FLICKER FLASHES Winter 2022

FLICKER FLASHES WINTER 2022

HELLO FRIENDS—

I’m Scot Duncan, the new Executive Director at Alabama Audubon. I left a 20-year career as a professor at Birmingham-Southern College to join you all in August. Why would I leave a tenured position at one of the best small colleges in the US? Let me explain...

First, I have been enthralled by birds from the beginning. I often quip that I began birding in utero because my parents were birding before I was born. These many decades later, birds are still central to my everyday life—I see the world through their eyes.

More importantly, I joined Alabama Audubon because I am a conservation scientist dedicated to protecting and advocating for Alabama’s biodiversity. Alabama bears a great responsibility to protect nature. As I shared in my 2013 book, Southern Wonder: Alabama’s Surprising Biodiversity, Alabama has more species than any state east of the Mississippi River and ranks near the top among all states. But regrettably, we rank 2nd among states for extinctions and 3rd for endangered species. Alabama Audubon is striving to ensure we don’t lose more species, and with its many partners, we are protecting some of our nation’s most amazing ecosystems and species.

But the greatest reason why I joined Alabama Audubon isn’t about birds, biodiversity, or ecosystems. It’s about you—the people who want and need nature to thrive. Most of us love outdoor recreation, but we also depend on a healthy environment. Clean air, forests, rivers, and coastlines are essential to our survival and economy. When Alabama Audubon promotes bird conservation, ecotourism, and nature education, we are engineering the future that Alabamians deserve. That’s the biggest reason why I now work for Alabama Audubon.

So, what’s ahead for our organization? We have initiated strategic planning to chart our course for the next five years. As part of this, we have already renewed our commitment to building a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable community. And we will build on our successes in promoting ecotourism in the Black Belt and shorebird and migrant songbird conservation at the coast. We’ll also be reaching out to you—our community. We want you to work alongside us as we reach out to new members and communities across the state. And for those of you who are able, we need your philanthropy to help us build bold, new science, conservation, and education initiatives.

So, a new era for Alabama Audubon has begun and I’ll share more details as our plans coalesce. In the meantime, know that our mission remains the same—to ensure that all Alabamians, from birds to people, enjoy a prosperous future. Take care, and reach out anytime.

“Remarkable people and history.

Rare and beautiful birds. An exquisite landscape. The BlackBelt has what’s needed to flourish as a destination for those hungering for authentic Alabama.”

BLACK BELT BIRDING FESTIVAL

Celebrating the Natural Wonder of Alabama’s Black Belt

Part of Alabama Audubon’s Black Belt Birding Initiative, the Black Belt Birding Festival is an integral component of our aim to bring the economic and environmental benefits of bird-based ecotourism to one of the country’s most underserved and primarily rural areas.

The region features a mix of habitat, from open prairie grasslands to forests to bottomland swamps, giving festival attendees the rare opportunity to catch a glimpse of many species of birds in pristine settings.

We are dedicated to supporting and showcasing the diverse bird communities that flock to the Black Belt and we invite each of you to join us. Already known for its historic civil rights and Native American sites, as well as for hunting and fishing excursions, the ecological diversity of Alabama’s Black Belt draws the interest of bird watchers throughout the region and nation.

Following the success of our previous festivals, we will be working this year especially to increase accessibility for our dedicated visitors, and to provide entertainment and learning experiences for all members of the community. We will be announcing more details early in the new year, and we hope you will be as excited as we are when you learn all of the details. Stay tuned! Registration begins in the spring.

Learn more about our many activities at alaudubon.org.

—R. Scot Duncan

Great Egret Anthony Mancini / Audubon Photography Awards

UPDATE FROM THE COAST

BREEDING SEASON 2022

Our coastal birds had a difficult season at many of the mainland sites this year, with very little nest success. While there were 15 Snowy Plover nests on Dauphin Island, unfortunately, there was only a single fledgling. Mammalian predators—primarily red foxes—and weather events were some of the known causes of nest loss. Thankfully, there were not any major storms during the breeding season, so the islands remained relatively productive by comparison. There were more than 100 Black Skimmer fledglings, and Least Terns had a productive year as well—compared to past years—with nearly 60 fledglings coming from just one island!

