222 S. Hamilton St. / Madison, WI 53703 / 255-2473/ www.madisonaudubon.
org
Translocation of Greater Prairie-Chickens from
Minnesota to Wisconsin
I n a traditional Crow legend, Old Man
Coyote made the prairie-chicken to
show the other animals how to dance.
Before European colonization, the Greater
Prairie-Chicken danced every spring
in small groups, called leks, from the
Atlantic coast to the foot of the Rocky
Mountains. Today the Greater Prairie-
Chicken is an Audubon Society Red
List bird and a state threatened species
because it exists as a relatively small state-
wide population (<1,500) separated into
four nearly isolated populations due to
habitat loss and fragmentation.
Wisconsin’s Greater Prairie-Chicken
population experienced a population
bottleneck in the 1950s. Efforts to save the
bird in Wisconsin have been successful,
and it is one of the few states where popu-
lations are steady, but the small number
of birds isolated from other populations
has resulted in decreased genetic variation
in contemporary populations. Although
hatching success for the Wisconsin popu-
lation has remained high despite loss of
genetic variability, the consensus opinion
Inside This Issue
MAS Meeting/Program.......................... 1
Rally for Raptors....................................... 2
MAS Wish List........................................... 2
2008 Field Trips Schedule........................ 3
Weitzel Awarded....................................... 4
Salamander Survey................................... 5
Restoring Grasslands Symposium......... 5
Wetlands Conference................................ 5
Education Committee News................... 6
January Field Trip...................................... 8
Madison Audubon is a chapter of the National Audubon Society
January 2008
Free Public Program
What: Ashly Steinke talks about
the project
When: Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2008
7:30 p.m. – Program
Where: UW Arboretum McKay
Visitor Center
Parking: free – by the building
of a conservation genetics advisory com-
mittee assembled in 2005 by the Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resources
(WDNR) was that birds from other popu-
lations should be introduced in Wisconsin
populations to ensure the long-term sur-
vival of Greater Prairie-Chickens in the
state. A joint effort by UW Madison and
UW Milwaukee, University of Minnesota
Crookston, Central Wisconsin Grassland
Conservation Area Partnership, and
Minnesota DNR resulted in a transloca-
tion project. This began in 2006 when the
Society of Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus
Ltd. released an initial 40 Greater Prairie-
Rally for Raptors / MAS Banquet
Internationally-renowned Wildlife Rehabilitator Marge Gibson
Will be Featured at the 2008 Rally for Raptors Banquet
Madison
Audubon
Society
Serving Columbia,
Dane, Dodge, Iowa,
Jefferson, Richland
and Sauk Counties
Rough-legged Hawk/Pat Ready
Chicken females from western Minnesota
on the Buena Vista Grasslands in central
Wisconsin. In summer 2007, an additional
24 Greater Prairie-Chicken females were
released into central Wisconsin.
Ashly Steinke, a Ph.D. candidate work-
ing under the direction of Dr. David
Drake at the UW Madison is evaluating
the success of the translocation by mea-
suring survival rates, nesting success,
hatching success, and brood survival rates
between translocated hens and resident
hens. Concurrent research through the
UW Milwaukee is analyzing the genetic
dispersal associated with the transloca-
tion.
You are invited to join our speaker, MAS
board members and friends at the pre-
program dinner at Paisan’s Restaurant
(131 W. Wilson St.) beginning at 5 p.m.
Please call the office at 608/255-BIRD
(255-2473) if you have questions.
Next meeting: Emilie Travis – Migratory
Birds and Communication Towers –
February 19, 2008
Mark your calendars for this excit-
ing event! MAS will hold its annual
spring banquet, Rally for Raptors, on
Tuesday, March 18, 6 to 9 p.m., at the UW
Memorial Union.
