Dr. Daniel Klem’s presentation recorded on March 21, 2018 at Springbrook Nature Center, Fridley, MN.  The links to it are below.

https://youtu.be/z2HssOtP1JQ  Part I

MAY 1^st   UPDATE ON THE NEW BELL MUESEUM  by Don Luce

The new Bell Museum will open in July 2018. This update will focus on the new permanent exhibition gallery and the dioramas. I’ll discuss the planning process that led to the new museum, some of the major features of the new building, and the themes and objectives for the new exhibitions. The move and restoration of the dioramas will be presented in some detail. By May, many of the new exhibits will be installed and I’ll give a sneak peak at how the new gallery is taking shape. The plan for the gallery has a strong environmental theme that combines Astronomy, Earth Science, Evolution, Biodiversity and Ecology.

BIO:  Don Luce

Curator of Exhibits

Bell Museum of Natural History, University of Minnesota

Don Luce has worked in the museum world for over three decades. He earned a degree in Zoology and a master degree in Medical and Biological Illustration from the University of Michigan. At the Bell Museum of Natural History, he has combined his interests in science, art and nature to produce over thirty original temporary and permanent exhibitions. Exhibition topics included art and nature, ecology, evolution, animal behavior, endangered species, and current University research. Many of these exhibitions tour nationally as part of Bell Museum’s Touring Exhibition Service.

As curator of exhibits, he also curates the museum’s collection of art, which includes many works by Francis Lee Jaques who painted the museum’s dioramas, a complete set of John James Audubon’s original Birds of America folio, and many other historical and contemporary works of wildlife art.  Don is the author of the book Francis Lee Jaques: Artist-Naturalist and recently curated the exhibition Audubon and the Art of Birds.

For nearly a decade, Don has worked on plans for a new Bell Museum. The new building is now nearing completion on the University’s St. Paul campus. The project includes the move and restoration of the museums historic dioramas, and the design of new permanent exhibition galleries. The museum will open in summer 2018.

Don has also remained active as an illustrator and artist. He illustrated books such as Minnesota’s Natural Heritage by John Tester, and has been an artist-in-residence with the National Park Service. A retrospective exhibition of his art and illustrations, A View from a Canoe, showed at the Bell Museum this fall.

Help birds, butterflies and bees by growing native plants! Native wildflowers, ferns and grasses will be on sale from multiple vendors at this farmer’s market style event.  Vendors will only accept cash or checks.  Event held rain or shine.  Learn more at www.burnsville.org/nativeplants.

Date: Saturday, May 19

Time: 9 am – noon

Location: Parking lot across the street from City Hall (100 Civic Center Pkwy.)

Who: Open to everyone (Burnsville and non-Burnsville residents).

Help Birds and Trees Flourish with Garlic Mustard Pulls in Roberts Bird Sanctuary!

One challenge in protecting and enhancing habitat for birds and other wildlife is to prevent the spread of invasive species within the Roberts Bird Sanctuary. Spring is the best time to pull garlic mustard, which threatens our urban forests by crowding out other plants and decreasing diversity. This Spring volunteers will also be planting native woodland plants, shrubs and trees in areas where we have pulled invasive species.

Pulling garlic mustard is easy with gloves and a trowel (for the big plants with deeper roots). The weeds decompose in a permanent “quarantine bin” next to the parking lot near the visitor’s shelter, which prevents the plants from seeding and spreading. If pulling is difficult for you, bring a trash bag and a pair of gloves and help us do Spring Clean-up in the Sanctuary at the same time! Pulls will begin the first week of May and occur also in William Berry Woods, another remnant native plant community which is near Roberts and also part of the Chain of Lakes Important Bird Area. Here is the schedule of garlic mustard pulls at both locations: Roberts Bird Sanctuary, 4124 Roseway Road, near the Peace Garden (look for pull signs at the visitors shelter):  Tuesdays, May 1 and 8 from 5 to 7 p.m. and Saturday, May 12 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

