Randall Davey Audubon Center Newsletter   Spring 2007

LANNAN FOUNDATION SPONSORS TERRY TEMPEST WILLIAMS
A PILE OF DIRT ACROSS THE STREET
WILL PLUNKETT EXHIBITS HIS PHOTOGRAPHY
FROM THE MANAGER'S ROOST
WELCOME SPRING INTERNS
SITE PLANNING AT THE CENTER
SPECIAL THANKS
AUDUBON TO OFFER NO-WASTE CAMP
ONGOING AT RDAC
CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS
 

LANNAN FOUNDATION SPONSORS TERRY TEMPEST WILLIAMS VISIT
To Santa Fe As A Benefit for Audubon New Mexico by Betsy Daub, Director of Bird Conservation and Public Policy
Event will be the first Randall Davey Roundtable presentation.

The Lannan Foundation, based in Santa Fe, is generously underwriting the visit of author, naturalist, and environmental activist Terry Tempest Williams to Santa Fe as part of their Readings and Conversations series as a benefit for Audubon New Mexico. On Wednesday, May 30th, Terry will read from her work at the Lensic Performing Arts Center, followed by a conversation with author and poet Christopher Merrill. Tickets for Terry’s reading will go on sale Wednesday, April 4th and will likely sell Out immediately.

Terry’s visit also will be the first presentation of the 2007 Randall Davey Roundtable, a gathering of Audubon New Mexico’s strongest supporters and donors. Members of the Randall Davey Roundtable will receive reserved tickets and seats at the Lensic along with a copy of Terry’s recent book. Following the Reading, members will be treated to a wonderful dinner at Lannan’s beautiful Meetinghouse on Read Street. Annual membership in the Roundtable is limited to 30 people and costs $650 per person ($450 tax-deductible) or $1,250 for two people ($850 tax-deductible). The other presenters this year include Stan Senner, Executive Director of Audubon Alaska; Malkolm Boothroyd, a 15 year-old birder counting as many North American species as possible in one year using no fossil fuels; and Brooke Williams, Executive Director of The Murie Center in Moose Wyoming. For more information on the Roundtable, please call Kim Straus, Director of Development, at 983-4609, Ext. 29.

We are most grateful to Lannan for this extraordinary opportunity For more information on the Lannan Readings and Conversations series and other work of the Foundation, please visit www.lannan.org.

A PILE OF DIRT ACROSS THE STREET by Eileen Everett, Education Manager
When I first moved into my house, I admired this mound of dirt leftover from the construction of houses on the street over ten years ago. I remember the look on my mother’s face as she peered through the living room window and proclaimed that I had a view of dirt. I responded by saying it was better to have a pile of dirt to stare at than a building.

Over time, I have observed this form of dirt morph and change through the seasons. In the spring, the dirt turns to mud and during the summer, there are spots of green reaching through the cracks. One can see hints of yellow flowers in the fall and this winter, there was a huge mound of white! Lately, I’ve been thinking that if I were a child, then I would probably been drawn to this pile of dirt.

Imagine for a second how a child, overflowing with innocence and curiosity, would view this long forgotten piece of leftover construction materials. With a little imagination, a pile of dirt could easily transform into Atalaya Mountain or even the Himalayas. This pile could become a cave, as large as Lechuguilla in Carlsbad Caverns. Throw in a little more thought and this conglomeration of sand, silt, and clay, could be a castle or even a spaceship that could transport you all of the way to the moon.

I have often wondered why I have never seen a child exploring this dirt. There are many children that live around my neighborhood, but not once have I seen kids playing outside. As time flies by and we cross that line into adulthood, most of us lose this ability to see something as mundane as dirt transform into something greater. However, kids possess the kind of creativity to connect with nature and see something deeper than what most adults can.

I hope for the day when I can look out of my living room window and see children playing outside. Perhaps there is still some possibility that the pile of dirt can change into something magical for some of the neighborhood kids.

I am going to stop spending time on the computer writing this and get outside. I hope to see you all out there, too!

For more information on getting involved in No Child Left Inside: New Mexico’s Outdoor Education Initiative, please visit outdoor.riversource.org.

