President’s Letter: Considering the Future
By Lori Danielson
The summer is a quiet time for birds as they finish the task of raising young and build up energy reserves to help with fall migration or surviving a local winter. I’m using the quiet time to consider the priorities for the board in the months ahead. At a goal-setting meeting at the end of August, the board will discuss and decide which areas of the chapter’s functions need our attention in the coming year.
Since 2020 has presented such radically different conditions than we’ve experienced before, the board will consider new priorities in response. We’ll be looking for new ways to safely and effectively carry out our mission of protecting and enhancing natural ecosystems while the pandemic continues. We also need to examine how to better reflect the human diversity in our community, and we’ll be looking at what may need to change to welcome people of all backgrounds to our chapter. I invite you to share your thoughts on changes the board should consider.
Some Eastside Audubon activities have moved online, such as board and committee meetings, and more recently, a program night speaker. We’re also looking into classes that can be offered virtually and we’ll publicize those when dates are finalized. Other organizations have begun to announce their fall events to be held online this year. Among those are the Puget Sound Bird Fest on September 12-13 (http://www.pugetsoundbirdfest.org/), including an online photo contest and keynote address about crows by Dr. Kaeli Swift. The Audubon Council of Washington (ACOW) meeting in early October will also be a virtual event this year, with details to be provided later.
While I wish activities could return to the way they were before the coronavirus arrived, I’m optimistic that we’ll find new ways to carry out our conservation work and provide education to our community to benefit birds and other wildlife, despite the challenge of the pandemic. Please stay safe.