Speaking of terns, this was the first year that Alabama Audubon conducted stewardship on Tern Island, which is one of the most important sites for terns and skimmers. We began by placing signs across the island to alert visitors of potential encounters with nesting birds. It was soon realized that our efforts to help the birds thrive might be better served by making person-to-person contact to provide information about the importance of the island to breeding birds and offering suggestions about what they, as visitors, could do to help.

Another first for us this year was the hiring of two interns, whose diligent work was invaluable during the breeding season, and which allowed for us to focus our efforts on collecting human disturbance data at Least Tern colonies. They recorded 188 disturbance events at just one mainland colony, with most of those disturbances being people who were walking too close to the fenced-off area. Every time birds flush from their eggs or chicks, they are leaving them exposed to predators and overheating. Understanding what the disturbances are, when they are occurring, and how birds are reacting will help us develop ways to reduce those disturbances to nesting birds.

In all, our staff and volunteers had 360 engagements with beachgoers during stewardship and 103 interactions with boaters, largely by approaching them directly to ask that they operate along the shoreline when possible. Along with the many hours of hard work provided by our dedicated staff and interns, volunteers contributed nearly 470 hours of their time this past year to monitoring, stewardship, and outreach efforts. It can very easily be seen why it is so important to make person-to-person contact. While outcomes may not always be what we like, we can only think of those breeding grounds that might have survived, protected, because of our efforts.

For more information about our coastal program or to support those efforts, please contact Science & Conservation Director, LIANNE KOCZUR , at lianne@alaudubon.org or 205.719.3678.

Our coastal program is funded with Deepwater Horizon natural resource damage settlement funds provided by the Alabama Trustee Implementation Group. This project is further supported by the National Audubon Society through funding from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

GREETINGS—

As we move closer to the end of the year, it is natural to reflect. This year has brought a lot of great change for Alabama Audubon—it is amazing how the organization has grown since becoming a staffed chapter. Of course, none of this would have been possible without the volunteers, leaders, and generous supporters who came before. It is with this strong foundation, and the incredible generosity and support of so many, that Alabama Audubon has expanded its reach statewide. With what I know is a strong team of talented, smart, and passionate employees, we have such an exciting future on the horizon!

It is this time of year that so many begin to think about and finalize plans for annual giving. Annual giving is vitally important to Alabama Audubon as we continue our meaningful work and programs. Research shows that charitable giving can actually boost your physical and mental health. As a nonprofit, we benefit from all areas of giving and there are so many ways for you to support our work. For example, a simple and meaningful one-time financial gift could fund a program this year, and a larger gift using a tax-efficient legal device in planned giving could create and provide for an ongoing program for many years in our future.

Every gift is valued and meaningful. It is thanks to such gifts that our staff can do the impactful work of Alabama Audubon’s mission each day.

I have always liked the quote by Theodore Roosevelt, “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” Luckily, we are in one of the most biodiverse and beautiful states in our nation, and with so many ways to give there are endless ways to be impactful.

I am so proud to be a small part of this storied organization and I hope you have also been touched by the work and offerings of Alabama Audubon. Please consider giving to Alabama Audubon this year and in the future. Thank you to the staff for working towards such an important mission each and every day. And many grateful thanks to each of you for your strong support throughout the year.

MELANIE SEIBOLD President of the Board

Swallow-tailed Kite Donald Wuori / Audubon Photography Awards

PLANNED GIVING

In recent years, Alabama Audubon has expanded its reach into our shared communities signifcantly and continues to grow under new leadership. We are poised for an exciting future filled with many new opportunities! Of course, the very nature of growing so rapidly entails that we must work with equal speed and diligence to build the financial foundation to sustain new programs and bolster those already in place.

For example, we have an incredibly robust coastal program centered on protecting vulnerable shorebirds through science, conservation, and education. However, our grant funding for this program will run its course in 2024. It is of highest priority for Alabama Audubon to find the financial resources required to sustain this program and related work. We can accomplish this with your support.

Help us craft a hopeful future for birds and nature. We hope you will consider Alabama Audubon as a thankful beneficiary of your legacy.

