Hey birders, If you've been waiting to register for the Waterfowl Symposium (perhaps you've been stuck in a snow drift somewhere?), you still have time! It's at the Grange Insurance Audubon Center in Columbus next weekend, February 26- 28, sponsored by the Ohio Ornithological Society and Columbus Audubon with support from The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. Yes, we're hoping for a thaw. You can register online via the Columbus Audubon Society website (PayPal). www.columbusaudubon.org/ (fantastic website, fyi!) We've just added an option to attend the Saturday evening keynote event (Dr. Azzam Alwash of Nature Iraq) dinner for just $30: register on the Columbus Audubon site. Please register by mid-day on WEDNESDAY for this $30 option for "dinner and keynote on Saturday". If you plan on attending Friday evening, a fundraiser for Nature Iraq featuring the music of The Swinging Orangutangs (Julie Zickefoose, Bill Thompson III, and friends), please register by TUESDAY morning so we can get a head count. We want to have plenty of appetizers (regular food and a taste of the Middle East), wine, and beer for everyone. It's just $10 to attend Friday evening. Don't forget the beer is being provided by Mendocino Brewing Company including Red Tail Ale, White Hawk IPA, and Eye of the Hawk. Note: their beer is NOT made with actual birds ;) Also, our caterer has asked for a head count for the folks planning on attending the ENTIRE weekend ($80) by mid-day on WEDNESDAY. The full-weekend package includes Friday evening, seven inspirational speakers on Saturday, and Sunday morning birding. Seven speakers: Keith Lott of Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife, will be sharing new research on aerial surveys over Lake Erie which will influence future wind turbine development. You may be surprised by the statistics on the species and #'s of birds observed on the open lake which are not visible from shore. This issue is certainly of interest to folks interested in bird conservation and "green-energy" development. Also, Doreen Whitley of GIAC will talk about Community Based Conservation, so you can find out how to get more involved on the local level. Also, the good folks from OBBA II will be joining us: OBBA II has been extended through 2011, so you have two more years to contribute to this vital project! Our landscape has looked like the Arctic for a few weeks, but you can travel to Alaska (in your mind!) with Dr. Gwen Myers of The Columbus Zoo when she presents her research on Spectacled Eiders! A few student scholarships are still available. Contact Nadya Bennett ([log in to unmask]) asap for details if you wish to bring your child, grandchild, etc, who shows an interest in birds! We're also having a raffle for many items including a scope donated by Eagle Optics, books, and a gift certificate for the Prairies and Potholes Birding Festival in North Dakota. So, please register and join us for this informative weekend. In Appreciation, Ann Oliver Cincinnati Waterfowl Symposium Planning Committee Editor, The Cerulean Newsletter (quarterly publication of OOS) ______________________________________________________________________ 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]