Dear Friends,
As we close out our 30th year of working for the birds, I can’t help thinking about how our success begins with people. The path to bird conservation is lined with people who love birds. While the BSBO team is great at many things, helping people fall in love with birds and welcoming them into our community is what we do best. We do that by sharing scientific facts in a compelling way.
Every year, millions upon millions of migratory songbirds utilize the critical stopover habitat of the Lake Erie Marsh Region on the way to their southern wintering grounds. The BSBO research team, assisted by an amazing team of volunteers, has banded more than 600,000 birds in its history. This speaks not only to the dedication of our team, but to the critical importance of the habitat for migratory birds.
As we close out our 30th year of working for the birds, I can’t help thinking about how our success begins with people. The path to bird conservation is lined with people who love birds. While the BSBO team is great at many things, helping people fall in love with birds and welcoming them into our community is what we do best. We do that by sharing scientific facts in a compelling way.
Every year, millions upon millions of migratory songbirds utilize the critical stopover habitat of the Lake Erie Marsh Region on the way to their southern wintering grounds. The BSBO research team, assisted by an amazing team of volunteers, has banded more than 600,000 birds in its history. This speaks not only to the dedication of our team, but to the critical importance of the habitat for migratory birds.
It’s hard to pick the most significant encounter among hundreds of thousands of birds over 30 years of research. But this is certainly among the most memorable. This tiny bird is a Blackpoll Warbler. First captured and banded by BSBO on September 13, 2006, and aged as an adult male, it was given band #2400-42807. On September 13, 2011, five years to the day of that first encounter, this bird returned to nearly the exact spot where we captured it all those years ago, teaching us all about the extraordinary feats even the smallest birds can accomplish, and to prove to us that miracles can--and do--happen.
Blackpoll Warblers spend the summer breeding season in Canada and Alaska. During fall migration, a huge portion of the population pass through the habitat in NW Ohio during fall migration before taking off on an epic
journey that’s difficult to fathom. Their fall migration takes them out over the open ocean on an 80-hour nonstop flight – all the way to Brazil. We estimate that this tiny bird, weighing less than an ounce, traveled approximately 50,000 miles – on its own wing power.
Blackpoll Warblers spend the summer breeding season in Canada and Alaska. During fall migration, a huge portion of the population pass through the habitat in NW Ohio during fall migration before taking off on an epic
journey that’s difficult to fathom. Their fall migration takes them out over the open ocean on an 80-hour nonstop flight – all the way to Brazil. We estimate that this tiny bird, weighing less than an ounce, traveled approximately 50,000 miles – on its own wing power.
Educating, Encouraging, and Empowering our Youth Conservation Leaders
Through BSBO's education programs, we share the stories of these amazing feats of migration with thousands of local school children and the public. Through these experiences, we inspire strong support for conserving this critical habitat.
“When I grow up I want to help save the marshes and the birds.”
~Quote from a second grader after one of our programs
“I never knew how cool birds could be!”
~Quote from a fourth grader after seeing a warbler up close
Our efforts to empower youth through education have led us to some groundbreaking ideas. This year, after a three-year hiatus, we brought back the Observatory's Ohio Young Birders Conference, an annual event where all of the presentations are given by young birders. As the students gave their outstanding presentations, I turned to watch the faces of their parents. The look of pride and joy on their faces is something I will always treasure.
The students’ ability to connect with the audience helps drive home the overwhelming importance of protecting the stopover habitat that is critical to birds during migration.
"Learning about the amazing things these tiny birds accomplish during migration was one thing. Learning it from a 14-year-old was totally over the top. You people do amazing work. Truly among the most inspiring events of our lives!"
~Quote from an adult participant
Through BSBO's education programs, we share the stories of these amazing feats of migration with thousands of local school children and the public. Through these experiences, we inspire strong support for conserving this critical habitat.
“When I grow up I want to help save the marshes and the birds.”
~Quote from a second grader after one of our programs
“I never knew how cool birds could be!”
~Quote from a fourth grader after seeing a warbler up close
Our efforts to empower youth through education have led us to some groundbreaking ideas. This year, after a three-year hiatus, we brought back the Observatory's Ohio Young Birders Conference, an annual event where all of the presentations are given by young birders. As the students gave their outstanding presentations, I turned to watch the faces of their parents. The look of pride and joy on their faces is something I will always treasure.
The students’ ability to connect with the audience helps drive home the overwhelming importance of protecting the stopover habitat that is critical to birds during migration.
"Learning about the amazing things these tiny birds accomplish during migration was one thing. Learning it from a 14-year-old was totally over the top. You people do amazing work. Truly among the most inspiring events of our lives!"
~Quote from an adult participant
SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM 30 YEARS
With the help of caring people like YOU, BSBO has celebrated many successes in our 30-year history. It’s quite a challenge to narrow down thirty years of hard work into a few highlights, but here are a few:
With the help of caring people like YOU, BSBO has celebrated many successes in our 30-year history. It’s quite a challenge to narrow down thirty years of hard work into a few highlights, but here are a few:
- BSBO’s shorebird surveys gained Regional Status for the Lake Erie Marsh Region.
- In 2009, BSBO hosted one of the country’s first conferences focused on diversity.
- Our education team created the Ohio Young Birders Club, the country’s first program for teenaged birders. We also developed the Global Young Birders Network: an online community to connect young birders from around the world to share their love of birds and birding.
- BSBO created the first Bird Ohio Day, working with state legislators to pass a resolution declaring the second Saturday of May as Bird Ohio Day.
- BSBO compiled data to designate the Western and Central Basins of Lake Erie as Global Important Bird Areas.
- Our conservation advocacy team helped protect the area from poorly-sited wind turbines; implemented a Lights Out Program in the City of Toledo, and introduced a roaming cat ordinance in the village of Oak Harbor.
- BSBO was tasked by state and federal wildlife agencies to develop and manage a volunteer monitoring program to document the first nesting Piping Plovers in Ohio in more than 80 years.
THANKS TO THE SUPPORT OF PEOPLE LIKE YOU, OUR ABILITY TO SHARE THE JOYFULNESS OF BIRDS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF HABITAT CONSERVATION IS ABOUT TO GROW BY 2500+ SQUARE FEET AND IMMEASURABLE AMOUNTS OF POTENTIAL
This image might not look all that inspiring, but if you love birds and you believe in BSBO's work, then we know you'll be as excited as we are. We just broke ground on our BRAND-NEW 42’x60’ EDUCATION CENTER! This wonderful facility will provide so many new and exciting opportunities for our research and education staff, and it wouldn't have happened without the generous support of our friends, donors, and sponsors! I can’t begin to tell you how excited we are at the opportunities this building represents.
Having our own education facility allows us to expand and enhance our ability to connect people with the joy of birds. The potential is huge and we couldn’t be more excited to put this wonderful building to good use!
The generous support of people like you made our Education Center possible.
To reach the full potential, we're still raising funds to purchase equipment and build a fabulous water feature and window on wildlife.
As you consider your year-end giving, we hope you'll help us head into the next 30 years with your support behind us.
Together, there’s so much we can do for birds.
The generous support of people like you made our Education Center possible.
To reach the full potential, we're still raising funds to purchase equipment and build a fabulous water feature and window on wildlife.
As you consider your year-end giving, we hope you'll help us head into the next 30 years with your support behind us.
Together, there’s so much we can do for birds.