ASCM News

(Click an Item to view, or simply scroll down the page.)
Item 1	--	Mid-Winter Bird Seed Sale - Open for Orders!
Item 2	--	ASCM Nature Walk - Saturday, Jan. 21st
Item 3	--	ASCM Project Teams
Item 4	--	Other Events: "Wing into Spring" at Boordy Vineyards
Item 5	--	ASCM eNewsletter
Item 6	--	Become an ASCM Volunteer!
Item 7	--	Bird Counts (Part 1)
Item 8		Bird Counts (Part 2)
Please chcek back often for updates!

Item 1: Time to Get Your Birdseed Orders In the Mail! It's been an unusually warm Winter so far, but judging by our recent days of more typical Winter weather, January could make up the difference! Of course, the freezing temperatures and snow reduce the available food supply for the bird species that winter over and pass through these parts, which makes your bird feeding efforts all the more important to their survival. To help you replenish your bird seed supplies, we're now accepting orders for our 2012 Mid-Winter Bird Seed Sale! Now would be a good time to check your bird seed, suet and feeder supplies. Please consider placing an order with us for what you'll need to help see our feathered friends through the long, cold weeks ahead. Orders are due (by mail) by Monday, January 23rd. Order pick-up dates are as follows: Saturday, January 28th at the Clarksville pick-up site, and Saturday, February 4th at the Mount Airy site. If you haven't yet received your mailed copy of our order form, you can view and print a copy in your web browser by clicking here, or download an Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) copy of the full flyer by clicking here. We again are offering the popular peanut splits and safflower seeds in a larger size for your convenience. If you have any questions about our annual bird seed sales, please check here for answers. If you don't find what you're looking for, please don't hesitate to contact us by phone or email. Thank you all for your loyal support of our past ASCM Seed Sales! Your choice to purchase your wild bird feeding supplies through our organization means that we will be able to carry on our educational, outreach and sanctuary preservation activities into the future, and possibly expand the scope of some of our key programs. (And, of course, the birds will be well-fed for the next few months!) And if you'd like to "join the fun" and lend a hand in any capacity, please let us know! You'll not only get to meet a great bunch of fellow volunteers, you'll also have the satisfaction of helping us carry out the many facets of the ASCM mission. (We're not just about Seed Sales!) And by all means, make sure you're on our mailing list! To be added, please call 301-831-5060 or 410-795-6546, or click here to contact us by email. (Return to Top)

Item 2: Audubon Sanctuary Nature Walks! Start the New Year off right and join us for our first Nature Walk of 2012! It's coming up on Saturday, January 21, 2012, at our Audrey Carroll Audubon Sanctuary, just west of Mount Airy, MD. The theme will be (what else?) Winter Birds. Come out and join the group for this walk, and let's see what we can find together. If you have binoculars, be sure to bring them! People of all ages are welcome. We'll meet at 9 a.m. at the entry gate to the sanctuary at 13030 Old Annapolis Road (just east of Detrick Road). (Here's a link to a map.) For more information contact Ron Polniaszek by email. No rest room facilities are available at the Sanctuary. Please note that the walk will be cancelled in the event of severe weather. Our Nature Walks are always free of charge, and suitable for the whole family. People of all ages are welcome. You'll find directions and maps to both of our local Audubon Sanctuaries, plus more information on our Nature Walk schedule, by clicking here. We hope you'll be able to join us for one or all of our events! (Return to Top)

Item 3: Join an Elite Team! You have very likely noticed that we are a 100% volunteer organization. And we are always looking for folks who are willing and able to lend a helping hand with the many activities and projects we have in the works. We are currently forming teams to start whittling away at the ever-long list of things needing attention at our two Audubon Sanctuaries. Projects range from invasive plant control to brd nest monitoring to filling in woodchuck holes along our walking trails. You can see the range of stuff on our To-Do List on our Projects page. If something there piques your curiosity, please let us know! True, it is "work", but the proverb, "Many hands make light work", definitely applies. Plus, you'll get to meet a great group of fellow volunteers, and you'll savor the beauty and tranquility of the Sanctuaries even more, knowing that you're helping to maintain and improve them. All skill levels and abilities are welcome, whether you're already an experienced birder or naturalist, a seasoned woodchuck-hole filler, or simply have basic knowledge of digging implement or lopper operation! If none of the above apply, we gladly provide on-the-job training! If you would like to enlist in the Sanctuary Team effort, please let us know! Send us an email, or call 301-831-5060 for more information. (Return to Top)

Item 4: Other Events in the Area 1. Our parent organization, Audubon Maryland-DC, will be hosting a "Wing into Spring" themed event at Boordy Vineyards on Wednesday, March 21st, from 6 to 9pm. Join National Audubon Society president David Yarnold and other Audubon supporters for an evening of food, wine and chocolate to support Audubon's work in Maryland and the District of Columbia. Reservations are due by March 3rd. Click here for details. 2. Do you know of something of interest to birders and nature lovers coming up in our area? We can post notice of it here! Send us an email. Thank you! (Return to Top)

Item 5: Newsletter News! Have you seen our ASCM e-newsletter yet? We publish one almost every month to help keep our members and friends up-to-date on our Chapter activities. You can sign up for it with an email to us that includes your valid email address. (We do not sell or share your contact information!) And if you'd like to catch up on past editions, we keep an archive back to July, 2009. See the Newsletter page for subscription and archive links. (Return to Top)

Item 6: ASCM Needs You! If you have enjoyed our Audubon Sanctuaries and Nature Walks, or any of the other programs we conduct and support through the year, you are also no doubt aware that these things happen only because of the work of dedicated volunteers! If you'd like to lend us a hand, we always have a variety of opportunities for Volunteering open for your consideration. Please let one of our Nature Walk guides know if you can help, or drop us an email. Your participation and help is welcomed and appreciated! (Return to Top)

Item 7: Bird Counts - You Can Help! (part 1) The Audubon Society of Central Maryland holds four annual bird counts, two at each of our local sanctuaries, located near Mount Airy and New Market, Maryland. For planning: - The 2012 mid-Winter counts will be scheduled for consecutive weekend days in January, 2012, one day for each sancturary. - The Spring counts at our two sanctuaries will be scheduled for consecutive weekend days in May, 2012, one day for each sanctuary. For information on how you can participate in one or more of these important wildlife monitoring activities, contact David Smith, our Birdathon Coordinator, at 410-549-7082 or click here for email. (Return to Top)

Item 8: Bird Counts - You Can Help! (part 2) The National Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology jointly sponsor a number of important bird count activities during the year, particularly during the Winter months. They make it easy for you to participate, no matter your level of birding experience, and your input is a valued contribution to several important research efforts. If you have a bit of time to help between November 2011 and the beginning of April 2012, please click here for more information. In particular, the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is a fun and easy birding event open to everyone. For 2012, the GBBC will be conducted between Friday, February 17th and the following Monday, February 20th (i.e., over the Presidents' Day weekend). Remember, just by doing what you enjoy doing anyway, watching the birds at your feeders, you can help to make this annual event successful. Your bird counting contributions count, and it's always impressive to see how the many small contributions add up to create a big, comprehensive picture of our U.S. bird population. Click on the button below to get more information on the GBBC and to check up on 2011 results. (Return to Top)

Be Sure to Check Back Often for Updates!