Audubon chapter is dedicated to helping birds

No sooner did I sit down to write this week's column than memories of Ramona Snavely washed over me. When I mention Audubon Society of Forsyth County, the response often is, "Did you know Ramona?" Ramona was the heart and soul of the local Audubon chapter, serving as the group's compass, mentor and community liaison for more than 30 years until she died in early 2006.

Arrive at an Audubon activity, and Ramona greeted you with a smile and made you feel welcome. Ask about a bird you saw, and she asked you about field marks, behavior or habitat. Tell her that you saw an Ivory-billed Woodpecker, and she probably would suggest, "Let's go take a look," rather than say that you were wrong. Today, as a past chapter president and a co-writer of "Bird's Eye View," I appreciate how much I have learned from Ramona Snavely.

The Audubon Society of Forsyth County has roots in an earlier Winston-Salem Audubon Society. The current chapter became affiliated with the National Audubon Society in 1973, with a mission "to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and North Carolina's biological diversity." Area residents who join the national organization automatically become local members. Local-only memberships are also available.

Plenty of activities

Participants in Audubon activities like birds, care about them, understand their importance as a part of the overall ecology and want to learn more about them. Make no mistake, healthy bird populations are important to us and our environment. They eat insects and other wildlife that cause disease or devour our crops; they pollinate flowers and spread the seeds of plants; and they warn us about unclean water, air and soil, as well as habitat and climate change.

Citizen science is a basic part of Audubon. Each winter, 50 to 60 Forsyth County residents take part in the annual Christmas Bird Count, which provides data for scientific study. You may also view the data at www.audubon.org/bird/cbc. In addition, the Forsyth chapter conducts a Spring Count in early May, promotes participation in February's Great Backyard Bird Count and takes part in other surveys.

On the second Saturday of each month, the chapter holds a public bird walk at a local park. These are great opportunities to enjoy the outdoors and to meet some local Audubon members. On occasion, the chapter sponsors other birding outings, such as hawk-watching at Pilot Mountain in the fall or day trips to regional birding sites. In January and late spring, the chapter sponsors weekend field trips to coastal or mountain locations.

The public is also invited to night programs on the fourth Tuesday of the month during September-November and January-May. Members or guest speakers provide presentations about birds and wildlife, conservation and the environment. Meetings begin at 7 p.m. at SciWorks, 400 W. Hanes Mill Road.

This summer, several Audubon members worked with day campers through the Kids Connect Program at the Malloy/Jordan Heritage Center Library, and with the Young Naturalists camp at Reynolda Gardens. The chapter welcomes opportunities to do programs with schools, garden clubs, senior centers and nearby state parks. Chapter member Liz Schmid leads walks at Triad Park in Kernersville, while member Rob Rogers offers a beginner birding class at Forsyth Tech Community College's Bolton Street campus.

On the conservation front, the chapter has adopted Hanging Rock and New River State Parks as part of National Audubon Society's Important Bird Area, or IBA, program.

With more than 90 IBAs, Audubon North Carolina is a leader in this effort to identify and conserve areas that are important to birds. The chapter conducts bird-population surveys and uses grant money to help with educational materials and signage. The chapter collaborates with nature-education efforts at Historic Bethabara and Reynolda Gardens, and has adopted Miller Park, where a memory tree for Ramona now grows.

For more information about Audubon Society of Forsyth County, go to www.forsythaudubon.org. The Web site includes newsletters, a birding guide and checklist, as well as information about membership and who to contact for specific questions. Better yet, attend a bird walk or night program. On Sept. 23 at SciWorks, Terri Maness, a graduate student in biology at Wake Forest University, will discuss her study of Galapagos Island seabirds called Nazca Boobies.

■ Bird's-Eye View is a joint column by Ron Morris and Phil Dickinson. Today's column was written by Dickinson. Dickinson is a legal writer. He has been an active birder for 15 years, and is a past president of the Audubon Society of Forsyth County and chairs the conservation committee. Morris retired after 24 years as curator at the N.C. Zoo. He has studied birds around the world and is currently the vice president of the Audubon Society of Forsyth County. If you have a birding question or story idea, write to Bird's-Eye View in care of Features, Winston-Salem Journal, P.O. Box 3159, Winston-Salem, N.C. 27101-3159, or send an e-mail to birding@wsjournal.com. Please type "birds" in the subject line.