may/june 2017 newsletter of great salt lake audubon...

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MAY/JUNE 2017 NEWSLETTER OF GREAT SALT LAKE AUDUBON www.greatsaltlakeaudubon.org I N S I D E BIRDS ‘n BITES Join us for our monthly informative and entertaining programs. The meetings are free and open to all and presented in the Education Building at the Tracy Aviary in Liberty Park. Doors open at 6:30 PM for refreshments and socializing; the programs begin at 7PM. Enter Liberty Park at 600 E 900 South. Board Highlights...............................................page 2 Membership Information...................................page 2 Basin and Range................................................page 3 Calendar of Events............................................page 4-5 Great Salt Lake Wetlands History .....................page 6 Exploring the Depths........................................page 7 Tuesday, May 16th, 7 PM, “Harnessing the Power of Citizen Scientists: Hawk- Watch International’s Winter Raptor Surveys,” Neil Paprocki, M.S., Hawk- Watch International Conservation Biologist Utah since 2010. Surveys routinely document over 200 raptor sightings in a single day, and have identified crucial winter raptor “hot spots” across the rural Utah landscape. Behavioral data collected provides farmers and ranchers with the means to tailor their property towards raptors to enhance ecosystem services (i.e., pest control). Long-term winter census data such as this can be used in conjunction with other long-term efforts (i.e., Christmas Bird Count) to monitor the health and behavior of raptor populations. Winter is a time of survival for all birds, and his project aims to better understand how raptors are surviving across the Utah landscape. HawkWatch International (HWI) has been conducting surveys of wintering raptors in National Audubon’s Biennial Convention Comes to Utah National Audubon will hold its 2017 Convention “Elevating Audubon: America’s Most Ef- fective Conservation Network” on July 14-17th in Park City. Hear from special guests Dr. Drew Lanham, Kenn Kaufman, and more Network with Audubon chapter, state, national and international leaders from across all four flyways Join conservation, science, and outreach workshops and training sessions led by a variety of experts and Audubon chapter leaders For more information and to register, go to audubonconvention.org Great Salt Lake Audubon Bird Festival May 18 – 22, 2017 www.daviscountyutah.gov/greatsaltlakebirdfest

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Page 1: MAY/JUNE 2017 NEWSLETTER OF GREAT SALT LAKE AUDUBON …x.greatsaltlakeaudubon.org/pdf/pel2017mayjune.pdf · Northern Utah at the best time of year to see migrating shore-birds. We

MAY/JUNE 2017 NEWSLETTER OF GREAT SALT LAKE AUDUBONwww.greatsaltlakeaudubon.org

INSIDE

BIRDS ‘n BITES Join us for our monthly informative and entertaining programs. The meetings are free and open to all and presented in the Education Building at the Tracy Aviary in Liberty Park. Doors open at 6:30 pm for refreshments and socializing; the programs begin at 7pm. Enter Liberty Park at 600 E 900 South.

Board Highlights...............................................page 2 Membership Information...................................page 2Basin and Range................................................page 3Calendar of Events............................................page 4-5Great Salt Lake Wetlands History.....................page 6Exploring the Depths........................................page 7

Tuesday, May 16th, 7 PM, “Harnessing the Power of Citizen Scientists: Hawk-Watch International’s Winter Raptor Surveys,” Neil Paprocki, M.S., Hawk-Watch International Conservation Biologist

Utah since 2010. Surveys routinely document over 200 raptor sightings in a single day, and have identified crucial winter raptor “hot spots” across the rural Utah landscape. Behavioral data collected provides farmers and ranchers with the means to tailor their property towards raptors to enhance ecosystem services (i.e., pest control). Long-term winter census data such as this can be used in conjunction with other long-term efforts (i.e., Christmas Bird Count) to monitor the health and behavior of raptor populations. Winter is a time of survival for all birds, and his project aims to better understand how raptors are surviving across the Utah landscape.

HawkWatch International (HWI) has been conducting surveys of wintering raptors in

National Audubon’s Biennial Convention Comes to UtahNational Audubon will hold its 2017 Convention “Elevating Audubon: America’s Most Ef-fective Conservation Network” on July 14-17th in Park City. • Hear from special guests Dr. Drew Lanham, Kenn Kaufman, and more • Network with Audubon chapter, state, national and international leaders from across all fourflyways • Join conservation, science, and outreach workshops and training sessions led by a variety of experts and Audubon chapter leaders For more information and to register, go to audubonconvention.org

Great Salt Lake Audubon Bird FestivalMay 18 – 22, 2017

www.daviscountyutah.gov/greatsaltlakebirdfest

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2 The Pelican

THE PELICANNEWSLETTER OF GREAT SALT LAKE AUDUBON

Printed on recycled paper.