Rally for Raptors is this year’s theme,
and Marge Gibson, renowned bird
rehabilitator and founder of the Raptor
Education Group, Inc. (REGI) is our
featured speaker. She will bring some of
her birds of prey and tell many riveting
continued on page 2
 New, renewal and enhanced members
To join Madison Audubon Society,
renew or upgrade your membership,
please complete this form:
Name _______________________________
Address _____________________________
City_________________________________
State_______ ZIP___________
Daytime phone (_____)__________________
E-mail (opt.) ________________________
I want to give a gift membership to:
Name _______________________________
Address _____________________________
City_________________________________
State_______ ZIP___________
Daytime phone (_____)__________________
E-mail (opt.)________________________
[ ] $ 25 New members, students and
seniors
[ ] $ 60 Family
[ ] $ 40 Renewal
[ ] $ 25 Gift membership (for new mem-
bers only, please)
[ ] $ 20 CAWS newsletter only (non-
member)
Over and Above Memberships
[ ] P atron $1,000
[ ] B enefactor $500
[ ] P artner $250
[ ] C ontributor $100
Membership Amount $______
Additional contribution $______
TOTAL Enclosed/Charged $______
Please make check payable to
Madison Audubon Society
OR Please charge my
[ ] V ISA [ ]M
 aster Card
Name on card _________________________
Card # _______________________________
Exp. Date _____/_____
Signature _________________________
[ ] I do NOT wish to receive the
National Audubon magazine.
The Audubon CAWS
Time to renew?
Check your Madison Audubon CAWS
address label to determine your
renewal date. To avoid interruptions to
your subscription, please renew two
months before that date, so you won’t
fall behind on news and notices of
events.
Tip: Renewing through the MAS
office directs more of your donation
to local activities and conservation
projects.
Update: We are now sending a sepa-
rate renewal notice once a year and in
the future we plan to offer the option of
renewing on the Madison Audubon
website.
MADISON AUDUBON SOCIETY
President: Stan Druckenmiller
Vice-president: Debra Weitzel
Goose Pond resident managers:
Mark and Sue Martin
Faville Grove Sanctuary managers:
David Musolf, Roger Packard
Editor: Patrick Ready,
pready@tds.net
Graphic design: Patrick Ready
pready@tds.net
CAWS printer: Roemer Printing
The mission of the Madison Audubon
Society is to educate our members and
the public about the natural world and the
threats that natural systems are facing,
to engage in advocacy to preserve and
protect these systems, and to develop and
maintain sanctuaries to save and restore
natural habitat.
THE AUDUBON CAWS is published
September through June by:
Madison Audubon Society,
222 S. Hamilton St., Madison, WI 53703,
(608) 255-2473.
Birding hotline, 255-2476.
www.madisonaudubon.org
masoffice@mailbag.com
E-mail services donated by Berbee
Madison Audubon Wishlist
Please take a moment to look over our wishlist. We greatly appreciate any
donations, or leads to contributions, for the following items.
• Quality binoculars
• Digital (LCD) projector
• Mule utility vehicle
2 January 2008
MAS Banquet . . .
conitnued from page 1
stories about her avian adventures.
An Antigo native, Marge Gibson has
been treating wild birds for more than
40 years. The former president of the
International Wildlife Rehabilitation
Association, she is considered one of the
top wildlife rehabilitators in the world
and teaches wildlife rehabilitation inter-
nationally.
Gibson began her work with raptors as
a field biologist. She has worked with
many high- profile field projects includ-
ing the California Condor Recovery Team
and the Bald Eagle Capture and Health
Assessment Program in Alaska following
the Valdez Oil Spill.
In 1990 Gibson and her husband Don
founded the Raptor Education Group,
Inc. a non-profit group that cares for
between 600 and 1,000 birds each year.
The center specializes in large raptors and
swans, but all avian species are accepted
for rehabilitation. Thousands of rap-
tors and other avian species have been
patients at the wildlife center in its 17
years of operation.
An interview with Marge Gibson and
more event details will appear next
month in the CAWS.
Jocotoco Foundation
Fundraiser
SAVE THE DATE: Wednesday, May 28,
2008 - Blackhawk County Club, Madison.
World renowned ornithologist Dr. Robert
Ridgely will speak about how the electrify-
ing discovery of the Jocotoco Antpitta for-
ever changed the face of bird conservation
in the tropical Andes of South America,
home to the world’s richest avifauna.
This event is a fundraiser for the Jocotoco
Foundation (www.fjocotoco.org). More
information will be in a future CAWS
(Madison Audubon is a cosponsor) or
contact Craig Thompson, 608-785-1277,
Craig.Thompson@wisconsin.gov.
