Hi Folks,
Coming back after a great weekend at the VSO annual meeting in Richmond,
hosted by the Richmond Audubon Society. The RAS folks did a fantastic job
organizing the meeting and helped make the VABBA2 project a key topic
throughout the weekend. We really appreciate this and all the breeding
data that was generated in the Richmond area this weekend!
A couple quick Atlas project updates...
First, the Mount Rogers Spring Naturalist Rally is this weekend in
Konnarock, VA. If you've never been, then you should definitely consider
attending at least one day. The weekend is filled with workshops focused
on better understanding the ecology of VA's Appalachian mountains. Last
year, I personally did the salamander workshop and found 9 species on one
small patch of mountainside! The biodiversity of everything in these
mountains is incredible and the rally provides great opportunities for
learning about it. I'll be running *3 workshops (ack!) on Saturday with
our region 7 coordinator, Steven Hopp. These include Beginning Birding,
Field Skills for Atlasing, and Owls of the Appalachians.* Blue Ridge
Discovery Center does a fabulous job of running this event, so consider
joining us from May 12-14!
http://blueridgediscoverycenter.org/mrnr/
Lastly, check out the latest Atlas eBird article! We're starting up our
Volunteer Story series again for the second season. Thought we'd start off
with a bang and feature Dan Bieker, an Atlas volunteer in Albemarle county
who has been incorporating the VABBA2 into his Field Ornithology and
Appalachian Ecology classes at Piedmont VA Community College. Additionally,
Dan has been instrumental in starting and running the VSO's Kestrel Nest
Box program. Give it a read and thanks for all your own efforts for the
VABBA2 as we head in to the heart of the 2nd season!
http://ebird.org/content/atlasva/news/bringing-vabba2-into-the-outdoor-classroom/
Thanks for everything you do, folks! 9,000 new eBird checklists to the
Atlas database for 2017. This is an incredible start to our second season,
when we're not even at the peak of breeding activity yet! Keep up the
awesome work and thank you again for contributing to the VABBA2.
All the best,
Ashley Peele, PhD
Virginia Breeding Bird Atlas Coordinator
Conservation Management Institute - Virginia Tech
Office: 540-231-9182
Fax: 540-231-7019
