Way to Go Beaver Island!

[BeaverIslandAssociation]

So, how was the Beaver Island Birding Trail dedication? The positive comments speak for themselves:

â??Beaver Island is so beautifulâ?¦the water is so clearâ?¦the community was so welcomingâ?¦the staging area of pelagics [birds found on open water] is unprecedentedâ?¦I have to travel all season to see an Olive-sided Flycatcher and we saw 4 in one spotâ?¦wow, the dedication meal, the Community Center setting and speakers were incredibleâ?¦the drivers and field guides were so knowledgeable (thanks to our host drivers: Jim Gillingham, Ed and Beth Leuck, and Bob Tidmore)â?¦we had 102 bird species in 24 hoursâ?¦your birding habitats are greatâ?¦nice to see miles of roads without invasive speciesâ?¦we saw a Kirkland warblerâ?¦and the list goes on.

The Beaver Island community can be proud of hosting this inaugural event. Many thanks to our corporate sponsors who transported, fed, and housed many of the speakers and field trip leaders. Those sponsors were: the Beaver Island Boat Company, Beaver Island Lodge, Dalwhinnies, Island Airways, McDonoughâ??s Market, and the Shamrock Bar and Restaurant. The Community Center and staff provided a welcoming gathering space, filled with birding information. Doris Larson needs special recognition for her efforts in showcasing the fabulous art work by talented island artists during the dedication. Brian Mastenbrook, Department of Natural Resources, placed interpretive signs at Oliverâ??s Point, Camp 3, Black Hills, Lake Geneserath, and across from the Wagner Campground at the Seven Bridges trailhead.

So now what? The birders are busy blogging about the event, the island, and the birds. As Brian Allan, one of the trip leaders remarked about e-Bird, an online reporting system for bird sightings, â??we lit up Beaver Island like a Christmas tree.â?￾ Some of the trip leaders are talking about offering an October fall birding trip.

The BIBT dedication and field trips will be archived on www.beaverislandbirdingtrail.org along with birding photos from the Island event. Birders year-round can enjoy online information about the islandâ??s birding opportunities. Stay tuned for updates to the site.

Keep up the fantastic welcoming attitude, Beaver Island! It will prove to be an economic boost to the island and provide birders with warm memories of their island adventure.

[Pam Grassmick]

People attending the birding trail dedication have been asking for a copy of the closing comments which they found meaningful.

Below are the closing comments by Paul Rose, one of speakers at the dinner and dedication. Paul spoke of the earlier strengths in the conservation movement-collaboration among many diverse organizations for the common good of wildlife conservation. Paul is immediate past President of Michigan United Conservation Clubs (MUCC), served as a Regional Director of the National Wildlife Federation, and is a former Chairman of Huron Pines. Paul and Carol own a consulting firm which specializes in the appraisal of larger forestry and recreational lands throughout northern Michigan and commercial real estate valuation.

"As members and supporters of wildlife conservation organizations, we need to remind ourselves of these historical roots and encourage leaders from within these organizations to seek more and broader partnerships. Partnerships which do not seek to identify us with simplistic labels. As wildlife conservationists, we are neither red nor blue, weâ??re not birders or bird hunters, or sportsmen or environmentalists."
We have far more in common than what may at time divide us, and we must rekindle that common goal of sharing the same trail.â?￾