Hello All,
I have been asked to post this letter from ABA President Jeff Gordon here.
Mike H.
Baltimore City
Dear Delaware Birders,
The weekend of September 22 - 23 is going to be a very special one for birders in the mid-Atlantic, especially Delaware. Not only are we now in the midst of arguably the most exciting birding of the year, the American Birding Association is holding events in the First State both Saturday and Sunday that weekend. Moreover, we're explicitly trying to invite birders from all around the region to attend. This is a great chance for us to show off what a warm, friendly, and committed bunch we all are.
Saturday, the ABA is having the first-ever Mid-Atlantic Young Birder Conference, which will bring together over 120 young birders and their mentors from 8 different states for a day of birding, learning, and fun. You've probably already caught wind of this event from Bill Stewart, but if not, go tohttp://www.aba.org/events/MAYBC12/ for more information.
I'd also like to extend a special invitation to all of you to join us for events on Sunday, the 23rd, which you may not yet have heard about.
We'll be having our annual membership meeting beginning at 3:00 PM Sunday at Wilmington's DuPont Environmental Education Center. The program will feature a brief business meeting, plus presentation of the Robert Ridgway Award to Richard Crossley, who will give us an update on Pledge to Fledge and some of the other irons he's always got in the fire.
We'll also hear from Collin O'Mara, Delaware's Secretary of Environment and Energy, who will update us on the Delaware Bayshore Initiative, both how birders stand to benefit from it and how they can help it succeed. The Bayshore Initiative promises to be one of the most positive and significant changes to the local birding landscape in years. If you don't know about it yet, you should!
We'll also have time for a more informal town hall discussion, before adjourning for an informal cocktail and h'ors d'oeuvre reception. We expect the party to wrap up no later than 6 PM.
There is no fee to attend and you need not be an ABA member, though we certainly hope you will consider joining. We do ask that you fill out this RSVP form by next Monday, September 17.
http://www.aba.org/proxy12/
Of course, no ABA event would be complete without some birding, and we'll have a field trip on Sunday morning to the Delaware Bayshore, where we'll visit some of the areas and facilities that will be opened to birders and/or have improved access and amenities.
More details on that trip can be found here:
http://bit.ly/PgoFdE
Again, we ask that you fill out the RSVP form and tell us if you're joining the group at 8 AM in Wilmington or 9 AM at Bombay Hook.
I'm looking forward to seeing many friends, old and new, over the weekend of the 22nd and 23rd. Please do join us where you're able. This is a real chance for us to shine.
Good birding,
Jeff
Jeffrey A. Gordon
President
American Birding Association
Colorado Springs, CO
<jgordon...>
www.aba.org
719-884-8226 direct line @ office
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