Mission Statement: Great Salt Lake Audubon is dedi-cated to protecting and enhancing habitat for wild

birds, animals and plants, and to maintaining healthy and diverse environments for wildlife and people

throughout the state.

GREAT SALT LAKE AUDUBON DIRECTORYwww.greatsaltlakeaudubon.org

OFFICE152 W. Burton, Suite J, SLC, Utah • (385) 313-0608Send correspondence to P. O. Box 520867, SLC, UT 84152-0867

OFFICERSPresident, Heather Dove.......................................801-201-3637 Vice President, Ray Smith....................................801-532-7384Secretary, Heather Griffiths.............................. 435-213-6565 Treasurer, Kandy Richards.................................. 801-599-7410

BOARD OF DIRECTORSTerm Ending 2018Ian Batterman........................................................920-360-0805Term Ending 2017Karin Kirchhoff................................................... 801-793-0484 Anne Terry............................................................361-649-2430Heather Griffiths.................................................. 435-213-6565Term Ending 2016Nancy Sakahara.....................................................801-487-4025 Guy Frost.........................................................801-277-5138Janet Frost..............................................................801-277-5138

COMMMITTEE CHAIRSFinance, Guy Frost............................................801-277-5138Newsletter Editor, Heather Griffiths.................. 435-213-6565Education, Anne Terry...........................................361-649-2430Field Trips, Ian Batterman....................................920-360-0805Fundraising............................................................OPEN Social Media Editor, Heather Griffiths..................435-213-6565 Hospitality, Bob & Darlea Stack............................801-487-3792 Membership, Heather Dove ..................................801-201-3637 Programs, Karin Kirchhoff.....................................801-793-0484 Publicity, Rollie and Martha Westman...................651-308-2717 Conservation, Deb Drain......................................801-455-4353 Volunteer Hours, Barb Eastman.............................801-671-8932 Website, Heather Dove & David Druker................801-201-3637

Submission Guidelines: Original articles and photos arewelcomed. The editor reserves the right to choose and edit as needed. Email articles to [email protected]. The Pelican is published 6 times a year. Submission deadline for the June/July issue is June 10, 2017.

Three ways to join or renew your membership:

1. Great Salt Lake Audubon-only membership is $30 a year. All dues support local education, advocacy, habitat restoration, field trips, newsletter publication, and more. (See membership form on page 8 of The Pelican). Local membership is very important, as GSLA is primarily self-supporting.2. A new membership to National Audubon Society (NAS) costs $25, with renewal of $35 after the first year. Benefits include the quarterly national magazine and automatic membership in GSLA. Most of your dues support environmental campaigns at the national level. As a new NAS member, you will receive a courtesy subscript to our newsletter, The Pelican, for one year. Thereafter, if you wish to continue to receive The Pelican, please join Great Salt Lake Audubon. 3. You can join both GSLA and NAS if you wish to support both local and national activities.

BOARD HIGHLIGHTS MARCH/APRILby Heather Griffiths

GSLA is excited to bring on Kandy Richards as the new Treasurer. Kandy has been working for non-profits as a finance and accounting professional since 2008. She is excited for the opportunity to use her skills in accounting to support a cause she loves, birding and conservation.

Janet Frost is stepping down from her role as GSLA Trea-surer but will continue on as a Board member and member of the Finance Committee. We thank Janet for the incredi-ble and invaluable contributions she has made to GSLA in her role as Treasurer and are glad to continue to have her participation on the board.

GSLA has been working with National Audubon to help coordinate field-trips and help bring local Utah issues to light at the upcoming National Audubon Biennial Conven-tion. The convention will be held in Park City, UT on July 14-17th. We hope to see you there!

Audubon is also seeking volunteers to be room monitors at the convention. If you wish to volunteer you may receive one day free at the convention! Please see their volunteer form for more details. http://x.greatsaltlakeaudubon.org/pdf/Volunteer_Form17.pdf

Speaking of volunteers, GSLA is always looking for volunteers. We are seeking individuals for the following areas Membership, Website maintenance, Social Media and Newsletter mailing prep. If you are interested to learn more, call Heather Dove at 801-201-3637 or email [email protected]

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3MAY/JUNE

Join Us for Basin & Range 2017

Great Salt Lake Audubon invites you to the 35th Annual Basin & Range weekend seminar, June 10-11,2017inNorthForkParknearLiberty,Utah.Thisisanewlocationforthefieldseminar,withtheaddedbenefitofbeingrelativelyclosetotheWasatchFront.NorthForkParkisaWe-ber County park that is 7 miles up North Ogden Canyon and northwest of Pineview Reservoir. The riparian habitat is perfect for birds, plants, mammals, and bees.

