The Bird Coalition of Rochester
Following in Audubon’s Footsteps
by Maureen Cronin
Birds are among the most beautiful and remarkable wildlife in our world.
These harbingers of spring and songsters of the woods are an important economic resource controlling insect pests and generating billions in recreational dollars. Unfortunately, many migratory bird species are in decline, facing a growing number of threats on their migration routes and in both their summer and winter habitats. Programs actively working to reverse these population declines are urgently needed.
The Bird Coalition of Rochester is dedicated to environmental education, service learning and migratory bird conservation in the Greater Rochester, New York area and is a nonprofit program of the Genesee Valley Audubon Society. BirdCOR reaches schools and the general public through general educational and informational activities. BirdCOR leads programs such as Flying Wild, where instructors train and certify educators in the use of nationally produced cross-curricular materials. A network of instructors and leaders share resources and lessons learned.
One of the yearly events sponsored by BirdCOR is the International Migratory Bird Day at Braddock Bay. The event will be held May 8th thru May 10th, 2009. This years theme is “Celebrating Birds in Culture” and will feature exhibitors such as the Birds of Prey live presentation. There will be many exhibits, children games and crafts, bird and wildlife art, a nature walk and Native American Storytelling. At the annual International Migratory Bird Day events, as many as 300,000 people learn about environmental conservation, habitats and the connection of people to nature through birds.
John James Audubon would have been thrilled to know that the work he started has continued well past his death. Audubon was a French-American ornithologist, naturalist, hunter and painter born April 26th, 1785. He painted, catalogued and described the birds of North America in a form far superior to what had gone before. From a young age he had an affinity for birds and felt an intimacy with them. His father encouraged his interest in nature. Audubon set out to study American birds with the goal of illustrating his findings in a more realistic manner than most artists did at the time. He conducted the first known bird-banding on the continent. He tied yarn to the legs of Eastern Phoebes and determined that they returned to the same nesting spots year after year. He also began recording their behavior. Eventually, Audubon made a personal commitment to find and paint all the birds of North America. He called his future work Birds of America. He attempted to paint one page each day. This monumental work contains just over 700 North American bird species. It took more that 14 years of field observations and drawing, plus his single-handed management and promotion of the project to make it a success. One critic called it “a real and palpable vision of the New World”. Audubon’s influence on ornithology and natural history was far reaching. Nearly all later ornithological works were inspired by his artistry and high standards. In 1905 the National Audubon Society was incorporated and named in his honor. Its mission “is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth’s biological diversity”.
In his journals, Audubon prophetically warned of dangers that threatened the enormous flocks of his time, including over-hunting and loss of habitat. Several species which he recorded have become extinct, including the Carolina Parakeet, the Passenger Pigeon and the Labrador Duck.
BirdCOR has many participating organizations including the Braddock Bay Bird Observatory, Braddock Bay Raptor Research, Genesee Valley Nature Center, Wild Wings, Seneca Park Zoo and the Rochester Birding Association. Participating organizations are expected to have active programs that contribute to conservation or education about migratory birds or habitat. By focusing attention on birds and the habitats on which they depend, BirdCor can use education activities to make a positive contribution to overall conservation needs in the United States.
For more information on bird watching and bird conservation in the Rochester, NY area please try these links:
Braddock Bay Bird Observatory
www.bbbo.org
Wild Wings Inc
www.wildwingsinc.org
Rochester Birding Association
www.rochesterbirding.com
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