I forgot to add the link to the Nature Conservancy video.

http://www.jamestaylor.com/newsletters/

The video is in the center of the page.

Best,

Dan Haas

On Fri, Aug 29, 2008 at 8:04 PM, Dan haas <> wrote:
> My friend in South Carolina is on James Taylor's email list.  I knew I
> enjoyed JT's music for a reason...  his conservation efforts.  Here is
> a portion of the email.
>
> --------------------------------
>
> This month James would like to share information with you about a
> cause that is important to him and his family--the preservation of the
> migratory songbirds' habitat on the Southern Tip of Virginia's Eastern
> Shore.
>
> For almost 20 years, the Southern Tip Partnership** has been working
> to acquire and protect land on the Eastern Shore in an attempt to save
> the neotropical migratory songbird. In an effort to protect this
> crucial habitat, James and Kim, have donated funds for the acquisition
> and protection of 285 acres of land containing 71 acres of wetlands,
> 82 acres of forest and 143 acres of crop land on the Eastern Shore.
> The recent "Band of Legends" tour began with a benefit concert in
> Virginia Beach which raised another $200,000 toward the Partnership's
> continued efforts.
>
> QUESTION: Tell us a little about the Southern Tip of Virginia's lower
> Eastern Shore and why it is important to the songbirds.
>
> JT: Basically, the eastern shore of New Jersey gives way into Delaware
> which in turn gives way into Maryland, for a second, and then it
> passes into Virginia into this peninsula that happens to be on the
> eastern coast of a sort of barrier island that separates the
> Chesapeake Bay from the Atlantic Ocean.
>
> It's known worldwide as a habitat of crucial importance.
> Ornithologists – academics, professionals and amateurs–are focused on
> this as a crucial habitat and a "stopover" for the songbirds' and
> other species in their fall migration from Canada to the tropical rain
> forests of Central and South America. Many are traveling all the way
> from Quebec to South America and they get funneled down, because of
> the topography of their route, to this spot seeking refuge, rest and
> food. A rise in housing development and pollution along this area have
> decreased the availability of resources needed for them to survive
> their seasonal journey.
>
> QUESTION: Tell us about these special birds.
>
> JT: A lot of these species, particularly the songbirds, are very much
> at risk because they have to make an 18 mile flight across the mouth
> of the Chesapeake Bay. The songbirds are especially in danger because
> they are preyed upon by certain predatory birds and therefore need
> shelter and protection for the trees and the plants they can eat. Most
> of these birds are seed and berry eaters and they won't be able to
> survive their journey if their food source is polluted. It's
> absolutely essential that this eastern shore be protected for the
> birds.
>
> (PHOTO) James & family toured Virginia National Wildlife Refuge
>
> QUESTION: What is being done to protect the land? What part have you
> played in this effort?
>
> JT: This land on the Southern Tip of Virginia's Eastern Shore has
> traditionally been rural and farmlands and a lot of woodlots. Over the
> years, the Southern Tip Partnership has been able to protect more and
> more of this by raising funds to buy the land that the birds need.
> Most of the land is bought with federal funds but groups like the
> Nature Conservancy will step in and buy a piece of the property--but
> only if they're guaranteed that they will get their funding back from
> the state. In some cases, the state in turn buys the property from the
> Conservancy so that the organization may use funds to protect
> additional habitat. The value of the property can change due to
> various restrictions resulting in a difference in what the Nature
> Conservancy paid and what they're getting back.
>
> The first show on our summer tour this year was in Virginia Beach and
> we made it a benefit concert for the Southern Tip Partnership, raising
> $200,000. The benefit was to make up for the difference in the cost
> that the state agreed to pay back. We've secured the sale and
> perpetual protection of a large tract of farmland, and we are
> continuing to support the efforts to get more and more of this
> farmland protected. It's only a matter of time before other people buy
> up this farmland and woodlots and develop it. Our hope is that we have
> been able to raise funds and increase public awareness. Public support
> for federal grant funds is extremely important to ensure the
> protection of migratory bird habitats. People need to know that they
> can make a difference by telling their Congressmen that more funding
> from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and
> the US Fish and Wildlife Service is needed.
>
> **The Southern Tip Partnership is comprised of the Virginia Coastal
> Zone Management Program (CZM), the Virginia Department of Conservation
> & Recreation (DCR), the Virginia Eastern Shore Land Trust, the
> Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries (DGIF), theUS Fish and
> Wildlife Service, and The Nature Conservancy.
>
> --------------------------------------
>
> I decided to do my part.  Currently, I have four original CD's of my
> music available for sale online (places like CDBaby.com and iTunes).
> For the remainder of 2008, I will donate 100% of my sales to American
> Bird Conservancy.
>
> Good Birding,
>
> Dan Haas
> West Annapolis, MD
> 
> www.danhaas.com
>
> (At tonight's gig, I'll cover a few JT tunes as a tip of the old hat
> to his conservation efforts.)
>