IfyouhaveneverattendedaBasin&Rangeseminar,pleaseconsiderjoiningusintheWestBower Group campsite. This is an excellent venue for enjoying the out-of-doors, meeting peo-ple with similar interests, and learning more about our natural environment.

Wearepleasedtooffersixfieldsessionswithexcellentinstructors.IanBatterman,FrankHowe,andBryantOlsenwillbeleadingthebirdingfieldsessions.Newinstructorstoourprograminclude Lynn Bohs, who specializes in plants, and Stephen Stanko, who is an expert on bees. Adam Brewerton is a returning instructor who is a biologist working with mammals. The even-ingstarprogramispresentedbyStacyPalenfromWeberStateUniversity.

The event is limited to 50 people. Children under 12 years of age can attend at no cost with adult supervision. Cost is $30 for those 12 to 64 years of age; and $20 for attendees 65 and older. Please register early to get the classes you want. The registration form is included in this issueofThePelican,oryoucanprinttheformlinkedontheGSLAwebsite.Weacceptmailregistration and payment by check only. If you have any questions, please contact Jeanne Le Ber ([email protected]) or Ray Smith – 801-532-7384.

Find this Bird!WeneedyourhelpinfindingAmericanWhitePelicans with green wing tags. The pelicans are bandedeachyearasfledglingsonGunnisonIs-landinGreatSaltLake.Withyourhelpinreport-ingtaggedbirds,theUtahDivisionofWildlifeResources will learn more about their migration patterns, feeding behavior and survival rates.

If you see a pelicans with wing tags lease note the date, location, tag code and color. Take pictures too! Then report your sightings at at reportband.gov or e-mail [email protected].

More information on this will be in the next issue of The Pelican!

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Great Salt Lake Audubon, www.greatsaltlakeaudubon.org(385) 313-0608

Calendar of Events including Field Trips for MAY/JUNE 2017Beginning birders and nonmembers are always welcome.We encourage carpooling on our field trips. Contributions to drivers for gas money would be appreciated. Be sure to call the field trip leader to confirm that arrangements are still as published.

Physical Difficulty:EASY - little or no walking, smooth paths.MODERATE - 1 mile or more, possible rough terrain.DIFFICULT - extensive walking which could include rough terrain and significant changes in altitude.Despite our best efforts, ratings for the field trips are still somewhat subjective. Please consult with the leaders.

****PLEASE NOTE: EXPECT FIELD TRIPS TO LEAVE ON TIME SO ARRIVE 5-10 MINUTES EARLY TO ARRANGE CARPOOLS.****

Wednesday, May 3, 8 AM—MODERATE Mountain Dell Rec. Area, Parley’s Canyon Leader: John MiddletonCome and join us for our monthly bird survey. May ought to be a good month to see a variety of birds as the spring migrants are beginning to return. Ospreys and Red-tailed Hawks are already nesting. We’ll meet by 8AM in the parking lot just west of REI on 33rd South and 3285 east for a morning of birding.

Saturday, May 6, 7:30 AM—EASY Antelope IslandLeader: Ian Batterman Come join us at one of the greatest migratory stopover sites in Northern Utah at the best time of year to see migrating shore-birds. We will be start at the causeway, and spend quite a deal of time there hopefully, and then travel on to the island including stopovers at the Visitor Center, Buffalo Corrals, and Garr Ranch to see what’s around. This will be a fairly long birding trip, so please plan accordingly. Meet us in the large parking lot (the one BEFORE the restrooms) just outside of the entrance kiosk at the Causeway by 7:30AM. If you have a park pass, please bring it along. Contact Ian Batterman at 920-360-0805 or at [email protected] to let him know you are coming.

