Dear Michigan Audubon members and community,

In this issue of the Jack Pine Warbler, we share with you some hard-earned good news for birds at the federal level with the protection of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, a bedrock environmental law that has been weakened and threatened in terms of its efficacy and integrity.

For our third feature article on wind energy development in Michigan this year, volunteer Jared Hocking interviewed Joe Kaplan, a wildlife biologist and volunteer for Michigan Audubon and Whitefish Point Bird Observatory. Joe’s perspective is based on knowledge as an involved and concerned resident of the Upper Peninsula during every phase of the Garden Wind Farm project. The final piece on wind energy perspectives in Michigan will be published in the fall issue of the JPW, wherein we’ll share with our members our understanding of how the wind energy industry may be changing in Michigan and beyond and what implications there are for birds.

In other updates from the organization, we held our Birdathon fundraiser this May, an annual historical event to help fund the Whitefish Point Bird Observatory program site. On May 30, our field staff counters at WPBO observed 152 species and raised $3,448.59 from donors like you, which directly funds WPBO. While this year wasn’t as successful in fundraising as it has been in the past, we’d like to share that the Birdathon donation window remains open through the end of 2021 if you would like to give to Michigan Audubon in support of Whitefish Point Bird Observatory. You can donate online at michiganaudubon.org/donate or reach out to us via email at [email protected] or phone at (517) 580-7364. Thank you to everyone who donated in support of not only the Birdathon event and our skilled volunteer counters, but ultimately, to Whitefish Point Bird Observatory. We appreciate your generosity!

Earlier this year, we promoted Black Birders Week, a weeklong series of online events and content to help highlight and create more of a space and a voice for Black nature enthusiasts. Black Birders Week is about increasing the visibility of Black birders, an exercise in empathy and ethics for each of us. People of color face unique challenges and dangers when engaging in outdoor activities, including in birding spheres, and visibility is about so much more than safety. Visibility is also about being seen and celebrated and included in our spheres, in the field, and in the research and work on a broader scale that translates to bird protection and enjoyment for everybody.

If you are interested in learning more or becoming involved in our growing diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts on the statewide level, in support of our chapter network throughout the state, please email [email protected]. We are currently forming an ad hoc council to help support and advise our chapters on how to be a safe, inclusive place for members, field trip guests, and neighbors of all kinds.

Shining in our community spotlight this issue is Mike Bishop, a longtime board member of Michigan Audubon, an experienced and enthusiastic bird bander, and a leader of Michigan Audubon’s Michigan Young Birders Camp. Mike’s dedication to being a voice and a supporter for Whitefish Point, in particular, is one way he shines as a member of our community. Karinne Tennenbaum, a “young birder” herself, authors the spotlight piece on Mike Bishop. Karinne has incredible energy and an engaging curiosity for birds; she’s been greatly involved in the Michigan Young Birders Network and her local community and school.

Speaking of our young birders, we generated enough interest and support to hold another virtual Michigan Young Birders Camp in 2021. We’re eager to adapt content for adolescents who want to engage more with birds or simply make a connection to the world of birds and birding with their peers.

As our programs, projects, and plans continue to take shape for the year ahead, we invite you to stay connected to us and to birds in ways that reconnect you with what watching birds means to and for you. If you haven’t already, we invite you to join our electronic mailing list — which you can do at michiganaudubon.org — as a lot of great content is shared each month. We will continue to keep you dialed in to the news of birds as it relates to our state and our mission to connect birds and people for the benefit of both.

Thank you for your ongoing support and for giving back to birds when and how you can.

With gratitude,

Heather Good
Executive Director

This article appeared in the 2021 Summer Jack Pine Warbler.

Featured photo: A Black-capped Chickadee rests on the waterbird counter’s scope at Whitefish Point Bird Observatory. Photo by Matthew Winkler