Al Haury brought this to my attention--thanks Al!


Ellicott City, Maryland 
January 29, 2005 

Dear Naturalist Friends: 
David Allen Sibley is coming to town! I have made arrangements for
the 
popular artist/author of the newest and most powerful series of
birding 
field guides to be Featured Artist/Author at the upcoming 16th
Annual 
Patuxent Wildlife Art Show and Sale, April 1-3, 2005, at the
National 
Wildlife Visitor Center, Patuxent Research Refuge, 10901 Scarlet
Tanager 
Loop, Laurel, Maryland. 

Sibley will do a book signing on Friday, April 1, 2005, at the
Artists 
Reception (tickets for this evening reception are $30.00 per person)
and 
the next day, the first day of the public show, Saturday, April 2,
2005, 
from 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM. (Admission to the art show is free.) He
will 
possibly be involved in other activities of the art show on Saturday

including judging the Maryland Duck Stamp Competition and giving a 
lecture in the state-of-the-art auditorium of the National Wildlife
Visitor 
Center. 

As chairperson of this major fundraising event that supports
wildlife 
research activities at the Refuge and as a naturalist myself, I want
to 
give the local birding and naturalist community an advance notice. 
The main publicity campaign for this event will not begin for
another few 
weeks. Mark your calendar now and plan to come to the Patuxent 
Research Refuge while David Allen Sibley is in town, chat with him
and have 
your field guides signed. Patuxent's 12,750 acres between Baltimore
and 
Washington are very special in the National Wildlife Refuge System.
It 
was here that much of Rachel Carson's research was done leading to
the 
publication of "Silent Spring" in 1962. It is here that researchers 
manage the captive breeding colony of the endangered whooping cranes
(Grus 
americana). Here is where research is ongoing for migratory
waterfowl 
populations as well as environmental toxicity studies. Here is where

Chan Robbins works. 

Sibley's field guides have set new standards; they are widely used
by 
novice and advanced birders nationwide. Patuxent is where you can 
meet David Allen Sibley the first weekend in April. I cordially
invite 
you. 

Jerry Persall, Chairperson 
Patuxent Wildlife Art Show and Sale 




================================
Norm Saunders
Colesville & West Ocean City, MD