Tuesday, May 16th, 7 PM, “Harnessing the Power of Citi-zen Scientists: HawkWatch International’s Winter Raptor Surveys”, Neil Paprocki, M.S., HawkWatch International Conservation BiologistDescription: Harnessing the power of citizen scientists, Hawk-Watch International (HWI) has been conducting surveys of win-tering raptors in Utah since 2010. Surveys routinely document over 200 raptor sightings in a single day, and have identified crucial winter raptor “hot spots” across the rural Utah landscape. Behavioral data collected provides farmers and ranchers with the means to tailor their property towards raptors to enhance

ecosystem services (i.e., pest control). Long-term winter census data such as this can be used in conjunction with other long-term efforts (i.e., Christmas Bird Count) to monitor the health and behavior of raptor populations. Winter is a time of survival for all birds, and his project aims to better understand how raptors are surviving across the Utah landscape.

Saturday, May 27, 7 AM—MODERATE Yellow Fork CanyonLeader: Ian BattermanDown in the Southwestern corner of Salt Lake County is Yellow Fork Canyon, a wonderful hiking spot and a unique area for birding in the county. Here you will find a mix of mountain and desert species that in many cases can only be found in the more arid areas of the state. This will be a somewhat strenuous hike, so please remember sunscreen and water. We will meet at the West Valley Target at 7am to arrange a carpool. Please contact Ian Batterman at 920-360-0805 or at [email protected] if you are interested.

Monday, May 29, 6 AM—EASYInland Sea Shorebird Reserve (Kennecott’s Mitigation Wet-lands)Leader: Bryant OlsenWe have obtained permission to do a monthly bird survey of the Inland Sea Shorebird Reserve from Rio Tinto/Kennecott Utah Copper. This is seldom open to the general public and features all of the familiar Great Salt Lake wetland habitats and birds that we usually have to travel farther north to find. Who knows what new birds we can document for Salt Lake County out there? We will also explore areas around Lee Kay ponds, the International Center and Saltair/Marina, depending on time and where birds are being reported. We meet at Shopko at 6am to carpool. PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED as there is limited space on these field trips. Contact Bryant Olsen at 801-498-0362 or [email protected] to sign up.

Wednesday, May 31, 6 AM– NOON—EASY Farmington Bay followed by areas north for those interestedLeader: Bryant OlsenMeet in SE corner of the ShopKo parking lot in Sugarhouse by 6:00am to carpool OR meet at 6:30am at the GSL nature Center on Glover Lane in Farmington (I-15 exit 319 in Centerville, then Frontage Rd north 4 miles to Glover Lane overpass OR I-15 exit 322 in Farmington, then backtrack 2 blocks on Frontage Rd to the overpass afternoon Birding Option. After birding “The Bay” for the morning, anyone interested can continue birding north-ward with Bryant. Destinations will likely be Kaysville Ponds or Antelope Island depending on what birds are being seen. Call Bryant 801-498-0362 or email, [email protected] if you plan to attend.

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Great Salt Lake Audubon, www.greatsaltlakeaudubon.org(385) 313-0608

Calendar of Events including Field Trips for MAY/JUNE 2017

MAY/JUNE

Saturday, June 3, 8 AM—EASY/MODERATEBluebird Boxes in Strawberry ValleyLeaders: Jeanne LeBer and Ray SmithPlease join us. We will meet at 8am in the SE corner of the Shopko Parking lot in Sugarhouse or 9:15AM at the Strawberry Valley Visi-tor Center. The morning will be spent checking the boxes and record-ing the species using each box, and if there are eggs or young birds. It’s very exciting, you never quite know what you are going to find! Afterwards we will gather for lunch. Please bring your own sand-wich; GSLA will provide cold drinks. Call Jeanne or Ray at 801-532-7384 if you have questions or to let them know you’ll be there.

Wednesday, June 7, 7:30 AM—MODERATE Mountain Dell Rec. Area, Parley’s Canyon Leader: John Middleton Come and join us for our monthly bird survey. Our summer visitors will be here so come and help us find them. We’ll meet by 7:30AM in the parking lot just west of ReI on 33rd South and 3285 east for a morning of birding. Call John (801-322-2171) if you plan to attend.

Saturday, June 10-Sunday June 11, Basin & Range 2017 North Fork Park, Weber CountyPlease see the insert for complete information and the registra-tion form.

Saturday, June 17, 7 AM—EASYRestoration Site in Fairfield and Powell Lake, LehiLeader: Darwin BundyDarwin has a passion for the environment and has spent 20 years transforming his land (161 acres) from an overgrazed state to a place of diverse habitats using native trees, bushes and grasses. As a result, many birds and other animals find this a welcoming place. After spending time here we will drive back to Lehi and tour the wetlands known locally as Powell Lake. We will meet in the south-east corner of the Sugarhouse Shopko parking lot in SLC by 7am for carpooling. Bring water and lunch. Contact Ian Batterman at 920-360-0805 or at [email protected] to let him know you are coming.