Madison Audubon Society’s 2008 Field Trips
By Levi Wood, Aaron Stutz and Karl Legler
ere are the MAS field trips scheduled for 2008. Mark them on your calendar and join us on these outings. We will try
H
to stick to this schedule, but unforeseen circumstances may cause changes, so be sure to check for details and any an-
nouncements of schedule changes in the monthly MAS newsletter (CAWS). When carpooling, riders are expected to share
expenses with drivers.

DATE TRIP LEADER
Tuesday January 1, 2008 New Year’s Sunrise at Faville Grove Marsh David Musolf & Roger Packard
Saturday January 12, 2008 WI River Raptors Levi Wood
Saturday March 8, 2008 Early Spring Migrants Steve Thiessen
Friday March 14, 2008 Night Owls Al Shea & Aaron Stutz
Saturday March 22, 2008 Beginning Birding Al Holzhueter
Sunday March 23, 2008 Spring Birding at Rose Lake Nolan Kollath
Saturday March 29, 2008 Spring Migrants Pat Ready
Saturday April 5, 2008 Spring Birds of Columbia Co. Tony Kalenic & Carol Anderson
Sunday April 6, 2008 Goose Pond Scope Event Dorothy Haines
Thursday April 10, 2008 Frogs’ Night Out Bob Hay
Rain Date 4/17/08
Friday April 11, 2008 Evening at Rose Lake Mark & Sue Martin
Saturday April 12, 2008 Beginning Birding Al Holzhueter
Sunday April 13, 2008 Visit Faville Grove Sanctuary West David Musolf & Roger Packard
Saturday April 19, 2008 Ice Age Trail Gary Werner
Saturday April 19, 2008 Abraham’s Woods Janeen Latsch
Sunday April 20, 2008 Wildflowers of Walking Iron County Park Paul Ryan
Friday April 25, 2008 Evening at Cherokee Marsh Tony Kalenic & Levi Wood
Saturday April 26, 2008 Beginning Birding Al Holzhueter
Saturday April 26, 2008 Birding at Wyalusing State Park Quentin Yoerger & Charles Naeseth
Sunday April 27, 2008 Baraboo Hills Spring Wildflowers Mike Mossman
Thursday May 1, 2008 Warbler Walk at Pheasant Branch Mike McDowell and Kim Benton
Sunday May 4, 2008 Warbler Walk at Olin-Turville Park Charlotte Blotz
Sunday May 4, 2008 Early Butterflies & Flowers Spring Green Preserve Rich Henderson & Ann Thering
weekday May TBA, 2008 Finding Frosted Elfins, Jackson County Scott Swengel
Tuesday May 6, 2008 Warbler Walk at the Arboretum John Feith and Jim Berkelman
Thursday May 8, 2008 Warbler Walk at the Arboretum Levi Wood
Friday May 9, 2008 Birding Quarry Park Allen Fitchen
Friday May 9, 2008 Evening Birding at Nine Springs Steve Thiessen and Dan Doeppers
Saturday May 10, 2008 Big Birding Day Chuck Heikkinen & Delia Unson
Tuesday May 13, 2008 Warbler Walk at Pheasant Branch Mike McDowell and Aaron Stutz
Thursday May 15, 2008 Warbler Walk at Pheasant Branch Jesse Peterson and Aaron Stutz
Thursday May 15, 2008 Evening at Token Creek Ed Saur
Saturday May 17, 2008 Birding Horicon Marsh Levi Wood and Pat Ready
Weekend 5/17-18/2008 Bog Butterflies of Northern Wisconsin Mike Reese
Sunday May 18, 2008 Birding at Picnic Point Peter Fissel & Dan Doeppers
Sunday May 18, 2008 Birding at Zeloski Marsh Nolan Kollath
Saturday May 24, 2008 Birding Glacial Drumlin Trail Nolan Kollath
Saturday May 24, 2008 Bird Banding Biocore Prairie Bird Observatory Mara McDonald
Sunday May 25, 2008 Birding at Baxter’s Hollow Aaron Stutz
Thursday May 29, 2008 Evening at Pheasant Branch Mike McDowell
Saturday May 31, 2008 Janesville’s Cook Arboretum Tom Klubertanz
Sunday June 1, 2008 Canoeing the Sugar River Quentin Yoerger
Sunday June 1, 2008 Birding Governor Dodge State Park John Romano
