Volunteer

MRVAC can always use volunteers for both short term projects and longer term commitments.

Treasurer  Bob Williams will retire as Treasurer in May 2018. He is willing to coach the new Treasurer through the first year. Duties include checking the PO Box, depositing checks, paying bills and reporting on account balance, income and expenses and keeping current with state and federal filings. bxwilliams@cbburnet.com

Board members  meet once a month. During the meetings, the board makes decisions about spending money (i.e. the grants offered by the chapter – see more about past awards on the web: https://mrvac.org/grants/ ) responds to requests. The board also plans ways to raise money, attract members and increase diversity.

Board members periodically take on a special project approved by the board like helping with the fundraising auction, planning a special celebration, finding volunteers to help with an event at the refuge, attracting new and retaining existing members, recruiting speakers, helping partner organizations (e.g. 2 board members led 2 field trips for East Side Neighborhood Services, related to their grant).

There is no immediate opening on the board, but interested persons could start attending meetings now to get up-to-speed! Contact Rick Magee, MRVAC secretary or any other board member: rrickvex@live.com

Membership chair  – welcome everyone attending the monthly meetings (make sure someone is at the nametag table) send the annual renewal mailing to local members and work with National as needed to keep membership list up to date. (Greg Burnes is filling in for now.) gburnes@comcast.net

Newsletter editor  – Anne Hanley would like to take a break for 2 years until she retires. If someone could fill in, that would be marvelous! anne_hanley90@hotmail.com

Field trip leaders and assistants  If interested, contact Cheri Fox at cherifoxj@gmail.com

Volunteers wanted to monitor 2 existing bluebird trails:

• Bloomington = 4 boxes at 102nd St E & Park Ave.
• Forest Lake = 6 boxes at Tanners Brook Golf Course; (plans are to expand to 10 later).

Contact Jack Hauser at jgshauser@gmail.com or  call 952-831-8132.

The Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge has recently mapped out a series of observation points to collect data on the effects of seasonal change for several plant and animal species. These observation points are connected in a series of three “phenology trails” along the refuge. These observations provide important information to scientists in the National Phenology Network, along with our own biologists, as they seek to better understand how species are effected by changing seasonal patterns.

Their research depends on people like you, the citizen scientists, to help collect invaluable field data all across the nation. The data collection is done through a citizen science initiative known as “Nature’s Notebook”, which utilizes a user-friendly website and mobile application to aid in simple and accurate data collection.

• If you are interested in joining this campaign, please consider attending an upcoming (as yet unscheduled) workshop, where you will learn about the importance of phenology and how to use Nature’s Notebook to collect data, along with finding opportunities to get involved.

For more information please contact Cortney Solum at cortney_solum@fws.gov

Where do you like to bird when you are birding alone or with a few friends? Birding by bike or canoe might be fun! Pick your favorite park or trail, somewhere close by or further afield, and contact me, Cheri Fox, about adding an outing to next year’s field trip schedule. We’d love to have a few more field trip leaders. I can be reached by phone at 612-590-1261 or cherifoxj@gmail.com.

If you have been thinking about leading a walk but are a little unsure about it, you may set up a field trip with a co-leader. You need not be an expert, you just need to be welcoming to your participants and have some experience with the trip location. For example, it’s very helpful if you have birded there before, know the park features (restrooms, optional trails back to the parking lot) – and where at least a few birds are likely to be found.

Monitors wanted for next spring at two established Birdbird Recovery Project bluebird trails: Southview Golf Course in West St Paul and TPC Golf Course in Blaine. Training will be provided. In both locations, a golf cart is available for the monitors’ use if you would prefer not to walk. For more information, please contact Jack Hauser at 952-831-8132 or email jgshauser@gmail.com.

• Southview Country Club, 239 Mendota Rd E, West St. Paul, MN 55118
• TPC Twin Cities, 11444 Tournament Players Pkwy, Blaine, MN 55449

By Cheri Fox 

We’d love to have a few more MRVAC field trip leaders! If you have been thinking about leading a walk but are a little unsure about it, you may set up a field trip with a co-leader.

You need not be an expert, you just need to be welcoming to your participants and have some experience with the trip location. For example, it’s very helpful if you have birded there before, know the park features (restrooms, optional trails back to the parking lot) – and where at least a few birds are likely to be found.

Where do you like to bird when you are birding alone or with a few friends? Birding by bike or canoe might be fun! Pick your favorite park or trail and contact me, Cheri Fox, about adding an outing to next year’s schedule. I can be reached by phone at 612-590-1261 or email at cherifoxj@gmail.com.

Each year our chapter puts aside funding to support educational activities in our region. One key activity is our reach out to a variety of schools and outdoor educational organizations offering them free access to the Audubon Adventure educational curriculum.

We are looking for a volunteer that would help us find educational programs that could successfully leverage these materials in their classrooms. If you are truly interested in supporting environmental education, please contact Greg Burnes @ 612-205-3071.

About Audubon Adventures: Across the country this material has been used to introduce young people (grades 3 – 8), their families, and their teachers to the fundamental principles by which the natural world functions. Audubon Adventures lessons offer an exciting, science-based exploration of those principles at work anchored in nonfiction reading and outdoor and classroom activities that help kids to care for the planet by helping birds and other wildlife. They integrate easily into the existing curriculum areas of science, social studies, mathematics, language arts and creative arts. Audubon Adventures has been used in classrooms, home schools, after-school programs, camp programs, ESL classes and more

The Richardson Nature Center building features a “wildlife viewing room”. We are looking for additional “backyard” volunteers to assist us in maintaining this space by cleaning, maintaining, and repairing the feeder stations. These crucial volunteers also help with special projects as needed, including the seasonal maintenance of the pond.

This room, visited by countless school groups and visiting members of the general public each year, has floor to ceiling windows which looks out to the ‘backyard’ feeder stations. We offer sunflower seed, safflower seed, thistle, and suet when seasonally appropriate. Visitors love watching the songbirds, turkeys, deer and yes, squirrels.

Please contact Monica Rauchwarter 763.694.7678 for more information