William Berry Woods, the small natural area between Lake Harriet and Bde Maka Ska, (look for pull signs at the picnic table near the sidewalk that runs from Richfield Road to William Berry Parkway): – Tuesdays, June 5 and June 12 from 5 to 7 p.m. For more information, please send an email to info@friendsofroberts.org, or check our Facebook page or the FRBS website www.friendsofroberts.org

Dr. Christine Sheppard’s presentation on “Why Birds Collide with Glass and How We Can Stop Them” is now posted on YouTube  at https://youtu.be/Tb6onv9Aifc.  The Audubon Chapter of Minneapolis would like to thank the Community TV of St. Louis Park for their production of this video.  Please click on title, then click on YouTube link.

On Saturday, May 19, from 10 AM to 11:15 AM, join the  Friends of Roberts on a guided walk to discover birds and botany in the Sanctuary!  We will start with a short overview at the visitors shelter at the east entrance, and then stroll for an hour in the Sanctuary as we learn about the plants that live there and the birds who love them!

Our guide is Wesley Nugteren, a professional naturalist and educator at Dodge Nature Preschool.

The Sanctuary is located at 4124 Roseway Road, Minneapolis, MN 55409.

Michael Mesure, Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP) Canada,  “Legislative Solutions for Migratory Bird Glass Collisions”

Wednesday, June 13, 2018, 6:30 p.m.

Brookdale Library, 6125 Shingle Creek Parkway, Brooklyn Center, Minnesota

Michael Mesure is executive director of the Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP) Canada, which works to safeguard migratory birds through education, research, policy development, rescue, and recovery. Mesure focuses on solutions to help mitigate and remediate the challenges of bird migration in built environments. He tirelessly advocates for bird protections at various levels of government, and consults with city planners across North America on developing bird-friendly guidelines. In 2015, he led the development and then launch of BirdSafe® Building Standards and risk assessments.

In addition to proactively supervising field volunteer rescue and recovery patrols, Mesure builds partnerships and enables collaboration to promote bird conservation programs and other renowned initiatives—including Lights Out and catsandbirds.ca. He also contributes content to ornithological-focused papers such as Collision Course: The Hazards of Lighted Structures & Windows to Migratory Birds and the 12-Step Bird-Friendly Building Program.

Mesure’s presentation on bird-friendly building strategies to reduce bird mortality will focus on U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.

This event is free and open to the public. A voluntary $5 contribution will help defray expenses. Sponsored by Audubon Chapter of Minneapolis, Minnesota Citizens for the Protection of Migratory Birds and Friends of Roberts Bird Sanctuary. For more information, contact Jerry Bahls at jobaud@comcast.net.

In June, July and August, ACM and the Breckenridge Chapter of the Izaak Walton League hold joint programs at the Ikes’ chapter house at 8816 West River Road, Brooklyn Park 55444. Programs start at 7:30 p.m. and are open to everyone. Tuesday, July 24: “Omashkooz: Returning a Native;” Mike Schrage, Wildlife Biologist with the Fond du Lac Resource Management Division. Omashkooz is the Ojibwe word for elk. Mike Schrage has been the wildlife biologist for the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa since 1995 where he is expected to be the expert on everything from tribal treaty rights to moose biology to the proper care and handling of baby robins that have fallen out of the nest. He is a graduate of the University of Idaho and Virginia Tech and a resident of Duluth. Mike will talk about the efforts of the Fond du Lac Band, the University of Minnesota and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation to investigate the feasibility of restoring elk to parts of northeast Minnesota. He’ll cover the history and ecology of elk in the eastern United States and the process for restoring elk to northeast Minnesota. In addition, he’ll talk briefly on the moose situation in northeast Minnesota; what we know and what’s likely needed in order to recover moose numbers.

The ACM Board of Directors will meet on Monday, July 23, 2018, at 7 p.m. at  Eastside Neighborhood Services, 1700 NE 2nd St, Minneapolis, MN 55413. Board meetings are open to everyone. For more information, contact Keith Olstad, President, at klbolstad@comcast.net or 612.940.1534.

