Georgia Museum of Natural History to host Oconee Rivers Audubon Society

Submitted by avsterl on Wed, 10/19/2016 - 3:06pm

 

Join us on Thursday, October 26 - 6:00-8:00pm

ATHENS- Tucked away on the back side of the Statistics building at the University of Georgia is the Georgia Museum of Natural History. Inside, a small display room invites guests to see mounted specimens of the Carolina parakeet and the Ivory-billed woodpecker. Spread across the room are mammalian skeletons and hundreds of irridescent butterflies lined up in cases. Whichever exhibit is on display, the room brings us to a different place and a different time.

This room, however, is a drop in the bucket. The Georgia Museum of Natural History posesses huge collections of insects, birds, fish, and marine life. The only problem is that the collection is usually off-limits. Stored in an Atlanta Highway warehouse, the annex as they call it, contains thousands of specimens that the public can rarely see.

The O'Grady Bird Habitat Restoration Project: Restoring wildlife-friendly plantings to the State Botanical Garden of Georgia

Located on the banks the Middle Oconee River, an important migratory corridor for many of eastern North America's imperiled songbirds, the State Botanical Garden of Georgia (SBG) is Athens' premier birding spot. Recognizing its value as habitat for breeding, overwintering, and migratory birds, Bill and Karla O'Grady spearheaded efforts to document bird sightings at the SBG starting in 2004.   They recorded their sightings on eBird, the largest online repository of citizen science bird data. To date, 180 bird species have been recorded in the SBG, and the O'Grady's efforts resulted in the State Botanical Garden being declared a Georgia State Important Bird Area.

To honor their contributions, and the memory of Karla's late husband Bill, Oconee Rivers Audubon Society (ORAS) is partnering with the State Botanical Garden of Georgia in its ongoing efforts to remove invasive plants and restore native, wildlife-friendly plants. Restoration of native plants will provide food, shelter and nesting sites for birds and other wildlife.

To do this, we have established a dedicated fund to which ORAS members, friends of the O'Grady's, and the general public can directly contribute to habitat restoration and maintenance. Additionally, ORAS has pledged to continue monitoring how birds respond to these habitat improvements by completing regular bird surveys in the floodplain. ORAS will also offer volunteer hours to assist with plantings and invasive species removal. More details on how to volunteer will be outlined in future ORAS monthly speaker meetings, our email listserv and newsletter.

L-R: Bill and Karla O'Grady at the State Botanical Garden; Swainson's Warbler; Creole Pearly-eye; Thomas Peters and a healthy canebrake

O’Grady Habitat restoration project update and workday, Dec 10th

Submitted by richardhall on Sun, 12/04/2016 - 1:03pm

Thanks to your generous donations, so far we have raised an impressive $6,600 towards our habitat restoration project at the State Botanical Garden - THANK YOU! This will ensure that we can plant new, and replenish existing, stands of native rivercane in the floodplain of the botanical garden over the course of this winter.

Audubon to host presentation on Swallow-tailed Kite Conservation

Submitted by avsterl on Fri, 08/26/2016 - 10:43am

ATHENS – The Oconee Rivers Audubon Society will launch its 2016-17 season with a silent auction, reception, and a special presentation titled “A Safe Place to Land: Conservation of the Swallow-tailed Kite” by research scientist Dr. Maria Whitehead on Thursday, September 1, at UGA’s Odum School of Ecology.

Dr. Maria Whitehead, Project Director for The Nature Conservancy, will build off of a recent article that was published in The Nature Conservancy magazine that focuses on her work with Swallow-tailed Kites. Whitehead will discuss Kite conservation challenges such as climate change induced habitat degradation and discuss how the life history of this species makes it particularly vulnerable to habitat alteration and loss. Whitehead will also discuss current and future strategies The Nature Conservancy and other organizations are implementing to better monitor and manage this species in the face of climate change and other pressing threats.

Annual Potluck Picnic in Memorial Park

Submitted by jamesneves on Fri, 05/20/2016 - 1:43pm

The Oconee Rivers Audubon Society will cap its 2015-16 season with a potluck picnic dinner at a special time and place – 6 p.m. June 2 in Memorial Park, at Picnic Shelter No. 1.

Bring a covered-dish item to share and enjoy an evening of socializing in the outdoors. Dessert will be provided. The gathering will include a short business meeting to elect officers for the upcoming year. The nominees are Brian Cooke, president; Katy Manley, vice president; Mary Case, secretary; and Alison Huff, treasurer.

Update on Managed Forests Project and Prescribed Burn Results - April Monthly Meeting & Program

Submitted by jamesneves on Mon, 03/21/2016 - 11:16am

A long-time Athens-Clarke County parks and recreation professional will describe the initial results of a prescribed burn as part of the Managed Forest Project at Sandy Creek Nature Center during the Oconee Rivers Audubon Society’s next monthly meeting. 

Changes to the 2016 Spring bird walk schedule

Submitted by edm on Wed, 03/09/2016 - 9:42am

Due to the closure of the boardwalk on Cook's Trail we need to alter our usual Spring bird walk schedule.  Our April 2nd walk at Sandy Creek Park usually involved scoping the lake from the dam and the birding the north end of Cook's Trail.  Instead we will meet at the parking lot on the right just inside the gate.  From there we will scope the lake for water fowl from various places, explore a bit of the Lakeside Trail, and then enjoy some of the open field birding that the park has to offer.

Our April 30th Cook's Trail walk and cleanup usually began at the Sandy Creek Nature Center's Allen House and we would bird the south end of Cook's Trail.  Instead we will meet at Sandy Creek Park in the parking lot at the end of Campsite Drive.  This will allow us to bird (and cleanup) more of Cook's Trail.

If there are questions please contact Ed Maioriello, fieldtrip@oconeeriversaudubon.org.

 

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