoring projects are based.

The IBA program is meant to work in concert with other programs such as Partners in Flight, North American Waterbird Management Plan, U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan and North American Waterfowl Management Plan to conserve bird populations. Once an IBA is identified then that area can be targeted by groups such as ours for increased monitoring and for conservation. Troy Ettel will be our guest speaker in September (see information below). I am sure he will be happy to provide you with any further information about the IBA program at that time.

PROGRAM REPORT, Steve Hamilton

In mid-August Sally Schiller attended a TWRA-sponsored meeting on Important Birding Areas (see President’s Message). There she meant Troy Ettel, Tennessee’s State Ornithologist. She invited him to be the first speaker of the 2001-02 Warioto year and he graciously accepted.

Troy participated in forest bird research in the Hoosier National Forest while working on his bachelor’s degree at the University of Indiana. While earning a graduate degree at the University of Tennessee, his research focused on grassland/shrubland birds in West Tennessee. From 1998 to December 2000 he worked as State Zoologist for the Texas Natural Heritage Program, which is run by The Nature Conservancy. In December 2000, Troy returned to Tennessee to assume his position as State Ornithologist with TWRA.

Troy’s presentation, "Historical Birds and Habitats of Tennessee" will focus on extirpated species and habitats. This promises to be a great program to inaugurate our introduction to APSU’s new science building. I am looking forward to both. For information on the location, please read on.

After what I assume has been 30+ years of meetings in the McCord Building, we along with most of APSU’s science programs move to the new "state-of-the-art" Sundquist Science Complex (SSC). It is easy to find (and hard to miss). It is the BIG building on the corner of College and Eighth streets. Parking is found behind the Trahern (art) Building. You can get to this lot from Eighth Street via Jackson Alley (between Trahern and Music/Mass Communication) or from Marion Street via Henry Street. There is a small fountain near the southeast corner of the lot. Follow the granite-paved path to the main doors (the side toward Trahern).

Through the doors you will enter the large Tommy Head Atrium. The atrium, also paved with granite, is open up to the glass roof more than three stores above. We will meet in E106A, a large lecture hall on the ground floor accessed from the atrium. I hope we will have signs posted and a few helpful guides in the parking area and near the entrance to direct you. While you may hold fond memories of meeting in McCord, I think you will enjoy the experience of the new meeting room.

To board members: We will meet in the Biology Conference Room, D126. The D-wing is closest to the corner of 8^th and College (the SE corner). Again, we will have folks to help you in finding the room.

SEPTEMBER FIELD TRIP

The September field trip is a "Sense the Night" evening hike with Bob Brinkman at Dunbar Cave State Park. Bob is a park naturalist at Dunbar Cave and a biology graduate student at APSU. We will be looking through the eyes of nocturnal animals, at NIGHT. This hike is appropriate for anyone over 5 years of age, so bring your kids. The hike is a mild one that will move at a slow pace. No flashlights will be permitted. We will be walking with natural light only. Bob will be waiting for all hikers who dare to brave the darkness on Friday, September 14 at 7:30 p.m. at the Visitor Center at Dunbar Cave. Hope to see you there… Booo!

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David Sibley author of Birds of North American will be at Davis-Kidd Nashville on Monday, October 22nd at 6:30 p.m.

CELEBRATION PLANNED TO BENEFIT WHOOPING CRANES

The Chattanooga Chapter of the Tennessee Ornithological Society will host a "Whooping Crane Celebration" on Friday, October 26, 2001 at 6:00 p.m. at the Chattanooga Choo Choo’s Imperial Ballroom. The TOS event is in partnership with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency to benefit the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Foundation. Funds will go to expand educational outreach and to enhance habitat for the cranes that pass through Tennessee. The evening will feature hors d’oeuvres, silent auction, Operation Migration video, and special guest speaker, John Christian, Project Leader, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Admission or a donation is $10.00 and is available by sending a SASE to Bonnie Johnson, Rt. 1 Box 487 B, Dunlap, TN 37327. For more information contact craneinfo@cs.com.

DON’T BUY THAT BIRD SEED . . . YET!

Jim Pugh of the In and Out Wild Bird and Garden Shop will help us sponsor our bird seed sale again this year. The prices will be listed in the October newsletter. This was a good fund raiser for Warioto Audubon last year, but I know we were too late for many of you. So hold off on those seed purchases until October and let Warioto take care of all your seed needs.

DR. BREWER PASSES AWAY OVER THE SUMMER

Over the summer, Dr. Carlos Brewer passed away. Dr. Brewer was a well respected and well loved physician in the Clarksville community. While not recently involved in Warioto Chapter activities, he was a longtime member of our chapter and has served a various times as an officer in our group. He will be missed by the entire community.