Saturday June 7, 2008 Birds of Devil’s Lake & Baxter’s Hollow Chuck Heikkinen & Delia Unson
Thursday June 12, 2008 Owen Park Wildlife Ponds Russ Hefty
Saturday June 14, 2008 Bicycling Sugar River & Avon Bottoms Amy & Rich Staffen
Sunday June 15, 2008 Tour of Badger Ordinance Mike Mossman
Thursday June 19, 2008 Evening at Black Earth Prairie Kathie & Tom Brock
Saturday June 21, 2008 Grassland Birding in Western Dane & Eastern Iowa Counties Dave Sample & Steve Richter
Thursday June 26, 2008 Prairie Remnants of Waunakee Area Rich Henderson
continued on page 4

The Audubon CAWS 3 January 2008

MAS 2008 Filed Trips (continued)
DATE TRIP LEADER
Saturday June 28, 2008 Butterflies of Cherokee Marsh Joan Braune & Karl Legler
Sunday June 29, 2008 Ice Age Tour of Prairies Gary Werner & Steve Richter
Saturday July 5, 2008 Madison Butterfly Count Karl & Dorothy Legler
Saturday July 12, 2008 Flowers and Butterflies of Schurch-Thomson Prairie Rich Henderson & Ann Thering
Sunday July 13, 2008 Tour Faville Grove Sanctuary East David Musolf & Roger Packard
Saturday July 19, 2008 Butterflies and Dragonflies of Picnic Point Area Edgar Spalding
Sunday July 20, 2008 Prairies at their Peak Kathie & Tom Brock
Saturday July 26, 2008 Scuppernong Valley Prairie & Butterflies Rich Henderson
Saturday August 9, 2008 Goose Pond Prairie Restoration Mark & Sue Martin
Sunday August 3, 2008 Canoe Cherokee Marsh Ecological Restoration Russ Hefty
Saturday August 9, 2008 Butterflies of the Avoca/Blue River Area Mike Reese
Saturday August 16, 2008 Driftless Area Caves Jennifer Schehr
Saturday August 23, 2008 Asters & Goldenrods of Sauk County Paul Ryan & Aaron Stutz
Thursday August 28, 2008 Fall Warbler Walk at Pheasant Branch Mike McDowell
Monday September 1, 2008 Pleasant Valley Conservancy Tour Kathie & Tom Brock
Thursday September 4, 2008 Evening Tour of Owen Park Sylvia Marek
Saturday September 6, 2008 Fall Birding, Lake Farm Park Pat Ready
Saturday September 6, 2008 Butterflies at Olbrich Gardens Joan Braune & Ann Thering
Saturday September 13, 2008 Fall Birding at Picnic Point Eric Wood & Marty Evanson
Saturday September 13, 2008 Bird Banding Biocore Prairie Bird Observatory Mara McDonald
Sunday September 14, 2008 Fall Birding in the Arboretum Aaron Stutz
Sunday September 21, 2008 Birding Zeloski Marsh Nolan Kollath
Saturday September 27, 2008 Fall at Necedah National Wildlife Refuge Richard King & Nolan Pope
Saturday October 4, 2008 Mushrooms & Lichens Dan Czederpiltz & Diane Derouen
Saturday October 11, 2008 Migrant Songbirds of Pheasant Branch Conservancy Mike McDowell
Saturday October 18, 2008 Baraboo Ice Age Trail Tour Gary Werner
Sunday October 26, 2008 Goose Pond Adventure Dorothy Haines
Saturday November 1, 2008 Lake Michigan Birding Aaron Stutz
Saturday December 6, 2008 Madison Lakes Al Shea
Saturday December 20, 2008 Madison Christmas Bird Count Aaron Stutz
Thursday January 1, 2009 New Year’s Sunrise at Faville Grove Marsh David Musolf & Roger Packard

Weitzel Wins National

Teaching Award
Congratulations are in order for MAS
Vice President Deb Weitzel.  On Nov. 15,
she received the nation’s first Richard
C. Bartlett Award and a $5,000 prize at
a ceremony in Virginia Beach, VA. The
National Environmental Education
Foundation in Washington, DC created
the award tohonor leadership in environ-
mental education.