WILLIAM PLUNKETT EXHIBITS HIS PHOTOGRAPHY AT THE DAVEY CENTER IN APRIL
The Randall Davey Audubon Center is pleased to host the stunning photographic work of William Plunkett during the month of April in the Center’s Administration Building. The exhibit opens on Monday, April 2, with an opening reception on Friday, April 6 from 4:00 to 6:00 PM.

William (Bill) Plunkett was born and raised in northeast Texas and spent over 30 years as a software developer and consultant; he now spends his time photographing landscapes and animals from around the world. He has combined making photographs of places he loves with a sense of responsibillty towards the planet in a desire to conserve the earth’s natural areas and animals.

Bill is a founder and charter member of the North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA), an organization to advance awareness of and appreciation for nature through photography. He has also worked on the photography contests for the Texas Valley Land Fund, an organization dedicated to preserve, enhance and expand the wildlife habitat of the Rio Grande Valley.

Bill is Director of Digital Photography for the New Mexico Photography Field School in Santa Fe, New Mexico and is involved with instructing and planning both field and laboratory workshops. Upcoming trips include mainland China and a return to the Southern Ocean and Antarctica.

FROM THE MANAGER’S ROOST: by Eva Rambo, Center Manager
For you long-time and dedicated readers of the Randall Davey Audubon Center newsletter, you will no doubt notice that the regular feature “From the Director’s Nest”, long penned by our retired Executive Director, David Henderson, has evolved into “From the Manager’s Roost”. Gulp! What a tough act to follow.

When presented with the challenge and honor of taking on the position of Center Manager, I had no idea what shoes I would have to fill. J’m honored and privileged to continue David’s good work at the Center, and to help create the highest quality programming and visitor experience that we can offer. As we continue through our master site planning process, I am excited by all the possibilities that we collectively envision for our Center. I would like to thank the dedicated committee members who have volunteered so much of their time and resources to this process, and many thanks to the countless stakeholders from around our community who have participated in discussions about the future vision of the Randall Davey Audubon Center.

We are now nearing the end of the development phase of a master site plan for our Center and hope to soon be presented with a draft, from which our Board of Directors must still create and approve a phased implementation plan. Of course, the actual implementation will be a long-term project that will span the course of years. The whole thing seems rather daunting, really, but it’s comforting to know that we’ve put so much effort into creating a road map that will guide future planning for the Randall Davey Audubon Center.

David developed a vision for this Center throughout the course of his tenure, and I’m sure that his vision evolved over the years. However, I know that David’s commitment to the conservation of this special place as a nature sanctuary, historic site, and education center, and to maintaining all the things that make this Center so unique, is a spirit that he instilled in all of us over the years. I heard it time and again in our site plan committee meetings; this Center is a unique meld of policy, advocacy, and conservation work led by our State office, and education and outreach led by our Center and the fabulous satellite work of our education staff. Our committee has worked hard to create a site plan that maintains the integrity of David’s vision, and upholds our commitment to get and keep people outdoors. I am thrilled that David was able to participate in the process before his retirement, and I am honored to embark with our stakeholders on the long journey of making our collective vision a reality

Thank you from all of us, David, for your years of hard work and commitment, and for passing the torch. We promise to keep it not only lit, but blazing!

WELCOME SPRING INTERNS
Carrie Wheelock comes to us from Vermont where she worked with children in a local library and taught environmental adventures at a local school. Carrie also worked at the Birds of Vermont Museum where she learned the inner workings of a small non profit, educated visitors about local birds, and designed interpretive signs and exhibits. She recently completed her Masters Degree i in Environmental Studies at Antioch New England Graduate School. She received her B.S. in Wildlife Conservation from Unity College in Maine and attended the School for International Training, studying the natural and cultural ecology of Australia’s tropics. Carrie’s interests include poetry, painting, gardening, knitting, Zen meditation, and being outdoors.

Morgan Lange joins us from Portland, Oregon, where she has been working in the nonprofit sector for the past three years. She received her B.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology with a minor in Spanish from the University of Arizona. Morgan recently returned from Mexico where she worked as a sea turtle conservationist, taught local ecology, and mentored youth groups about eco-tourism research in the Yucatan Peninsula. She is excited about being back in the southwest and using her Spanish and Ecology skills to reach underserved youth in New Mexico.

