In reference to the issue of invasive plants in bird habitat, particularly
at Headlands Preserve, Dan Best posed the question: "Anybody out there
(individual or group) willing to spearhead: to explore a partnership with
DNAP and forge a union of supporting organizations?"

On behalf of the Ohio Bird Conservation Initiative (OBCI), I would like to
answer with a resounding, yes! As a partnership of nearly 100 state and
federal government agencies, businesses, and non-profit organizations
supporting the conservation of birds in Ohio, OBCI is perfectly suited to
coordinate this type of effort. OBCI works to conserve birds and their
habitats through developing partnerships between organizations, and we are
very interested in coordinating efforts to remove invasive plants from bird
habitat and effectively replace them with native species.

I will begin to contact organizations that have been suggested to me as
potential partners, but if as an individual or on behalf of your
organization you would like to become involved in this effort, please feel
free to contact me. As always, OBCI welcomes your thoughts and ideas for
this or any other bird-related project in Ohio. In addition to my contact
information below, I will have a table set up at Magee Marsh this Saturday.
If you will be there, stop by and we can talk about project ideas.

Amanda Conover
Ohio Bird Conservation Initiative
Program Coordinator
614-432-8489
obcinet.org
Find us on Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/pages/OhioBirdConservationInitiative>

-----Original Message-----
From: Ohio birds [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
Dan Best
Sent: Sunday, May 06, 2012 9:35 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [Ohio-birds] Headlands cutting- invasive plants and Ohio
birds

Headland Dunes' thickets, as cover, are a key ingredient to its avian
allure as a migratory hotspot.
The cover is non-native, invasive honeysuckle ... and it is spreading
towards the dunes.

ODNR Div. of Natural Areas & Preserves (DNAP) are faced with the
statewide onslaught of invasive plants that, like a cancer, threaten the
ecological integrity of state nature preserves, of our last, best
reserves of Ohio's natural heritage and biological diversity.
Bio-diversity folks.  It's not ALL about the birds. In this case it's
the dunes ecosystem and all of its intact components that makes
Headlands such a unique and ecologically valuable place.

DNAP came dangerously close to getting its plug pulled this past year in
state budget cuts.  I mean gone, abolished.  It was the hue and cry of
the grassroots conservation community that saved it.  It's continued
existence is not to be taken for granted.  Though granted a stay of
execution, DNAP  still does not and will not have the personnel or
budget to tackle the advancing legions of invasive plants anytime soon.

I'm calling on the birding community  as a whole to take a broader view
nature, namely the habitats that support the birds they love.  What we
have here is a prime opportunity to step up to protect the resource: a
collaborative effort to restore Headlands Dunes.  I suggest that prime
players  would include Burroughs Nature Club, Blackbrook Audubon
Society, The Kirtland Bird Club and along with any other individual or
organization with a vested interest in birds/birding.  If aging
memberships of our local conservation organizations cannot provide the
muscle, then how about the money?

Such a restoration project would require a study to identify the most
ecologically appropriate replacement for the honeysuckle in providing
not only critical cover, but a better insect food source to fuel
migrants; labor to remove honeysuckle and prevent its resurgence, and
planting of replacement native shrubs.

Anybody out there (individual or group) willing to spearhead: to explore
a partnership with DNAP and forge a union of supporting organizations?

Dan Best

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