A long-time environmental studies and
chemistry teacher at Middleton High
School, Deb advises the ecology club,
coaches  successful Envirothon teams and
leads educational but demanding trips Teacher Deb Weitzel works with Middleton High School Envirothon students to identify
animal skulls.  Shown here from left to right: Darin Ripp, Liz Just, Weitzel, and Natalie
for her students every year to places like
Reece.  Both Just and Reece were independent study students at Goose Pond in sum-
Costa Rica and the Rocky Mountains.
mer 2006.
In a Capital Times news article, reporter
Susan Troller wrote that Deb “encourages organizations to better understand local spend one day a week, June through
her students to get outdoors and see their issues and she asks them to make indi- August, at Madison Audubon’s Goose
studies in action. She also emphasizes vidual choices that have an impact on the Pond Sanctuary where they get hands-
the importance of clear communication environment.” on experience planting wetland plants,
about what they are doing and why. She In 2006, Deb initiated a summer inde- removing invasive species, surveying
encourages them to form partnerships pendent study program in ecological prairie plants, and collecting seeds.
with government and environmental restoration for high school students. They
The Audubon Caws 4 January 2008
Needed: Citizen Monitors for
Wisconsin’s First Salamander
Survey
The Wisconsin Audubon Council (WAC),
a coalition of the state’s 14 chapters and two
Audubon centers, received a grant from
the Citizen-Based Monitoring Network of
Wisconsin in August 2007 to coordinate a
first-ever statewide survey of salamanders.
Members of Wisconsin Audubon chapters
will serve as citizen monitors. Each monitor or
volunteer family will place live traps in local
wetland sites that experts have identified as
potential breeding habitats. Volunteers will
check the traps daily over a two-week period
in early April and enter their catch results on a
data sheet.
Wisconsin has seven species of salamanders.
The survey will focus on four species that
breed in shallow woodland pools: the tiger,
spotted, and blue-spotted salamanders and
the central newt. This survey brings atten-
tion to these secretive creatures, gives wildlife Volunteer monitors will survey wetlands for blue-spotted, spotted and tiger salamanders
managers much-needed distribution data, and and central newts (not shown).
promotes the value of wetlands and woodland
pools.
According to Randy Korb, WAC president and project director, willing participants
must belong to or join an Audubon chapter to become a salamander citizen monitor. Wetlands in the 21st Century:
Each chapter will have up to five monitors. No prior experience is required and fam- Altered Landscapes &
ily members (parents and school-aged children) are especially encouraged to join the
survey. Monitors will receive web-based or workshop training and receive traps and
Changing Climates
The Wisconsin Wetlands Association
locations of monitoring sites before the survey begins in late March 2008. Each chapter
will convene its 13th annual conference
must also have a coordinator that will communicate with monitors, collect their data,
Thursday-Friday, Jan. 31-Feb. 1, 2008,
and report back to Korb.
in Oconomowoc to discuss the latest in
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer salamander monitor and/or our chap-
wetland science, management, restora-
ter’s coordinator, please contact Karen Etter Hale at masoffice@mailbag.com or 608-
tion, and protection issues. The 2-day
255-2473.
conference will focus on human-altered
landscapes and changing climates, and
will include a keynote address, presen-
tations, a banquet, wetland field trips,
Conserving and Restoring Grassland Landscapes in and more. The banquet speaker will
Wisconsin: Implementing the All-bird Conservation Plan be Kevin Zippel from the Amphibian
If you have an interest in landscape-scale grassland conservation (including native Ark. His talk “Confronting Amphibian
and agricultural habitats) and the latest research on grassland birds and their habitat Declines and Extinctions” will discuss
needs, then this “Grassland Symposium” is for you. If your interest is in managing the status of amphibians worldwide and
your land for grassland birds, then watch for the workshops on this topic that will be what organizations like his are doing to
held in several areas of the state this coming summer. save threatened species including coor-
Sponsored by the Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative, “Conserving and restoring dinating a global outreach campaign
grassland landscapes in Wisconsin: Implementing the All-bird Conservation Plan”, entitled 2008 Year of the Frog to build
will be held at the Wintergreen Resort in Wisconsin Dells Wednesday-Thursday, support for amphibian conservation
Jan. 16-17, 2008. Registration information and the agenda are available at efforts worldwide. Details of the confer-
www.wisconsinbirds.org ence program and registration can be
The Symposium will focus on the importance of landscape-scale grassland conser- found at www.wisconsinwetlands.
vation efforts. Talks will highlight the priorities from the WBCI All-bird Plan and the org/2008conference.htm
Wisconsin Wildlife Action Plan, the latest research on best management practices and
landscape-level habitat needs, an overview of conservation programs available to
conservation partners, and landscape-level case studies that we can all learn from in
Wisconsin and the upper Midwest.

