September-October 2006 Sandpiper Newsletter Grays Harbor Audubon Society

8/8/2019 September-October 2006 Sandpiper Newsletter Grays Harbor Audubon Society

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by Hugh Jennings he Caspian Tern ( ATE) isabout 21 long with a wingspan of50 and weight of 1.4 lb (660g).The genus name Sterna (STIR-nah) is Latin stemming fromAnglo-Saxon stearn, tern. Thespecies name caspia is Latin forCaspian Sea, where a specimenwas collected by Pallas, in 1770.This is the largest of the terns.

The ATE nests on five conti-nents. In North America, it is com-mon along both coasts and locallyinland, mainly around large bodiesof water. In Washington, non- breeders are abundant summerresidents on coastal bays and oninland marine waters. It is a fairlycommon summer resident in East-ern Washington on a few majorlakes and on the Columbia River.They are often seen flying 20 to50 feet above the water, with bill

pointing downward, looking forfish. It catches fish by diving com-pletely underwater, but also maypick fish off the water surface. Itmay steal fish from other seabirds.

Its summer plumage: large,crested, black cap and big blood-red bill (sometimes the bill is slightly darker at the ti .

embership Meeting

Sunday October 2, 2005 1:30 PMative Plants of Grays Harbor

Amazing Grace Lutheran Church

Corner of 1st and I Streets,Aberdeen

The

Sandpiper

Volume 13

Issue10

September/October 2005

Run your vehicle onvegetables?

by Diane SchwickerathWell, yes. It is true. You can run

your vehicle on vegetables, but itdoes take a bit of a commitment.A couple of years ago we decidedwe wanted our car to be more en-vironmentally friendly so we goton the waiting list for a ToyotaPrius. At that time the waiting period was several months. Wetook advantage of the time anddid some research into the most

environmentally sensitive ways tomake a car go. We had heard ofbiodiesel and knew it was betterfor the environment, but that wasabout all we knew.From various sites on the internet

we learned that Biodiesel is a safe,efficient fuel made from vegetableoil. In contrast, traditional dieselis made from petroleum oil (alsoknown as dead dinosaurs).Biodiesel is NOT old French-fryoil although it can be made from

it.Benefits of Biodiesel:Fuel grown locally. Biodiesel re-duces our dependence on foreignoil. Biodiesel can be producedfrom virtually any vegetable oil--for example, coconut, palm, soy,peanut, mustard, and canola oilsmake excellent biodiesel.

Vastly lowered emissions. Biodie-sel meets Californias strict CARBstandards. Because biodieselis derived from plants, it has acomplete carbon cycle - burning biodiesel emits about as muchcarbon as was absorbed by theplant when it was alive. In May2000, biodiesel became the only

alternative fuel in the country tohave successfully met the EPAsTier I and Tier II Health Effectsstandards under Section 211(b)of the Clean Air Act. Biodieselmixes cleanly at any ratio with petrodiesel--in fact, adding onlya small amount of biodiesel topetrodiesel results in greatly low-ered emissions. There are blendsavailable such as B5: 5% biodieseland 95% petrodiesel which is very popular with truckers, or B99:

99% biodiesel and 1% petrodiesel.We use B99.

Continuted on Page 5

ontinue on age

BirdStarCaspian Terns

Fall ACOWYou are invited to join Tahoma

Audubon October 7-9 for the Fall

Audubon Council of Washington

ACOW) meeting at the Dumas

ay Centre in Federal Way, 3200

SW Dash Point Road. See page 4

photo by Dan Roby


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The Presidents Perch

Summer treasures, kitch-en pleasuresBy Jan McMillan

The summer has come andnearly gone. I am already seeingalder leaves fluttering down inthe woods behind our house andheard reports of the beginningsof the fall migration. But it isstill summer and were still get-ting our weekly delivery of farmfresh produce from Tolt Gardens(We and other GHAS members

joined their Community Sup- ported Agriculture (CSA) Pro-gram at Junes potluck picnic at

olt Garden.) The summer has been a cornucopia of produce

forgot existed and some Idnever tasted or even heard of.Each week there were lettuceswith exotic namesBronze Ar-row and Red Salad Bowl OakLeaf, Nevada Batavian, Forel-lenschiuss Speckled Romaine,Red Riding Hood Bib and Black

