Yesterday, I was hosted to a birding and historical tour of Meigs and Rhea
Counties by the venerable Ken Dubke. Although the Sandhill Cranes are
beginning to move north again, we had good looks at the Hiwassee Refuge and
other locations.
In my humble opinion, Ken has been a visionary for bird conservation for
over 60 years. He has been at the forefront of many conservation projects
and activities including:
-1957 joins Knoxville TOS
-1959 compiled reports on the Sandhill Crane, usually reporting 2 or 3
cranes
-1962 discovered Tennessee's only breeding record of Bobolink nest in Shady
Valley
-1961-1963 waded the bogs and walked the high mountain ridges to revive
Shady Valley Forays
-1964 established the TOS fall symposium and paper session at Watts Bar
resort
-1974 established public hawk watches at the National Park Service's Signal
Point
-1974 organized Symposium on Amnicola Marsh leading to saving it from
development in 1986
-1977 to 1979 President of TOS
-1978 came up with the idea of Wildlife Observations Areas later called
Wildlife Viewing Areas in Tennessee
-1979 had in his back yard on Chickamauga Reservoir one of the first two
Osprey hack sites in the state. Tennessee now has one of the largest inland
populations of Osprey in the country
1979 promoted the idea of Bald Eagle hacking to Bob Hatcher which led to
the first Bald Eagle hack site in Tennessee in 1980
1983 to 1992 co-organized nine Backyard and Wildlife Rallies
1993 co-organized the first Cherokee Indian Heritage and Sandill Crane
Viewing Days now called the Tennessee Sandhill Crane Festival
You might wonder if 88 year old Ken Dubke has any steam left in him. I am
happy to report that from where I was sitting yesterday, he does.
Attached is a photo of Ken taken yesterday from Signal Point where he
hosted his hawk watches.
--
Danny Shelton
Meigs, Rhea, Hamilton counties
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