BENEFITS OF A CHARITABLE REMAINDER TRUST

There are many ways to make a meaningful financial gift that will also provide you with significant tax benefits. Generosity of time, talent, and wealth can improve the conservation outlook for birds and the quality of life for people, all while supporting a dedicated cause.

Governed by the Internal Revenue Service, a Charitable Remainder Trust (CRT) can be a valuable planning tool because it provides you with a current charitable deduction for income tax purposes while also reducing the total value of your estate that will be subject to estate taxes. That makes a CRT superior to a simple charitable bequest in your will, an action that only affects the tax on your estate. There are several benefits to a CRT, as it would provide—

• An ongoing stream of income to you

• A deferral of capital gain tax on the CRT’s sale of assets contributed

• An immediate income tax deduction to you upon contribution of the asset

• The satisfaction you derive from supporting us

CRTs have been the vehicle for bird and conservation lovers in recent years to provide for Alabama Audubon, its programs, and conservation efforts. Those gifts have been large and small, and the benefits have been significant. We hope you will consider speaking with your financial advisor to make a gift to Alabama Audubon today.

If you are interested in discussing CRTs or other ways to support Alabama Audubon, please contact Development Director, CHRIS OBERHOLSTER , at chris@alaudubon.org or 205.719.3678.

Special thanks to Heather McCalley for her research on CRTs.

MEMBERSHIP

Becoming a MEMBER of ALABAMA AUDUBON funds our core programs in science, conservation, and education.

You are our foundation. Your membership enables us to fulfill our mission to protect birds and promote a greater knowledge of birds, their habitats, and the natural world.

Simply put, we are only able to accomplish our goals because of your support and generosity. Your commitment to our cause helps us to create new opportunities in our community for education, education, and research, and to foster those already in place for all lovers of nature and birds.

Join with us, today, as we build a better, more sustainable and biodiverse environment for our future, at alaudubon.org/membership.

MISSION

The mission of ALABAMA AUDUBON is to promote conservation and a greater knowledge of birds, their habitats, and the natural world.

OFFICERS

Melanie Seibold

President

Maggie Amsler

President Elect

Lois Woodward

Secretary Lori Oswald

Treasurer

Greg Harber

Vice President, Conservation

Rashidah Farid

Vice President, Education

Linda Neighbors Vice President, Field Trips

Jonah Cohen

Vice President, Programs

Ken Marion, PhD Vice President, Science

STAFF R. Scot Duncan

Executive Director

Allison Abney Outreach & Communications Director

Lianne Koczur Science & Conservation Director

Chris Oberholster Development Director

Alliemarie Humphries Administrative Coordinator

Cortney Weatherby Coastal Outreach Manager

Olivia Morpeth Coastal Biologist

Ruby Rolland Coastal Biologist

Kathryn Gray Seasonal Coastal Bird Steward

EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION

DIRECTORS-AT-LARGE

Barry Fleming

Matt Hunter

Timothy Joe Heather McCalley

Jacqueline Gray Miller

Joe Watts

BIRMINGHAM

3720 Fourth Avenue S, 2nd Floor Birmingham, AL 35222 205.719.3678 info@alaudubon.org

COASTAL

28740 US Highway 98, Suite 9 Daphne, AL 36526 coast@alaudubon.org

FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM @alaubudon

Through more than 75 years of conservation work in one of our nation’s most ecologically rich states, ALABAMA AUDUBON has seen firsthand how diversity strengthens natural communities. We believe that the same principle applies to human communities, which is why our organization is committed to providing equitable opportunities for all Alabamians to learn about and enjoy wild birds, their habitats, and the natural world. One of the best ways to support that belief is by valuing and actively seeking to strengthen diversity among our staff, our board, and our membership. To that end, we welcome the whole of our community to join us as we strive to make our programs, classes, and events open and accessible to all.

The special edition PROTECT OUR BIRDS plate is still available—if you submitted a pre-commitment, you can now redeem your voucher or wait until your renewal date. You can also request the tag at your next renewal!

For each $50 spent, we will receive $41.25 for bird conservation: alaudubon.org/tag

Alabama Audubon publishes Flicker Flashes seasonally—

Editor: Allison Abney, Outreach & Communications Director

Contact: allison@alaudubon.org

Contributers: Heather McCalley, Lianne Koczur, Cortney Weatherby