Seeded Simpson. Three weeksin a row our box contained ourfavorite green of all, Arugula.

he boxes came laden with car-rots, squashes, beets, kales andchards of every kind, mustardgreens, scallions, onions, rad-ishes, potatoes (new, yukon andordinary), peas, fennel, garlic,dill, Italian parsley, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbages purple and green, a generoussupply of fresh basil and freshspinach nearly every week and astrange crunchy little vegetablecalled haricot! With each boxcame a newsletter filled withinformation about the produce,the happenings at Tolt Gardensand a Recipe of the Week.Opening the box that contained

the produce was a moment Ilooked forward to and savoredevery Saturday morning. The

age 2

hat in the world areou doing?So many of our Grays Harborudubon Society members are

actively involved in not onlyhelping wildlife and preserv-ing habitat, but also volunteero make Grays Harbor a great

place to live, work and recre-ate.

A new non-profit group hasformed in our area, called The

rays Harbor Institute. GHI

was formed to establish a speak-ers bureau that would providespeakers, lectures, seminars,round-tables and other presenta-ions for the educational benefit

of the general public. Presenta-ions will investigate, analyze,

synthesize and promote demo-cratic ideals consistent withending poverty and racism andadvancing human, civil, en-ironmental, educational and

health rights.

The first lecture will featureinternationally known colum-nist Alexander Cockburn, a fre-quent writer for he Nation andeditor/author for the politicalnewsletter ounter Punch.

He will be appearing at theolish Club in Aberdeen (831est 1st Street) on October 14,

2005 at 7:30 pm. Tickets $7.50at the door.

smells of basil, mint, and fennelfilled my kitchen; the brilliant browns, greens, reds, purples,oranges and yellows put an artistpalate to shame; and the crispy,hard, soft, feathery, rubbery tex-tures let me know this food was

fresh and growing in the groundonly yesterday. The food cameto me in a sprit of commu-nitygrown by people I knewon a farm I had visited and de-livered by friends at a half way point where we picked up theboxes for the CSA members inour town. No huge gas guzzlingtrucks involved and the moneygoing directly to the farm wherethe produce was grown.

This has been a trip back intime for me to the sights, smells,textures and tastes I rememberas a child, growing up in a homewhere every summer we grewour vegetables out back and ev-eryone had an aunt, or grandpar-ents or someone they knew witha farm. We gathered our owneggs, pulled our own carrots,even milked a cow or two. Nowmy participation in CSA will be part of what defines summer

for me, along with sandy feet,evenings on the porch and visitsfrom the grandkids.

By the way, if anyone is inter-ested in joining the CSA Pro-gram for next summer, you cancontact Steve Hallstrom or Ce-celia Boulais at [email protected] or call them at (360) 273-9280. The CSA season at Tolt

arm runs from early July tolate October.

arwell and thanksOur publicity chair and boardmemberJoy Losey will be leav-ing sometime this fall for amuch deserved break from workto travel and spend time withfamily and friends. Joy was co-owner of the illow Bookstorein Westport Washington. She joined our board in 2003 and

has done a wonderful job pub-licizing our members meetingsand board projects and bringingher wisdom and experience toboard decisions. We will missher enthusiasm and wish herhappy trails as she travels.

e hope she returns to Graysarbor to settle again when the

road gets too weary!


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page 4

Book Reviews Books Donated to the GHASLibrary

By Jan McMillanWe hope someday soon to

have a real Nature Center witha place for a library of books

on birds, wildlife, native plants,the environment and inspiringnaturalists, activists and envi-ronmentalist. We have a fewbooks already and this summerwe got a few more.

