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May General Membership Meeting
Tuesday, September 28, 7:00 PM
Bellingham Public Library, Downstairs Meeting Room
PROGRAM: Grizzly Bears in the North Cascades
David Knibb, author of Grizzly Wars: The Public Fight Over the Great Bear, will discuss recovery of grizzly bears under the Endangered Species Act. Following an overview of this effort, he will focus on the North Cascades, which are designated as one of six grizzly recovery areas. He will explore such questions as whether grizzlies still live in the Cascades, how many there might be, where they are, their future, and what plans there might be to save them. Because wolves recently returned to the North Cascades, he will also discuss some of the biological and political interplay between grizzlies and wolves.
Knibb says that grizzlies are likely to be in the news more over the next few years because appropriations are being sought in Congress to fund an environmental assessment of what to do to save or restore grizzlies in the North Cascades. Once this is underway, Knibb predicts that public hearings will spark a lot of discussion about bears. It will be good, he says, for Audubon members to have a heads up on this issue.
Join us for an informative evening and remember that meetings of the North Cascades Audubon Society are FREE and open to the public, so invite a couple of friends to join you. We’ll save a seat for you and treats and hot beverages will be available.
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Future Meetings (at Bellingham Public Library unless otherwise noted - past meetings are grayed out):
Tuesday, September 28
7:00 PM
September Membership Meeting - Grizzly Wars
David Knibb, author of Grizzly Wars: The Public Fight over the Great Bear, will discuss recovery of grizzly bears under the Endangered Species Act. Following an overview of this effort, he will focus on the North Cascades, which are designated as one of six grizzly recovery areas. He will explore such questions as whether grizzlies still live in the Cascades, how many, where they are, their future, and what plans there may be to save them. Because wolves recently returned to the North Cascades, he will also discuss some of the biological and political interplay between grizzlies and wolves.
Knibb says that grizzlies are likely to be in the news more over the next few years because appropriations are being sought in Congress to fund an environmental assessment of what to do to save or restore grizzlies in the North Cascades. Once this is underway, Knibb predicts that public hearings will spark a lot of discussion about bears. It will be good, he says, for Audubon members to have a "heads up" on these issues.
Here are some of the meetings you might have missed.
Tuesday, May 25
7:00 PM
Logging, Moths, and Biodiversity in Conifer Forests; Results from a Northwest Washington Study
Fairhaven Public Library Auditorium
Matt Fisher will present research that assesses the impact of logging on moth communities in northwest Washington forests. Moths are an ecologically important group of organisms and are surprisingly abundant and diverse in these forests, with several hundred different species in NW Washington alone. Understanding changes in moth communities following logging might allow for insight into larger trends in biodiversity.
Tuesday, April 27
7:00 PM
NCAS PROGRAM: What's Happening in My Lake?
Professor Robin Matthews, Director of the Institute for Watershed Studies at
Western Washington University, will present an overview of the Institute's
lake monitoring programs, including an update on water quality in Lake
Whatcom. Professor Matthews has studied Lake Whatcom since 1987, and during
this time the public's interest in the condition of Lake Whatcom has grown
significantly. The lake is showing many signs of water quality deterioration
and is the target of intensive restoration and protection efforts, including
moratoriums on growth and development, public education to minimize pollutants
in runoff, and installation of storm water treatment systems throughout the
watershed. Although Lake Whatcom is a major research site, the Institute also
collects water quality samples at more than 50 other lakes in Whatcom, Skagit,
Snohomish, and Island Counties. Professor Matthews will describe the results
from the first three years of this public service project and show you how to
find information about lakes near you.
Tuesday, March 23
7:00 PM
March Program - Grizzly Bears
Sharon Negri, Co-director of the Grizzly Bear Outreach Project (GBOP), will discuss grizzly bear biology, ecology, behavior, safety, conservation and recovery of this endangered species. Sharon will also talk briefly about GBOP's plans in 2010 to expand its focus to include wolves and cougars. With over 25 years working to advance conservation of cougars, Sharon will share a few insights into this remarkable cat, and share a clip of a film she helped produce, On Nature's Term's, an inspiring film showing how people and predators are learning to co-exist in harmony.
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