The Audubon Caws 5 January 2008

MAS Education Committee News
By Nancy Hylbert, Committee Chair Cavity Nesting Workshop
nhylbert@yogaforhealth.net (608-271-0956) Saturday morning Feb. 23, 2008 – MacKenzie Environmental
Educational Center Poynette
A Great NEW Resource for all of us educators! The focus will be on erect-
Paul Noeldner is creating a space on our MAS website for any ing and monitoring bluebird
and all of us to share educational materials, information, and boxes, however discussion
inspiration. If you have education-related links, documents, pic- will also include what can be
tures, etc. to submit, please email them to Paul at done to benefit Tree Swallows,
paul_noeldner@hotmail.com. We will also be creating a American Kestels, and Wood
database of educators, parents, and students of all ages, from Ducks.  This workshop will be
tots to seniors, who are interested in our programs for those interested in setting
up nest box trails, assisting Wood Ducks/Jack Bartholmai
January Committee meeting with monitoring trails, or placing nest boxes in their yard. Watch
Monday, Jan. 14, 7 - 9 p.m. The remaining second semester for more information in the Feb. CAWS.
meetings will be on the third Monday of the month, 7-9 p.m.
All are welcome to attend! Audubon Adventures After School
Please RSVP to Nancy for directions and agenda. National Audubon Society’s new program for middle school
students, Audubon Adventures After School, provides a way
Nature Curriculum Retreat to engage our community’s youngsters in a healthy, esteem-
Whether you consider yourself to be an educator, or an enthusi- building, social experience that has positive outcomes for the
astic learner, this retreat is for you! We will share a wide array of environment.
hands-on nature learning materials and plan to create a curricu- During this innovative, 14-week, hands-on program, students
lum to offer with our bird mentor program. learn about the natural world, gain experience and confidence
Saturday, Jan. 26, 9 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., Middleton Public Library, while working as a team, and have fun while enhancing their
7425 Hubbard Ave., Middleton own local environment. They gain a deep sense of satisfaction in
Please RSVP to Nancy and bring a brown bag lunch. bringing their chosen project to completion.
The syllabus has two major segments. In the first half, students
Bird Mentor Training Workshop focus on skill development, team building, observation and
Calling all aspiring bird mentors! Gain confidence and compe- exploration. For example, club members learn how to collect
tence at this free half-day training. Expect to have fun with like- data, keep a journal, use a field guide, take notes, and identify
minded folks who want to share their love of the natural world species.
with learners of all ages! During the second half of their program, students design and
Saturday, Feb. 2, 9 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. carry out a conservation project which involves critical thinking
Middleton Public Library, 7425 Hubbard Ave., Middleton, WI and problem-solving skills, hands-on activities in the outdoors,
Please RSVP to Dee Wylie: Dwylie@chorus.net, or 833-2744, and incorporates, if possible, Audubon volunteers and other
and bring a brown bag lunch. community members.
Examples of Audubon Adventures After School conservation
The Great Backyard Bird Count: Feb. 15-18 projects include:
"Count for Fun, Count for the Future!" is the theme for the • a habitat restoration project
11th annual Great Backyard Bird Count coming up Feb. 15-18, • replacing invasive non-native plants with native plants
2008. We're hoping you’ll help top the • constructing bird feeders from recycled materials
record-breaking 2007 count, when par- • facilitating the collection and proper disposal of unwanted
ticipants throughout North America computers, cell phones, batteries, etc.
submitted more than 80,000 checklists. • p lanning, planting, and maintaining a rain garden on school
Red-breasted Nuthatch/Pat Ready

Information about the 2008 GBBC, grounds

including a gallery of hundreds of We are planning to offer a 14-week pilot program at a greater
winning photos, how to participate, Madison area middle school from mid February to the end of
exploring results, an online bird guide May. If you are interested in offering this program at an addi-
and much more, is available at www. tional location, or if you would like to be a part of our pilot
birdcount.org. Anyone can participate! project, please let us know. The more volunteers we have, the
All you need is at least 15 minutes of more middle school students we can serve! We are currently
time on one or each of the four days making contact with nearby universities to invite teacher educa-
and access to a computer to enter your tion students to gain service hours through their participation in
data online. Audubon Adventures After School.