Jean Kyle gave us a copy ofHazel Wolf, Fighting the Estab-lishment by Susan Starbuck. Istarted off my summer by read-ing this delightful biographyand I recommend it to anyonewho loves to read about awe-

some activist women. I hadheard about Hazel since I joinedAudubon 4 years ago, especial-ly from Helen Engel. Hazel washer mentor and role model. As Iread about this amazing womanshe became mine as well. Thebook takes us from her unusu-al childhood through her pe-riod of awakening as a womanwithout a country and into toher later years as a labor orga-

nizer, founder of many Audu-bon chapters, and champion ofenvironmental issues. Time andtime again, Hazel climbs out ona limb and appears to saw thelimb off behind her. Her deter-mination, leadership and sheerconviction that she was rightlanded her on her feet. Hazeldied in January of 2000. Sheis still very much alive in thehearts of her admirers.Two other books joined our li-

brary this summer, donated by board member/publicity chairJoy Losey. Attracting Birds byElaine Butler covers everythingfrom bird feeders to life lists.Wings of the Wild by KennethRichmond was published inEngland in 1943making it 62years old! It is in great condi-tion and has fascinating little

Global WarmingContinued from page 3

10. Let policymakers knowyou are concerned aboutglobal warming. Our electedofficials and business leadersneed to hear from concerned

citizens. Sign up for the Unionof Concerned Scientists ActionNetwork to ensure that policy-makers get the timely, accurateinformation they need to makeinformed decisions about globalwarming solutions.

Reprinted with our gratitude from theChehalis River Councils newsletter,

Audubon Council ofWashington (ACOW)

all 2005 October 7-9 atthe Dumas Bay Centrein Federal Way

Living, Growingand Sharing Audubon

We guarantee this will be anevent to remember as TahomaAudubon and Audubon Wash-ington recreate ACOW. Youllget your hands dirty (literally),meet in small-group breakoutsessions to focus on those top-

ics that matter most to you, andof course, leave the weekendenergized, enriched, and armedwith information gleaned fromthe most active and passionatemembers of Audubon chaptersacross the state.

Tahoma Audubon and Audu- bon Washington invite rep-resentatives from each of the National Audubon chapters inWashington to join us on theweekend of Oct. 7-9, 2005, for

the Fall Audubon Council ofWashington (ACOW) meeting.We will gather beginning onFriday afternoon at the DumasBay Centre in Federal Way andwork through the weekend tonetwork with chapter leadersand tackle issues that are com-mon to all chapters.

Events will kick off on Fridayafternoon with meetings of the

ashington State Audubon Con-servation Committee (WSACC)and the statewide EducationCommittee. Fridays activitieswill conclude with a fun eveningof hands-on activities with theeducation and conservation staff

from Tahoma Audubon and ourpartners in advocacy and habitatprotection in Pierce County.

The traditional Saturday morn-ing field trips will take interestednature observers to nearby bird-ing meccas such as the PugetSound Prairie Important BirdArea near Spanaway, the KentValley and the Commencement

ay waterfront. When every-one returns from their morningadventures, we will get down

to work with chapter building breakout sessions on topics in-cluding: fundraising, finding andretaining volunteers, running asuccessful Birdathon, brandingand marketing your chapter, andtips for setting up effective bird-ing classes, and more.

Following a dinner in the eve-ning and a night time programon Saturday, Fall ACOW willwrap up on Sunday with a day

of news from Audubon Wash-ington and reports from all ofthe states Audubon chapters.The beautiful Dumas Bay Cen-

tre and its 12-acre grounds willserve as home base for the FallACOW. Watch future e-mailsand packets for more detailedinformation about the FallACOW, including informationabout affordable boarding atthe Centre. You can preview the

umas Bay Centre on the City

of Federal Way Web site: www.cityoffederalway.com/Page.aspx?view=180.For more information about theall ACOW, visit the ACOW

page (coming soon!) on the Ta-homa Audubon site at www.tahomaaudubon.org or e-mailACOW organizer, Sue Summersat [email protected].


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HAS MissionThe mission of the GraysHarbor Audubon Societyis to seek a sustainable bal-ance between human activ-ity and the needs of the en-vironment; and to promoteenjoyment of birds and thenatural world

page 5

Welcome New GHAudubon MembersWe welcome the following newmembers and members who havetransferred from another chap-ter. If any of you would like tobe notified of birding field trips,

please e-mail or call our Fieldrip Coordinator, Tim OBrien:

Phone (360) 482-6129 E-MailAddress: [email protected].

