Hi,

Conservation and habitat, in my view should be primary concerns of those
interested in birds and those who take part in the spectacle that birding
has become, so I occasionally like to point out how members of the birding
community can actually support the many of areas in Ohio  that make this
spectacle possible.  I have three suggestions that come to mind as these
are to agencies and organizations/land owners I am most familiar with.

The 2018 Ohio Wildlife Legacy Stamp will be issued in March and until then
you can purchase the 2017 stamp.  These also come with a nice sticker and
an attractive pin.  These stamps are issued by the Ohio Division of
Wildlife and funds go to support wildlife areas like Magee Marsh.

http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/about-contacts/support-ohios-wildlife/ohio-wildlife-legacy-stamp

It would be nice to see people in the field wearing these pins or to see
birders vehicles with the stickers. Something all too rare in our state,
especially given the large numbers of participants.

Another place used extensively by birders is Mentor Marsh.  This natural
area was Ohio's first state nature preserve and is managed by the Cleveland
Museum of Natural History. It is a great place for Rails, ammodramus
species sparrows, and other birds that are hard to find elsewhere. The
marsh is undergoing an extensive restoration effort and this is improving
the habitat for birds considerably.  You can contribute to the CMNH Mentor
Marsh fund here by using the pull down menu to choose Mentor Marsh.

https://www.cmnh.org/join-support/donate/donate-now


I would be remiss to not also mention the organization where I do much of
my field work which is the Holden Arboretum. Holden is a private not for
profit organization that does not receive any public funds.  It is entirely
dependent upon admission fees, memberships, donations and grants to
preserve over 3000 acres of natural areas which are very important breeding
bird habitat supporting some of Ohio's rarer nesting species.  Holden is
also a place known to host rarities like Bohemian Waxwing, Hoary Redpoll,
Mississippi Kite, and Townsend's Solitaire which have provided many in the
birding community an opportunity to add these to their lists. You can join
or donate to Holden here:

http://www.holdenarb.org/join-and-support/


All three of the above actually own and preserve habitat, and I would
encourage everyone to donate to organizations that actually do this as it
is a good measure of action, and shows your support is for something
tangible which can be seen and measured.

Haans

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