March 2019 Board Meeting Summary

Summary of FAS Board Minutes March 31, 2019

On March 31, 2019 the FAS board met at the Fig Garden Library conference room for a regularly scheduled meeting. All members attended, including our newest board member, Nancy Gilmore.

The busy birding season is in full swing with lots of local walks, plus two birding classes in April. April also brings Earth Day, and Fresno Audubon will again have a booth and is a major sponsor for the annual event.

FAS, in partnership with the San Joaquin River Parkway, is conducting surveys of three Parkway properties and is also holding monthly learn-to-bird classes (except during summer months) at the Parkway.

With the Parkway’s permission, FAS board members and other volunteers created a bird- friendly site near the River Center’s farmhouse/pergola, complete with a water feature, a large variety of bird feeders and brush piles to provide birds with comforting cover. Kudos go to George Folsom, Judy Johnson and Nancy and Gary Gilmore for their contributions and work to make this possible. The fountain has been linked in to the Parkway’s irrigation system so that it automatically refills, and the number and variety of birds is exciting to see.

Eight people participated in the inaugural learn-to-bird class at the River Center. Board member Rich Gilman created the curriculum (with some assists from other members) and the feedback from this first 2-hour session was positive. Birders start in the classroom learning the basics of using binoculars and bird identification, along with learning about online tools and resources. The group then took a walk around the premises and practiced their new skills.