J. ArmstrongStephen BjornsonCarole BodeyNaida BorderTimothy ComptonLeila DaubertPreston DickeyJudy DragooRuth HagerottMark HarbaughKaren KitchenerA. MartinMargaret MoerschGregg OlsonCherie PageCottrell QuestDarlene SeeleyKeith Yale

Are you interested in receiv-

ing the Sandpiper online? Sendus your email address and wecan forward the latest issue themoment it is ready to publish orvisit http://ghas.org to view thenewsletter as a color pdf file.

Biodiesel continuedfrom page 1

How is biodiesel made? Biodie-sel is made through a chemicalprocess called transesterificationwhereby the glycerin is separatedfrom the fat or vegetable oil.

he process leaves behind twoproducts -- methyl esters (thechemical name for biodiesel) andglycerin (a valuable byproductusually sold to be used in soapsand other products). Biodieselis simple to use, biodegradable,nontoxic, and essentially free ofsulfur and aromatics Is Biodiesel the same thing asraw vegetable oil? No! Fuel-grade biodiesel must be producedto strict industry specifications(ASTM D6751) in order to insure proper performance. Biodieselthat meets ASTM D6751 and islegally registered with the En-

vironmental Protection Agencyis a legal motor fuel for saleand distribution. Raw vegetableoil cannot meet biodiesel fuelspecifications, it is not registeredwith the EPA, and it is not a legalmotor fuel.

This all sounds great and it is,but biodiesel only works in die-sel engines whether in your car,truck, boat or farm equipment.

his means if you want to usebiodiesel in your daily vehicle if

you own a car that uses gasoline,you have to change cars. Thatis not too difficult really. Theonly thing to remember is thatif you buy an older (pre-1995)vehicle you will need to changeout any fuel hoses or gasketsmade of natural rubber, whichare not compatible with biodie-

sel. Diesel engines made afterhat time come equipped with

synthetic fuel hoses so thereis absolutely no retrofitting ofany kind needed, just fill with biodiesel and go as usual. Weended up canceling our Prius

order and we purchased a used2002 VW Jetta TDI (diesel).or us mileage and power were

slightly affected using biodiesel:4mpg using petrodiesel, 43mpgith biodiesel but others report

better mileage and power usingbiodiesel. Currently Volkswagenand Mercedes produce the ma-jority of passenger diesel cars in

he U.S., and diesel cars are lesshen 5% of sales here. In other

parts of the world diesel cars

are more popular, near 50% inurope. BMW, Audi, and oth-ers are reporting they will selldiesel cars in the U.S. in the nextcouple of years so more choicesare coming.

The other part of the commit-ent is tracking down where to

buy the biodiesel. We found aembership fueling station in

Olympia that sells it at the pump(Fast Fuels). Fine if you live or

ork in Olympia. We also found

a small company out of Olympia(Future Fuels) that does homedelivery. They gave us a 250gallon tank that is in our garage.

e bought a small pump for theank and now just back-up to our

garage when we need to fill-up.iodiesel is less flammable than

egular diesel.

Continued on Page 6

Book Review continuedfrom page 4

chapters with titles like Howa Bird Wins Its Mate, Who

Killed Cock Robin? and BirdsEggs and Their Problems. Italso features some fascinatingphotographs and illustrations.

Thanks to Jean and to Joy forthese donations. If you want to borrow any of these books, letme know and Ill get it to you.We welcome donations of new books or used books in goodcondition.


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Biodiesel Continuedfrom page 5

In fact, it is so safe it can evenbe sent through the US mail! Wehave often thought that if therewere a few of us in Grays Harborwanting to use biodiesel that a

fueling point would be a greatthing here.

Biodiesel is also great for en-gines because of its increasedlubricating and cleaning abili-ties when compared to petrodie-sel. This is why many truckingcompanies are planning a dieselblend with biodiesel. In fact, itdoes such a good job of cleaningout the engine that you need tochange the fuel filter a couple ofweeks after starting on biodiesel because it dislodges gunk inthe fuel system. This first-timereplacement is the only specialthing needed.Another consideration of course

is the cost of biodiesel. Up untila few months ago it was about$1.00 more per gallon thanregular petro-diesel. Thanks toa federal tax break, it is now lessper gallon than petrodiesel andgasoline.

