BirdingGirl

I have yet another update on my Nation Audubon Society membership saga. It started back in mid-January when I was charged right away, didn't receive any materials until a few weeks later, and as of yet I still haven't received a copy of the magazine. All along I've suspected that national membership does not cover my local chapter membership (which happens to be Massachusetts) because there is such a high discrepancy in membership dues ($20 vs. $44). I decided to get on the phone Monday, as I posted , spoke with a very nice woman from the national office and then waited to hear back from my local chapter. Then I got a call on Tuesday explaining that the National Audubon Society is not affiliated with the Massachusetts Audubon Society. So now I have a national membership that offers me no value (except for the magazine) and I have to start from scratch in getting a MassAudubon membership. I hate to complain so much, especially when I know the funds I've donated still g...

So I received my national membership materials a week or so ago. The welcom letter clearly states: "In addition to your membership card, please find enclosed out brochure which outlines benefits of Audubon membership: Membership in your local Audubon chapter..." It's just vague enough though that I'm still not sure. It just seems too good to be true: a one-year National Membership for $20 that carries the same benefits as an individual Massachusetts Membership for $44 . I'm not complaining, but as you can understand I'm just highly skeptical that it's going to work out that way. I just called the national membership services number and the woman said I should contact my local chapter to go about getting membership materials (most importantly the sticker for my car and the card needed to get into certain sanctuaries). I called the local chapter number she gave me but the office was closed due to the holiday. I left a voicemail though so hopefully someone ...

Take the Test Your Knowledge of Global Warming quiz courtesy of the National Audubon Society Website. I finally got around to watching Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth a few nights ago so I had most of the answers fresh in my mind, but it's a good review nonetheless. Also found in this section of the site is information about global warming's impact on wildlife and birds specifically. These include changes in migration timing, range and loss of habitat. Here's an excerpt from the Audubon site: Under two scenarios of global climate change, there will be major shifts in the ranges and abundances of many of the 150 common bird species in the Eastern United States over the next 100 years or so; 50-52% of species will decrease in abundance by 25% or more, while 37-40% of species will exhibit range reductions of 25% or more. Another impact is the effect on pest outbreaks when changes in bird migration patterns cause insectivorous birds to miss the peak of seasonal bug popul...