The Virginia Society of Ornithology's Board of Directors met last Saturday,
March 26 at the Central Branch Jefferson-Madison Regional Library in
Charlottesville.
First, the Annual Meeting in Harrisonburg is on track for May 13-15. Please
visit the VSO's web site for further information and registration instructions:
http://www.virginiabirds.net/ You will find a link to the meeting's page at
the top of the home page.
The Kiptopeke banding station, founded by the VSO, but now operated by the
Coastal Virginia Wildlife Observatory (CVWO), will soon be celebrating its 50th
anniversary. The CVWO will need financial support to maintain this
historically as well as scientifically significant banding station into the
next half century. Given that the Kiptopeke banding station has VSO roots, the
board began discussion about how the VSO might play a role in financially
sustaining it.
We are now distributing the new VSO membership brochures around the state in
locations such as state park visitors' centers, tourist information centers,
and bird feeding supply stores. Please contact me at
adolby@xxxxxxx<mailto:adolby@xxxxxxx> if you identify an appropriate place
where some brochures should be stocked. In addition to these brochures, we are
also revamping the VSO's display boards. New versions of the boards will be on
display during the Annual Meeting.
An ad hoc committee was established to review and recommend changes to the
VSO's by-laws. The committee will work over the next year to complete its task
and will then submit a set of proposed revisions to the general membership for
approval. The by-laws have not been revised for several years, and portions of
it need to be either substantially changed or eliminated. New sections may also
be added.
In other committee news, the conservation and education committees have both
been active since the last meeting, and the education committee is in the
process of re-evaluating its role. We look forward to reviewing an amended set
of education committee duties soon. For information about upcoming field
trips, and the Annual Foray to be held in Alleghany County in June, please
visit the VSO's web site. Again, you will see links to both on the home page.
The board also established a new award to recognize outstanding scientific
achievement in the area of ornithology. This new award and its first recipient
will be unveiled during the Annual Meeting in Harrisonburg.
Finally, the Board acknowledged the exceptional contributions of its three
outgoing members whose terms ends in May: Wendy Ealding, Paul Nasca, and Patti
Reum. All three deserve the VSO's gratitude for their hard work and innovative
ideas.
Please contact me if you have any questions about this report or would like to
contact a board or committee member individually about a specific item of
business.
See you in Harrisonburg!
Andrew Dolby, VSO VP
Department of Biological Sciences
University of Mary Washington
1301 College Avenue
Fredericksburg, VA 22401
Phone: 540-654-1420