Biodiesel is better for the en-vironment because it is madefrom renewable resources andhas much lower emissions com-pared to petroleum diesel. It isless toxic than table salt and biodegrades as fast as sugar.Boaters with diesel engineslove biodiesel because leaksor spills are never a problem.Its non-toxic and can even beswallowed although it probablydoesnt taste good. Since it is

made in the USA from renew-able resources such as soybeans,its use decreases our dependenceon foreign oil and contributesto our own economy. Our carexhaust now smells like a hot pizza oven and we dont feelguilty about driving our car asfar as we want to go. The ulti-mate vegy-juicer!

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aspian Tern Continuedfrom page 1

The bird is overall gray aboveand light below. The winter plumage is like the summerplumage, but the cap is splotchyand gray. Juveniles are like win-ter adults, but the bill is orangeand upper parts lightly markedwith dark bars and Vs. Theadult calls include a low, harshscream kwok and cahar.

The Caspian Tern first breedsat about 3 years, nesting singlyor in colonies. The nest is a de-pression in the ground lined withgrasses and seaweed, located onsandy beaches. There are usually

2-3 eggs, which are pinkish withdarker markings. Incubation is20-22 days. The young may leavethe nest a few days after hatch-ing. If a colony is not disturbed,the young may stay at the nestuntil ready to fly. Both parents bring food to the young. Theage at first flight is 28-35 days.The young terns are noted fortheir long adolescence, with theyoung dependent on their parentsfor many months. Even in late

winter, many adult Caspian Ternsare trailed by a begging young-ster from the previous nestingseason. During migration, theterns fly high with bill pointingforward. It is the least sociableof all terns and travels singly orin small groups. Inland breedersmove to the coast and fly southfor the winter, some winter-ing south to the West Indiesand northern South America.Our thanks to the Corvid Cri-

er, Newsletter of East Lake Wash-ington Audubon for this article.

HAS Field Trip

On Saturday, September 24thwe will be having a field tripto Ridgefield National WildlifeRefuge, which is located justnorth of Vancouver, WA alongthe Columbia River. Lots ofwaterfowl and Sandhill Cranesvisit the refuge every year. Wewill be meeting in Elma atVance Creek County park atam to carpool together down

to Ridgefield. Ken Knittle of

the Washington Birder news-letter will be leading the tripfor us. Please plan for an allday trip where most of thebirding will be from the cars.Please contact Tim OBrien by phone (360) 482-6129 tosign up for the trip or [email protected].

Beach Appreciation Dayake it Every Day

Our Washington State beachesare public assets that are con-stantly under threat--from pol-lution, carelessness and inap-propriate development.

Take a moment out of yourbusy schedule to take a stroll onour shorelines. When you do,

please respect the beach. Pickup trash and dont contributemore. Get involved in the pro-tection of our beaches for people and wildlife. Generationsto come will thank you for it.


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page 7

GHAS Board of Directors

Rose DuBois [email protected]

Ann Haarer [email protected]

Karen Knutsen herodias@lewiscounty .com

Jan McMillan [email protected]

Dianna Moore [email protected] Orgel [email protected]

Renee Prine (360) 268-0485

Dean Schwickerath [email protected]

Diane Schwickerath [email protected]

Janet Strong [email protected]

Chapter Officers

President Jan McMillian, 268-1004

[email protected]

Vice President Janet Strong, 495-3950

[email protected]

Treasurer Diane Schwickerath [email protected]

Secretary Dianna Moore, 289-5048

[email protected]

Committee Chairs

Newsletter R.D. Grunbaum, 648-2476

[email protected]

Newsletter Crew Alice Alvarado,

Harriet Johnston

Membership/ Ann Haarer, 268-1004

Hospitality [email protected]

Conservation Dean Schwickerath, 495-3101

[email protected]

Education Janet Strong, 495-3950

[email protected]

Field Trips Tim OBrien, 482-6129

[email protected]

Programs Jan McMillian, 268-1004

[email protected]