ACM supports the mission of the Friends of Roberts to protect, preserve, and enhance Roberts Bird Sanctuary as a thriving, undeveloped habitat and sanctuary for birds and other native wildlife. In the past, we have partnered with the Friends and other organizations to hold Arbor Day native planting events just outside the Sanctuary. Now it’s time to hold “maintenance” events to ensure these native plants continue to thrive. So far this summer we haven’t needed to water; however, we do need to weed. Two weeding events are scheduled at this time: Saturday, July 7 from 8-10 a.m. and Thursday, July 12 from 9-11 a.m. We plan to add more events, so check back. Gloves and tools are provided. The Sanctuary’s address is 4124 Roseway Road, Minneapolis 55409. For directions and parking information and to find out more about the Sanctuary and the Friends, visit Friends of Roberts.

Join the Friends of Roberts Bird Sanctuary on a guided walk to discover birds and botany in the Sanctuary! The walk will be offered on Saturday, August 11, 2018 from 10 to 11:30 a.m.  The Sanctuary is located at 4124 Roseway Road, next to the Peace Garden near Lake Harriet. Note: The parking lot is a pay lot; some people park on Lake Harriet Parkway as a free alternative.

We will start with a short overview in the visitor’s shelter at the east entrance, and then stroll for an hour in the Sanctuary as we learn about the plants that live there and the birds who love them! Our guide will be Wesley Nugteren, a seasoned naturalist and experienced educator at Dodge Nature Preschool.

These walks are free and open to the public. People of all ages are welcome, including children accompanied by a parent or other caregiver. Binoculars are not required; but if possible, bring your own!

For more information, see http://www.friendsofroberts.org/ or visit the events on the Friends of Roberts Facebook Page.

Tuesday, September 4th, 2018  at 7:00 PM at Beth El Synagogue, 5225 Barry St W, St. Louis Park 55416.    All Program meetings are free and open to the public.

Removal of invasive species from islands to protect endangered species by David Hartwell

BIO:  David Hartwell is an advisor to, or board member of many businesses, nonprofit organizations and foundations.  From 1989 to 2015, he was the President of Bellcomb, Inc., a global designer and manufacturer of composite panels.  His corporate board work includes companies in the financial, building products, manufacturing, natural resources and retail sectors.  His board work with nonprofit organizations is generally in the conservation arena although not exclusively and includes groups focused on local, national and international issues.  He is an avid birdwatcher and gardener.  He and his wife travel whenever they get the opportunity and have 4 children and 8 grandchildren.

 Winter Birding at the Sax Zim Bog    by Sparky Stensaas

Tuesday, October 2nd, 2018

( *Note LOCATION CHANGE )

Brookdale Library–  6125 Shinglecreek Parkway, Brooklyn Park.

If you are interested in participating with the Audubon Chapter of Minneapolis in the Global Bird Rescue event, send email to Jerry Bahls at jobaud@comcast.net by the 4:00 pm tomorrow. By return email you’ll learn how it works.  The event will involve looking for birds that have collided with windows and using a smart phone app you will enter the bird into a database.

Steve Greenfield will speak on Birds and Nature of Madagascar on November 13, 2018, at 7 p.m. at Beth El Synagogue, 5224 W. 26th Street, St. Louis Park. Madagascar’s long isolation from Africa and Asia has led to a staggering “adaptive radiation” of its bird life, as well as of its plants, lemurs, chameleons, and frogs. Fully half of its bird species, as well as six entire bird families and even two avian Orders, are endemic (restricted) to just this island. Based on a month-long visit in November 2017, Steve’s presentation will seek to provide a good understanding of the birds of Madagascar, and how it represents “evolution run amok.”

Madagascar is also tragically poor and much of the environment is degraded. This presentation will illustrate how birding trips and other ecotourism using local companies seem about the best way of benefiting the economy and giving incentive for people to preserve the wildlife and habitat.

