January 2019 Board Meeting Summary

12 Feb January 2019 Board Meeting Summary

After reviewing the year-end results from the FAS on-line store, the board decided to wrap up its efforts to sell logo items.  Members will have an opportunity, between now and early summer, to buy what they need.  Thereafter, FAS will be happy to provide information on the supplier, and will make the logo available for people who need to replace their FAS shirt or hat. 

Shinzen Garden at Woodward Park contacted FAS and requested a guided bird walk.  The date and time have been set:  March 9, 2019 at 8:00 a.m.  We will need volunteers to lead small groups of people; as the date grows nearer, we expect to know more about how many people are going to sign up for this.  If you are willing to help us, please contact admin@fresnoaudubon.org. 

Fresno Audubon has started doing baseline surveys of portions of the San Joaquin River Parkway.  If you are interested in getting involved in this on-going effort, please contact admin@fresnoaudubon.org.

This month we will be kicking off a new partnership with the River Parkway:  Birding Classes.  Members of the board have developed a curriculum and various teaching tools, and we are looking for people who are interested in teaching others to learn about birding.  Please contact  admin@fresnoaudubon.org if you would like to join the team.

Fresno Audubon will be involved in Fresno’s Earth Day again, and will be hosting a booth.  This year’s theme is endangered species which is right up our alley.  

Fresno County is moving forward with its long-term plan to fundamentally change Lost Lake Park.  The County wants the River Conservancy to pay for needed environmental impact work, but plans to remain the lead agency, driving the park to be very different from its present state:  They plan to Woodward-ize it.  The plan has a price-tag of more than $70 million: The whole park will be re-shaped. They plan on bulldozing, scraping and moving 1½ million tons of earth, planting 10,000 trees, installing 10 soccer fields, more than 1500 parking spaces and 23 separate bathroom buildings.  These plans will also fill in the old “lost lake”.  This may well end the park’s status as a premier birding location near town. If you are unhappy with this proposed change to the park please call/email/write to your supervisor and let them know.

FAS Board’s Strategic Planning Committee will be meeting later in February to refine the organization’ mid-to-long-term goals.