Publicity

Other Audubon Contacts

GHAS voice mail (800) 303-8498State Audubon (360) 786-8020

National Audubon (212) 979-3000

GHAS Website www.ghas.org

irdFest 2005A celebration of the Ridge-field National Wildlife Refuge

Guided bird and plant walks,paddle tours, bluegrass mu-sic, fun for the whole family.

aturday and Sunday, October5th and 16th in RidgefieldA, just 25 minutes north of

downtown Portland. I-5 to exit

4 follow the signs. Celebrateand learn about the naturalbeauty and rich cultural his-

ory of the refuge. Tours willfollow in the footsteps of Lew-is & Clark to a replica of aCathlapotle (Cath-Lah-Poh-tl)plankhouse, hand built usingancient Chinookan techniquesand tools. Adults and childrencan participate in many events.

Childrens activities include,

guided bird walks led by anudubon naturalist, live rap-or displays, craft stations anduch more. For the big kids,

guided paddle tours with aildlife biologist. A birdersarketplace with great deals

on optics, art, clothing and books. Over fifteen bluegrassbands will play from 10:00 am

o 10:00 pm at venues in down-own Ridgefield. Spectacular

sunrise and sunset tours to view

andhill Cranes flying to a tra-ditional roost are offered on alimited basis and reservationsare required.For more information contact

us at www.ridgefieldfriends.org

or plankhouse info go toww.plankhouse.org

or call 360-887-9495


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Special Newsletters

If your newsletter is stamped with Last Issue - Please Renew or Complimentary Copy - Please Join, your mem-

bership has expired or this is a promotional copy ofThe Sandpiper. To continue receiving The Sandpiper, complete

nd return the form above.

Please Fill Out and Mail BackANNUAL GRAYS HARBOR AUDUBON

CHAPTER MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIESlease note that the categories listed below do not include membership in National Audubon

but do include subscription to The Sandpipernewsletter and provide financial support to ourChapter. The memberships are good for one year.

Please check the box below that indicates the level of subscription desired.

Heron $25.00

Pelican $50.00

Falcon $75.00

Eagle $100.00

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Make check payable to Grays Harbor Audubon.Mail to GHAS, P.O. Box 470, Montesano, WA, 98563

f you would like to join the National Audubon Society, please check below and mail thisform with a check for $20 for an Introductory Membership or $35.00 for a Two Year Introduc-tory Membership. Make check payable to ational Audubon Society, Code Y26 and mail toGHAS, P.O. Box 470, Montesano, WA 98563. These memberships include a subscription toAudubon Magazine and a membership in Grays Harbor Audubon.

nclosed is my check for:

$20 NAS Introductory Membership $35 NAS Two Year Membership

EMBERSHIP APPLICATION

Name ___________________________________________________________________

Address _________________________________________________________________

City _____________________________________ State/Zip _______________

Phone Number _____________________ E-Mail ______________________________

I want to be notified about upcoming Birding Field Trips. Please notify me by:

e-mail phone no notification, please

page 8


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MembershiMeetinNativePlantsofGrasHarborOctober2nd

News&Editorialsendmaterialsto

P.O.Box1044Westport,98595-1044

[email protected]

InsidethisIssueBiodiesel1BirdStar1PresidentsPerch2WhatintheWorld2 Farewell&Thanks2

GlobalWarmin3FallACOW

BookReviewNewMembers5FieldTri6BirdFest7

Board&OfficersMemberApplication8

he SandpiperP.O. Box 470

Montesano,WA 98563

Non Profit Org.U.S. PostagePAIDOlympia, WAPermit # 359


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Important 2005 Dates and Events

Clip and Save These Dates

October 2nd, GHAS Members Meeting

October 7th 9th, Fall ACOW Meeting

November 6th, GHAS Board Meeting

December 4th, GHAS Members Meeting and Election of Officers

embers Meetings are from 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm

New Meeting Location:

So. Campus, Amazing Grace Lutheran Church in Aberdeen

Corner of 1st and I Street

And the New Year promises

new and exciting events as well

Dont forget theShorebird FestivalApril 28 - 30, 2006

September-October 2006 Sandpiper Newsletter Grays Harbor Audubon Society

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