For information on getting your local school, youth group, or To learn more about this exciting new offering, come
community center involved, contact Nancy. Please take a few to our January MAS Education committee meeting,
minutes this February to have fun watching – and helping – on Monday, Jan.14, 7–9 p.m. Contact Nancy for more
birds! information and directions

The Audubon Caws 6 January 2008

Audubon Adventure
Days 2008
Audubon Adventure Days provide a fan-
tastic opportunity for families
and individuals of all ages to learn
about the wonders of the natural world.
Through hands-on demonstrations, obser-
vations, and forays into the wild, you will
experience nature through your own five
senses.
This year, MAS will be offering four
Audubon Adventure Days. All events will
take place from 1–4 p.m. on Sunday after-
noons. Our first event will take place on
Sunday, Apr. 6, at Goose Pond Sanctuary.
Waterfowl, prairie mammals and birds,
and the emerging plant and animal stir-
rings will be our focus.
Faville Grove, with its prairie, wetland,
and oak savanna ecosystems, will host
our Audubon Adventures Day on Sunday,
July 20. The summer prairies will be in
their full glory, with butterflies, birds, and
native mammals in abundance, including
leopard frogs and the state threatened
Blanding’s turtle.
On Sunday, Sept. 28, our activities will
be focused around waterfowl and their
watery ecosystems at Nine Springs south
of Madison. This is a favorite spot for bird-
ers year round!
Our final Audubon Adventure Day of
2008 will be at Goose Pond, on Sunday,
Oct. 26. At the October 2007 event, hun-
dreds of birds representing 18 species
were observed, including Canada Geese,
hawks, cranes, and Tundra Swans.
Come spend an afternoon in the country,
getting to know our sanctuaries and the
natural world that we hold so dear. Be
sure to add these dates to your calendar as
you plan your family outings for 2008!
For more information, please contact
Nancy at (608-271-0956).
Sign-Up TODAY for Conservation
Lobby Day 2008!
For those of you who were at
Conservation Lobby Day last February,
you know how exciting it was to be part
of the more than 430 citizens from nearly
100 groups across Wisconsin sharing their
conservation values with state legislators.
This year, the event will be Wednesday,
Jan. 30 in Madison. Join us again or for the
first time!
It’s easy to do and it’s free. Just be sure
to sign up ASAP so that meetings with
legislators can be scheduled. The RSVP
The Audubon Caws
deadline is January 22. Special Gifts
In just the last couple of months, we saw I wish to help make Madison
a victory on one of the four Conservation Audubon’s vision a reality. Here is my
Priorities - the Stewardship Fund was contribution to the Wildlife Sanctuaries
reauthorized thanks in part to the sup- Campaign:
port it received from citizens on Lobby [ ] Acre-Maker, $2,500 or more to pur-
Day. Right now, there is a lot of talk in the chase and restore one acre of land
Capitol about the remaining Priorities [ ]H
 alf-Acre-Maker, $1,250-$2,499
(Great Lakes, the Wisconsin Safe Climate
Act, and the Conservation Bill of Rights), [ ]Q
 uarter-Acre-Maker, $625-$1,249
but we need YOUR help to turn that talk [ ] Adopt-an-Acre, $100 a year for three
into success. Join us January 30. You’ll be years ($300 total). Here is my first
glad you did. installment.
To register, visit the Wisconsin League of
[ ] Nest Egg, $50 a year for three years
Conservation Voters website at www.con-
($150 total). Here is my first install-
servationvoters.org or call (262) 825-7632.
ment.
