In via email, large and unwieldy and slightly unformatted by cut and paste:
Hello, Hummingbird migration is a phenomenon that is amazing to see. People living in northern New Mexico are fortunate to experience it yearly. Northern New Mexico has two common breeding species: Broad-tailed and Black-chinned Hummingbirds and two migrant species: Rufous and Calliope Hummingbirds. One can see all four during southbound migration. To celebrate this opportunity and take advantage of this as a further opportunity to build partnerships for hummingbird conservation, we invite you to attend a series of meetings and activities planned in Santa Fe, New Mexico on August 12-18, 2010. The full agenda is attached at the bottom of this email. All meetings and activities are open to those with an interest in working together to maintain thriving hummingbird populations and their habitats. If you are interested in participating in any of the events, please register by clicking on the following link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BVGFGC2 or visiting the Hummingbird Monitoring Network’s website: www.hummonnet.org (Registration allows us to contact you with additional information, including call in numbers, and keep track of participation) Included in these events is a meeting of the Western Hummingbird Partnership on Friday, August 13 which will include the first meetings of the Western Hummingbird Partnership's Education/Outreach and Habitat Enhancement/Restoration committees. For those expressing interest in participating on one of these committees, but can't attend, conference call lines will be available. The Western Hummingbird Partnership is a developing network of partners collaborating to build an effective and sustainable hummingbird conservation program through science-based monitoring, research, habitat restoration/enhancement, and education/outreach efforts. Four committees are associated with our program sections: 1) Monitoring, 2) Research, 3) Habitat restoration/enhancement, and 4) Education/outreach. The fifth committee is needed to address the effects of changing climate on hummingbird communities and the distribution and availability of their nectar resources. As other over-arching conservation issues are identified for hummingbirds, it is likely that additional committees will be added. Your involvement is encouraged! If you are interested in serving on any of our committees please get in touch with any of our WHP contacts: Susan Wethington, HMN (and WHP Coordinator) sweth...@dakotacom.net Cheryl Carrothers, USFS Region 5 ccarroth...@fs.fed.us Carol Lively, USFS International Programs cliv...@fs.fed.us For those who would like to review the NEW WHP action plan, please click on the following link: http://www.hummonnet.org/pdf/201006whp_actionplan.pdf If you have any questions about any of the events, please contact Rachel McCaffrey at rach...@email.arizona.edu or 520-730-3218. THE AGENDA Thursday, August 12, Randall Davey Audubon Center (Public welcomed) 6:30pm-8:30pm Audubon Birding Class: Hummingbird Migration in northern New Mexico This class will start with an overview of what we know about hummingbird migration, then teach identification skills for migrant and breeding hummingbirds in Northern New Mexico and finally discuss the Saturday morning field component that will involve observing and counting hummingbirds at a variety of sites around Santa Fe. The data that you collect on Saturday morning will be used to test predictions made by HMN's monitoring data about this year's southbound migration. (NM Audubon charges a fee of $15 for class) Friday, August 13, Randall Davey Audubon Center and TNC New Mexico (Conservation professionals and those interested in joining the Western Hummingbird Partnership; meeting space is limited) 8:00-10:00am WHP Introduction and latest developments/partners 10:00-10:30am BREAK 10:30am–2:30pm Meetings of the WHP Education/Outreach and Habitat Enhancement/ Restoration committees 3:00-5:00pm Committee Reports and WHP planning session 6:00-8:00pm WHP partner dinner ( DUTCH ) EDUCATION committee topics under consideration include: 1) Exploring partnership opportunities with Audubon Nature Centers and HMN’s data collection and how this partnership can provide data needed by Audubon’s Important Bird Areas program. 2) Developing citizen science teams for monitoring the distribution and phenology of hummingbirds and their nectar plants. 3) WHIN / WHP project: Develop a continent wide feeder watch program, designed to provide data needed to understand hummingbird movement patterns at a landscape level. 4) Identify target audiences for education/outreach efforts. 5) Discuss other opportunities, issues, needs. HABITAT ENHANCEMENT / RESTORATION committee topics under consideration include: 1) Identifying key projects needed to for developing a fire management tool for restoring hummingbird habitat including nectar plants and nest sites 2) Assessing how hummingbird habitat restoration can help create a mosaic of age classes in forests that will address PIF Tri-national statement that the temperate forest birds of highest conservation need are those that depend on the most steeply declining species in temperate forests are birds dependent on disturbed and early successional habitat. Managing a mosaic of age classes of forests, as well as maintaining natural disturbance regimes such as fire, will be necessary to reverse declines of many forest birds. 3) Discuss other opportunities, issues, needs. Saturday, August 14, Feeder and Flower Watches at migration stopover sites for morning fieldwork and afternoon garden walk and talks at Plants of the Southwest (Public welcomed) 7:00am-10:00am Field study component for Audubon New Mexico Birding Class (at various locations around Santa Fe)- Participants will gather data so we can compare relative abundance and species diversity at sites in different vegetation communities and at different elevations. 3:30pm-5:30pm Come and learn more about hummingbirds and the results of the morning's field activities. Events will include a garden walk, a summary of results from the morning project, more information about hummingbirds, a discussion about hummingbird conservation issues and actions, and information on how you can become involved. 5:30pm-6:30pm Planning and training session for Sunday morning migration monitoring Sunday, August 15, Migration monitoring at 2-3 sites, based upon results of Saturday morning’s project. (FEE: $100.00). Participation is limited to 7 people per site (plus permitted bander) and Registration is Required. 6:30am-11:30am HMN Migration Monitoring Sunday, August 15 – Wednesday August 18. Workshop for Hummingbird banding and monitoring. (FEE: $400.00 or $100.00 per day) The workshop begins with the migration monitoring on Sunday morning and then continues with banding training sessions in the classroom and field. In general, field training will take place in the morning and classroom instruction during the afternoon. For those registered for banding training, a separate agenda will be provided. Dennis Garrison Paonia, Delta County wearing my Forest Service hat today PS isn't that a way cool photo on the cover of the plan? *S* _________________________________________________________________ Hotmail has tools for the New Busy. 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