April and May see the peak of spring migration in Ohio. Not surprisingly, these two months also unofficially constitute "Birdathon Season" - the period when Audubon chapters and programs organize frenzied 24-hour Big Days as a means of raising much-needed dollars through sponsorships. Also not surprisingly, Birdthon searches often concentrate on the shore of the Western Lake Erie Basin, which offers the greatest potential during that period for a really Big Day. Audubon Ohio has always followed this classic Birdathon model, driving up to the Western Lake Erie Basin year after year. This year, however, we took a different approach. We did a carbon-conscious Birdathon on May 10. The ground rules were simple. We had to sign up sponsors as before, but this time we had conduct our Big Day only at locations we could reach from our homes without using a car. This meant that we needed to go to places we could reach on foot or by bicycle or public transportation. For Columbus-based staff, this meant trips to Greenlawn Cemetery, the Whittier Peninsula, the OSU Research Wetland, Whetstone Park and Hoover Reservoir. Our Director of Habitat Conservation, John Ritzenthaler, focused on the woods and fields near his home in western Clark County, and our Grassroots Coordinator, Marnie Urso, biked up to Huntington Metro Park near her home in Bay Village. Two of our state board members helped out, Robin Mullet by birding near her home in rural Coshocton County, and Greg Cunningham by inviting us to stop by his back yard in Columbus to see a nesting Screech Owl that has set up shop there this spring. The bad news is that we only spotted 93 species - well below our usual count, which is between 120 and 140. The good news is that we spotted 93 species - all at locations we could reach from our homes without burning a single drop of gasoline! Further, the experience was really fun. Yes, we didn't see many of the more unusual species that pass through Ohio at this time of the year, but the idea that we could see this many so close to the relatively urban locations in which most of us live was truly inspirational. It suggests surprising robustness in urban ecosystems despite the numerous and growing pressures we put on them every year. It provides hope. In addition, it gave all of us a chance to focus intensely for one day on areas close to home that we normally take for granted and don't really "see." As an additional feature this year, we ran a blog during the day, stopping every few hours to post reports of our activities (and a few photos). The blog is still up, and we invite you to take a look at it at http://AObirdathon.blogspot.com/. If you would like a list of birds we spotted during our carbon-conscious Birdathon, please drop me a line via e-mail. Our carbon-conscious Birdathon was motivated by the public's growing awareness of the threat of global warming and of the need to send a message that things need to change if we are to stave off the worst effects of global warming. Actually, though, we wanted to send a second message - that change does not necessarily have to be unpleasant. Change can offer new rewards, as our day of carbon-free birding close to home so amply demonstrated. Jerome C. Tinianow Vice President and Ohio Executive Director Audubon Ohio 692 N. High St., Suite 303 Columbus, Ohio 43215 (614) 224-3303 (o) (614)-224-3305 (f) [log in to unmask] www.audubonohio.org ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]