Steve Greenfield is an ACM member whose global birding started in the 70s when he lived in Kenya for three years. Since being retired, he tries to do a couple of foreign birding trips each year, always using local guides.

On June 13, 2018, Michael Mesure, Executive Director of the Fatal Light Awareness Program of Canada (FLAP Canada), gave the third in a series of presentations on causes and possible solutions for bird-window collisions, sponsored by a coalition of bird groups. FLAP has been successfully working on the problem since 1986. Michael’s PowerPoint presentation with audio can be downloaded here. We apologize for the delay in making this available.

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In honor of the centennial of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, Gov. Mark Dayton has designated 2018 the Year of the Bird. On November 15, 2018, DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr presented Audubon with a Year of the Bird proclamation signed by Gov. Dayton, which recognizes the importance of birds and the health of their habitats. Read more here.

Kim Risen will talk about one of the most fascinating families of birds on the planet–hummingbirds!–on December 4, 2018, at 7 p.m. at Beth El Synagogue, 5224 W. 26th Street, St. Louis Park. While the world has around 350 varieties of hummingbirds, Minnesota, like all of the Eastern U.S., is treated to only a single species that appears commonly, the Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Traveling to the Southwestern U.S.could net you a dozen or more species and Costa Rica may get you over 30, but to see a large number of hummingbirds, you’ll need to visit South America, where you can expect to see 70-plus species on even a short visit.

Kim and his wife, Cindy, have photographed hummingbirds from Alaska to South America and Kim will share his experiences and offer tips on photographing these avian jewels. You’ll also get tips on how to attract our Ruby-throated Hummingbird to your yard–which plants work best? What about feeders? Must the nectar be colored red? Please join us for a fun, informative, photo-filled look at hummingbirds!

Keith Olstad will speak on wrens on February 5, 2019, at 7 p.m. at Beth El Synagogue, 5224 W. 26th Street, St. Louis Park. Minnesota regularly hosts four wren species, but they are sometimes hard to distinguish by sight or sound, if one can find them at all. Another three species show up here occasionally. Beyond the wren family are several species quite similar in size and behavior. Come learn more about Minnesota’s wrens and their friends!

Keith is a retired Lutheran pastor who has been birding and photographing birds most of his life and serves on the board of the Audubon Chapter of Minneapolis. He is the convenor of the research team for the ACM-sponsored Red-headed Woodpecker Recovery Project, and annually leads eco-tours to Nicaragua to explore migratory birds and economic development issues between our countries.

In order to accomplish the Audubon Chapter of Minneapolis’ Advocacy Committee goals and other goals, we will need the strong support of our membership as well as the general public. This will require our membership to help persuade public officials and elected officials to support our initiatives.  In order to set up a network of members and supporters, we would first like to enlist members to monitor the Minneapolis City Council, Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB), Hennepin and Anoka Counties, Metropolitan Council and State Legislature.  We would like volunteers to monitor these government entities for proposed actions by these entities by reviewing their agendas of scheduled meetings whose actions will affect birds and their habitat.  For example, in Minneapolis the Public Health, Environment, Civil Rights, and Engagement Committee will hear proposals related to the environment, which could affect birds.  Before each meeting an agenda is published stating the topics to be discussed at the meeting.  Our desire is to have someone read these as soon as they are published and inform the Advocacy Committee about any topics that affect birds so that we are aware of these as early as possible so that we can react appropriately.  Since our committee doesn’t have enough members to do this, we will need volunteers to monitor these agendas and send a message to the Advocacy Committee giving us an early notice of an action.

If you are interested in helping us by monitoring the City of Minneapolis, MPRB, County, Met Council or State, please send a message to jobaud@comcast.net.  We are not asking you to attend any meetings.  We are asking you to review agendas online and send us a message!  We greatly appreciate your helping us set this communication tool up so that we are informed early in the process.