Hi all -- Today (Wednesday March 10), a lot of Ohio's luckiest birders are in Columbus, attending the annual Wildlife Diversity Conference and learning about everything from owls to katydids to skunks. I'm not there -- I'm stuck in front of the computer, buried under a looming deadline. But I'm thinking about the conference, thinking about how impressive it is that this event should be hosted by Ohio's Department of Natural Resources - Division of Wildlife. I've lived in many parts of the U.S. and have seen the workings of many state wildlife agencies, and I can guarantee that Ohio's Division of Wildlife is one of the best. When I moved here five years ago I was immediately impressed to learn of what the DOW had done to bring Bald Eagles back to healthy populations in the state. Since then I've learned that the Division is involved with everything from Henslow's Sparrows to Eastern Spadefoots. There are some states where the wildlife agencies are focused almost exclusively on species that can be hunted or fished, but the people running Ohio's DNR and DOW really "get it" and really do support all of biological diversity. This year the Division of Wildlife is introducing a brand new Wildlife Legacy Stamp. Proceeds from sale of the stamp will go to support conservation of all wildlife, including birds, throughout the state. The first Legacy Stamp features a great photo of a Baltimore Oriole, taken by Russell Reynolds of Lima (known as "Russowl" here on Ohio-Birds). I hope that every birder who lives in or birds in Ohio will get this stamp and display it proudly -- it's only $15.00, and it gives us a chance to demonstrate that birders are a force in preserving the resource on which our recreation depends. I'd call it a bargain: if I had to pay a dime for every great bird that I saw on Division of Wildlife properties like Magee Marsh, Metzger Marsh, Pickerel Creek, Toussaint, Mallard Club Marsh, Willow Point, etc., it would cost me a lot more than fifteen bucks a year. For a look at the stamp and for information on how to get yours, you can check out http://birdingwithkennandkim.blogspot.com/ (see the entry for March 1), or http://www.bsbo.org/ohio_wildlife_legacy_stamp.htm Outside of Ohio, all over the U.S., there are still wildlife professionals who claim that hunters and anglers pay for all the conservation work. Here in Ohio we have a chance to flex some muscle and show that that's no longer the case. I hope that the birders of this state will rise to the challenge. I bought my 2010 stamp already; now I just need to finish my project so I can go birding again! Kenn Kaufman Oak Harbor, Ohio ______________________________________________________________________ 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]