SITE PLANNING AT THE CENTER by Kim Straus, Director of Development
We are nearing the delivery of the Master Site Plan for the Randall Davey Audubon Center and in many ways it has seemed like nine months of gestation. The site planning task force and the Audubon staff have been working closely with the folks from The Big Muddy Workshop of Omaha to create a plan that enhances all we do at this nature sanctuary, education center and historic site.

The process has included, and will continue to include, meetings with various stakeholders — Canyon Road neighbors, schoolteachers, parents, visitors, Santa Fe City and County officials, local businesses, and many others. We’ve all learned lots!

The Audubon New Mexico Board of Directors will review the final Master Site Plan and the recommendations from the task force on priorities and opportunities. We will have the drawings and Big Muddy recommendations at the Center for our friends to see, too, so please feel welcome to visit and take a look..

We are most grateful to the members of the task force: Susan McGreevy, Nan Schwanfelder, Janie Bingham, Tom Jervis, Kathy Chase, and Brian Drypolcher.

SPECIAL THANKS!
We are very grateful to The New Mexican Fund at the Santa Fe Community Foundation and The Santa Fe New Mexican for a generous in-kind advertising grant. The grant will be used primarily to announce special education outreach opportunities in the Santa Fe area.

AUDUBON TO OFFER NO-WASTE CAMP
During the week of July 9th, the popular Randall Davey Audubon Center Summer Camp will offer a No- Waste Camp, perhaps the first such camp in the country. Campers and parents will be challenged to reduce and eliminate waste by emphasizing resource conservation, recycling, and composting. Each day the campers, ages 7 to 9, will learn about innovative sustainable living through activities that include using natural dyes to create a nature bandana and participating in a recycle relay race. Campers will track their water use at home and at the Audubon Center. Parents will be asked to pack a lunch using re-useable containers. Schoolchildren’s lunches generate an average of 6 ounce of waste per day which translates into 22,000,000 pounds of trash from New Mexico schools annually.

The entire staff of Audubon New Mexico and the Center will share in this no-waste effort. We’re gearing up in our offices to lower electricity use, reduce paper usage, and save gas by riding bicycles to work. The campers can’t have all the fun!

In our Fall 2007 newsletter, we plan to report on our results.

ONGOING AT RDAC
NATURE TRAILS
Trails accessible daily from 8 AM to Dusk (barring any closures during fire season)
Trail Admission: $2 adults, $1 children 12 & under. Members free.

HISTORIC HOME TOURS
Time: Mondays at 2 PM (Meet in Visitor Center) Fee: $5 per person. No reservations required.
Step back in time as you stroll through the old Santa Fe style home (originally a lumber mill built in 1847 by the U.S. Army), of the artist Randall Davey (1887-1964). This docent led tour will give you an opportunity to view some of Davey’s most spectacular works of art, as well as a beautiful collection of Spanish Colonial, American and European antiques.

GUIDED BIRDING WALKS
Time: 8:30 AM (Walks are between 1-2 hours) Saturdays, year-round FREE - No reservations required, meet in the parking lot.
An experienced birder will lead an easy walk on the grounds of the 133 acre wildlife sanctuary that is the Randall Dave) Audubon Center. Bring your binoculars or borrow ours. All skill levels welcome.

PRIVATE BIRDING WALKS
Fee: $20 per person (10% discount for Audubon members)
To schedule your walk, or for questions, call RDAC at 505-983-4609. Long-time bird watcher and volunteer Walt Teilmann leads birding walks at RDAC for those who want a private, one-on-one experience. Walks are geared toward novice and intermediate birders, and groups are kept small, up to two adults. Preferred time is Friday mornings, but other arrangements can be made at the discretion of the leader.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
We have wonderfully dedicated volunteers here at the Randall Davey Audubon Center, and we’re looking for more just like them! We currently need volunteers in the following areas:
Nature Store/Visitor’s Center
Grounds & maintenance
Special Events Committee
Docent for the Historic Randall Davey Home & Studio
Docents to lead nature walks
Education with school age children, bilingual a plus

For more information, or to receive a volunteer application, please call Eva Rambo at 983-4609, or email erambo@audubon.org.

4/08/07