Donations made in [ ]M
 y Own Vision, a donation of $
_____
November 2007
Please direct my gift to:
ACRE MAKER
[ ]W
 here it will help the most
Martha Christensen
The Felburn Foundation [ ]E
 ndowment fund to restore and main-
tain the sanctuaries
HALF-ACRE MAKER [ ]L
 and acquisition at Faville Grove,
Anne Hammond Jefferson County
Marjorie McEntyre
[ ]L
 and acquisition at Goose Pond
QUARTER-ACRE MAKER Columbia County
OR here is my contribution for MAS
Tom McGregor and Anita Gallucci
education and newsletter support
MY OWN VISION [ ]M
 y Gift to Learning, $ __________
Anonymous
My name ________________________________
Terry and Marty Evanson
Address _________________________________
Johanne Fabke
City_____________________________________
R. Tod Highsmith and Joan A. Braune
Richard and Karen Moravec State_____ ZIP___________
Christine Olgren
I want my gift to recognize another:
Phillip Peterson
[ ] In memory of ______________________
Brand and Sharon Smith
[ ] In honor of ________________________
Jan Westemeier
Tripp and Nancy Widder
Please send notification of this gift to:
Suzanne Brockman Zeigler
Name _______________________________
GIFTS IN MEMORY OF A PERSON Address _________________________________
In Memory of James B. Hale City _____________________________________
Donald and Delores Thompson State__________ ZIP____________
In Memory of Donna Kruse and her son
Scott
Brent Nicastro and Nora Cusack [ ]P
 lease do not acknowledge my gift in
In Memory of Dave Schreiner Madison Audubon CAWS
Lesleigh Luttrell
In Memory of Mary Walker Please make checks payable to:
H. Lowell Hall Madison Audubon Society
Mail to: Madison Audubon Society, 222 S.
Hamilton Street, Suite 1, Madison, WI 53703
GIFTS IN HONOR OF A PERSON
In Honor of Nolan Pope
Gift is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Madison Audubon Society’s financial statement is
Paul Moriarty available upon request.
James and Suzanne Otto
7 January 2008
 Madison Audubon Society, Inc.
Stan Druckenmiller, President
222 S. Hamilton St. Suite #1
Madison, WI 53703
Rally for Raptors –
MAS Spring Banquet
see page 1
Is it time to renew your membership?
See form on page 2 and help MAS.
MAS Calendar
at a Glance
Saturday, Jan. 12 – Wisconsin River
Raptors
Tuesday, Jan. 15 – MAS Meeting
Program-Prairie Chickens
Saturday, Jan. 26 – Nature Curriculum
Retreat
Saturday, Feb. 2 – Bird Mentor
Training Workshop
Friday-Monday, Feb. 15-18 – Great
Backyard Bird Count
Feb. 23 – Cavity Nester Workshop
Tuesday, Mar. 18 – Rally for Raptors/
MAS Banquet
Tundra Swans on Lake
Mendota in early Dec.
Pat Ready photos
1/08
January Field Trip
Saturday, Jan. 12 – Wisconsin River
Raptors
Come watch eagles soar over the
Wisconsin River! Levi Wood will lead this
trip to Sauk Prairie to search for soaring
raptors and other wintering birds. Likely
finds include Bald Eagle, Rough-legged
Hawk, Red-tailed Hawks, and kestrel.
Other possibilities include Cooper’s
Hawk, Northern Harrier, and Northern Bald eagle/Pat Ready
Shrike. We will check the river and Prairie du Sac dam for waterfowl and gulls.
You may want to bring a snack as the trip will last until noon. If you have a scope,
please bring it along. Dress appropriately for the weather. We will meet at 8 a.m. to car-
pool from the parking lot of Copp’s Supermarket at 6800 Century Ave. in Middleton.
Riders are expected to share expenses with drivers. Contact Levi at (608) 277-7959 with
questions.
Used Binoculars Find New Use
The Animal Protection Institute (API) is teaming up with the Indonesian Parrot Project
(IPP) to provide binoculars to Indonesian schoolchildren.
The binoculars will be used in conjunction with the educational curriculum provided
by IPP to teach Indonesian children the importance of conservation, the cruelty of the
wild bird trade, and the benefits of leaving birds in the wild.
Your donation of new or used binoculars will be used to take Indonesian schoolchil-
dren birdwatching to appreciate the beauty of birds living wild and free.
Send your new or used binoculars to: Binoculars for Birds, c/o Animal Protection
Institute, 1122 S Street Sacramento, CA 95814