The 2011 Annual Program,

“Spend a Day on the River,”

was a big success!

On March 26, Detroit Audubon hosted its annual program at the Downtown Wayne County Community College. The weather was cold but sunny and the facilities suited our needs to a tee.

The day started with a fundraiser bird walk on Belle Isle led by Kenn Kaufman. A group of about 30 stalwarts braved the cold and arrived by 7am to see what avian gems could be seen. Each had donated $25 for the rights to bird with Kenn and we thank them, Jim Bull for arranging the walk and Kenn for leading it. Also thanks to Alan Chartier for coming out to help.

Kenn Kaufman photo by Jim Bull

While the bird walk was taking place, the auditorium was being set up to get the program started. Andy Howell, auction chair, and his committee of Richard Quick, Rosemarie Fielding and Beth Johnson and volunteer Chris Fielding were setting up the silent and live auction items for everyone to peruse. Rochelle Breitenbach, Program co-chair, arrived with coffee and snacks for the guests to enjoy. And Bev and Chris Stephenson arrived to get registration rolling. Soon, Program co-chair Jim Bull arrived with the early morning birders to bring our total to about 70.

At 10 o’clock, Vice-President Rochelle Breitenbach got the program going with a short report of the condition of the Society and some notes about projects and programs we hope to pursue. She then introduced our first speaker, John Hartig, PhD.

As director of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge (DRIWR), John spoke of the history of the Detroit River and of the remarkable changes beginning to develop as the river has been cleaned up due to environmental regulations and of the dramatic changes being brought about since the IWR has been created. Many pictures and graphics were used during the presentation.

Beginning with the saving of Humbug Marsh and nesting Bald Eagles on the island, and continuing with the addition of several units to the Refuge, the refuge continues to grow. The creation of gravel reefs has led to the first evidence of the spawning of the magnificent Lake Sturgeon in the Detroit River in the past year. All of this is evidence of the rebirth of the river and its wildlife and the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge and its many partners will continue to foster this for years into the future.

John Hartig

Caleb Putnam, Michigan Important Bird Area (IBA) director, was introduced by Jim Bull to present the IBA program to our guests. Caleb has been working for over six years to identify IBAs across the state. Caleb explained how the IBA program is a world wide project to establish places where critical numbers of as many species of birds can be identified and eventually inventoried so that they can be monitored and managed if necessary to assure that the species for each IBA are protected.

Caleb Putnam

There are currently 105 IBAs in Michigan identified through the work of a scientific committee. Support groups will be set up to begin the management and program for several of the IBAs. Detroit Audubon Society will be involved with the Detroit River IBA which runs virtually the entire length of the Detroit River and overlaps much of the DRIWR.

Lunch time allowed everyone to take a break and spend some time bidding on our array of over 30 items donated by businesses and individuals. The silent auction is a big help with the Annual Program expenses.

Kenn Kaufman’s keynote presentation continued the “river” theme of our program by using the metaphor to describe how birds behave and how they are perceived. Using photos and graphics, Kenn noted how bird migration flyways are often thought of as rivers in the way they are depicted as flowing from point to point. Kenn pointed out that in reality most flyways are at most generalized depictions of how birds migrate. Ducks, he agreed, do stick to regular routes during migration, but that most birds follow a rather branched route that can vary a great deal.

Kenn also used the river as more than a physical part of nature but also as a force throughout our world shaping and changing life as we know it. The members of the audience showed their appreciation for Kenn’s presentation with enthusiastic applause.

The Matrix Theatre Company’s presentation to complete our program captured the attention of everyone. They used dance, song, colors, lots of puppets and a narration that brought us all into the spirit of the Detroit River over millennia.
By depicting the interactions of fish in the river – from the giant Lake Sturgeon to pike and walleye and sunfish – with puppets and with people, the story of the river was conveyed.

Appropriately, the story of the sturgeon from once abundant to near extinction to hope for the future flowed through the play as did John Hartig’s lead off presentation in the morning. The Matrix Company was warmly received as our audience really enjoyed their efforts.

As our guests collected their silent auction items, we all said goodbye and thanks for a great program. We hope to see everyone and more next year.

Matrix Theater photos by Chris Fielding and Jim Bull

Matrix Theater photos by Chris Fielding and Jim Bull

VIEW THE EXCITEMENT AT LAST YEAR'S CONFERENCE