Saturday, June 24, 7AM—EASY Bear River Migratory Bird RefugeLeader: Ian BattermanJoin us for a field trip looking at the many breeding and migrant wetland birds at one of the premier birding hotspots in Utah. Early June is one of the best times to go to Bear River MBR as we should see many migrants as well as families of water birds like grebes and ducks. This will be a fairly long field trip (at least 5 hours including driving time to the refuge) so please plan accordingly. We meet at Sugarhouse Shopko to carpool and leave at 7AM. Contact Ian Bat-terman at 920-360-0805 or at [email protected] to let him know you are coming.

Monday, June 26, 6 AM—EASYInland Sea Shorebird Reserve (Kennecott’s Mitigation Wet-lands)Leader: Bryant OlsenWe have obtained permission to do a monthly bird survey of the Inland Sea Shorebird Reserve from Rio Tinto/Kennecott Utah Copper. This is seldom open to the general public and features all of the familiar Great Salt Lake wetland habitats and birds that we usually have to travel farther north to find. Who knows what new birds we can document for Salt Lake County out there? We will also explore areas around Lee Kay ponds, the International Center and Saltair/Marina, depending on time and where birds are being reported. We meet at Shopko at 6am to carpool. PRE-REGISTRA-TION IS REQUIRED as there is limited space on these field trips. Contact Bryant Olsen at 801-498-0362 or [email protected] to sign up.

Wednesday, June 28, 6 AM– NOON—EASY Farmington Bay followed by areas north for those interestedLeader: Bryant OlsenMeet in SE corner of the ShopKo parking lot in Sugarhouse by 6:00am to carpool OR meet at 6:30am at the GSL nature Center on Glover Lane in Farmington (I-15 exit 319 in Centerville, then Frontage Rd north 4 miles to Glover Lane overpass OR I-15 exit 322 in Farmington, then backtrack 2 blocks on Frontage Rd to the overpass afternoon Birding Option. After birding “The Bay” for the morning, anyone interested can continue birding northward with Bryant. Destinations will likely be Kaysville Ponds or Ante-lope Island depending on what birds are being seen. Call or email Bryant if you plan to attend. 801-498-0362 [email protected]

Wednesday, July 5, 7AM—MODERATE Mountain Dell Rec. Area, Parley’s Canyon Leader: John Middleton Come and join us for our monthly bird survey. We’ll meet by 7AM in the parking lot just west of REI on 33rd South and 3285 East for a morning of birding. Call John (801-322-2171) if you plan to attend.

Male Bullock’s Oriole. Photography by September Smith. Follow September on Instagram at http://instagram.com/goldilocksandthe3poodles Be sure to follow GSLA on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/greatsalt-lakeaudubon/ and consider sharing your own photos!

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6 The Pelican

Local Collaboration Launches Great Salt Lake Wet-lands History ProjectBy Stephanie Held, Westminster College Ccommunication major

Thousands of birds were dying and no one knew why. In 1913 the shores of the Great Salt Lake were congested with the dead bodies of ducks and other species of waterfowl.

In the midst of this crisis, an ornithologist working for the U.S. Bureau of Biological Survey, began banding and reportingonducksinUtah’sBearRivermarshes.Whilecreatingthesebandreports,ayoungAlexanderWetmoredetermined that the birds were affected by avian botulism--a paralytic,oftenfataldiseasethatresultsfromtheingestionofaspecifictoxin.By1915,Wetmorehadprovedthe birds died after eating lead shot and had come from well outside Utah’s borders.

Eventually,WetmoreleftUtahtostudybirdmigrationinSouthAmerica.Twenty-fiveyearslaterhebecamethesixthSecretaryoftheSmithsonianInstitutioninWashingtonD.C.Allhispapershavebeensavedincludinghiswork on the Great Salt Lake.

TheWetlandsHistoryInitiativeProject(WHIP)isalocalinitiativetopreservestorieslikeWetmore’s.Thisever growing partnership between local universities, stewardship organizations and enthusiasts, aims to create a Great Salt Lake wetlands and duck hunting historical archive.

“Wehavescholars,archivists,duckhunters,birdwatchers,andpeoplewho’velivedandworkedintheGreatSaltLakewetlands,”saidJeffNichols,professorofhistoryatWestminsterCollege,SLC.“Theseareimportantnatural and human environments that haven’t received enough attention but if we do our job right, they will start to.”

WHIPinvitescommunitymemberstosharetheirstoriesandtreasuresaboutconservation,duckhunting,birdrefuge, boat building, decoys, etc. Everything from photographs, scrapbooks, documents, artifacts, and personal stories of the Great Salt Lake wetlands are welcome.

To collect materials, three “Antiques Roadshow style” events are slated for this summer: May 6 at the Bear RiverBirdRefugeVisitorCenter,BrighamCity;July22attheUnionStation,Ogden;September30atWest-minster College, SLC. All three events will last from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

During these events, staff from local universities will be on hand to scan and return materials and record per-sonalstories.WHIPwillalsoacceptdonationsifpatronsprefertodonatetheoriginalmaterialstothearchive.

Throughout the day, local historians will present on different topics related to the Great Salt Lake wetlands. Community members are encouraged to attend these presentations while their materials are being digitized.

“The millions of birds that migrate here each season have always been an attraction for humans from both near andfar,”saidJaimiButler,spokespersonforWHIPandcoordinatoroftheGreatSaltLakeInstituteatWestmin-ster College, an organization which endeavors to connect people to the Great Salt Lake through research and education.“Wewanttopreserveourhumanconnectiontothebirdsofthelakebycollectingstories,huntinglogs, photographs, artifacts, and anything that embodies the spirit of this important place in our backyard.”

ForfurtherinformationaboutWHIPandthethreecollectionevents,contactJaimiButleratWestminsterCol-lege’s Great Salt Lake Institute at [email protected] or 801-832-2308.

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MAY/JUNE 7

GSLA thanks the voters of Salt Lake County for their support of the Zoo, Arts & Parks program.

Join our email listWeregularlysendouteventreminders,actionalertsand legislative updates via email. If you would like to receive this important info, send an email request to Heather Dove at [email protected]. GSLA does not share your email informa-tion with any persons or organizations.

Exploring the DepthsBy Ella Sorensen

Mybackwarmedbyflickeringflamesofthefireplace,myfathersittinglisteningathisdesk;Ilamentedthatat21years old I felt a total lack of purpose. I was in my third year at the University nearing a bachelor’s degree in Chem-istry. Math and science have always come easily and so unmotivated, I drifted aimlessly into that for want of any-thing else. My father told me to change studies, but I said with all sincerity that I was too old and too far down the path. Ridiculous he retorted. But the main reason I couldn’t change was because there was nothing else.

Later,twolifechangesdispelledtheemptiness.Thefirstwasthebirthofthreechildren.SecondwasinSeptember1997,inOlympicNationalParkwhenIpurchasedPeterson’sFieldGuidetoWesternBirds.Aninstantaneousobses-sion began that day and continues today.

Exploring the Depths, a blog that I recently started, will detail many of my personal explorations and discoveries. Mostwillbenaturalworld-basedwithliberalforaysintopoetryandphilosophy.Forfifteenyears,Iwroteamonthlybird column for The Salt Lake Tribune. Through the years, many readers have requested that I publish them in a book. Keynote speeches which tend toward more poetic and philosophical presentations are often met with requests forcopies.MyarticleshaveappearedinmagazinessuchasAudubon,BirdWatchersDigest,Birding,aswellasmany through the years in Utah-based venues. All of these will be a base for postings on Exploring the Depths.

Mine has been a long life of fascination with the world around me, both human and nature. As time permits, new writings will appear. Some will be simple observations, some will be stories, and some will be essays on new discov-eries.Theywillbeofhumor,joy,pleasure,despair,andnowasIfindtheedgemovingnearerintothesettingsun,some will tend into deeper philosophical questions about life and how we interact with the world of nature around us.

Time has taught me that communication is complex. How often the response to something I have written or spoken is interpreted drastically different than intended. Disagreement and other perspectives help to hone the reason and logic of my own views. I love it when that happens, for it opens new paths of thought and I look forward to com-mentsanddialogueeitherthroughtheblogorpersonalinteractionanddiscussion.Youcanfinditatelladibblesorensen.org

Ella Sorenson is manager of National Audubon’s Gillmor Sanctuary and a longtime member of Utah’s birding com-munity. Ella invites you to check in regularly on her blog, read her pieces and leave a comment. She hopes to use this blog as a way of sparking discussion about the environment and the natural world.

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The Pelican 8

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