Timeline for Wichita Audubon Society (1954-2004)
(Compiled by founding
member J. Walker Butin)
1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
05/53 Corresponded
with National Audubon regarding the formation of a local branch society.
Early
1954 Application to NAS for
charter for a local group of at least 15 persons interested in establishing and
developing a local branch.
04/28/54 20 interested birders
met in the East High classroom of Alice Davis. John Macmillan, WSU biology department, was speaker.
05/09/54 First annual “Big Day”
count with 85 species identified.
05/19/54 First official meeting
of WAS with constitution, by-laws and election of officers: Walker Butin, President; Willard
Peters, Vice President; Pearlanna Briggs, Secretary; Norma Bayless,
Treasurer. Board of
Directors: Macmillan, Frank
Bayless, J. D. and Mrs. Dresser, Floyd Amsden and Dick Elving.
07/22/54 Midsummer meeting with
committee appointments and new members.
Committee appointments:
Elmer Woolsey, Mrs. J. Stogsdill, Paul and Marge Schweinfurth, Geneva
Kinkade, C. H. Morris, Forest Beckett.
New members: Dan Kilby,
Kirk Downing, Jennibelle Watson, Edward Beals.
09/26/54 Several Auduboners
assembled at dawn at Lake Afton to confirm a Wichita Eagle-reported sighting of
24 Whooping Cranes only to find 24 White Pelicans instead!
10/24/54 First organized trip of
the Society to Cheyenne Bottoms.
47 species were identified.
11/30/54 Harrison B.
Tordoff, Associate Curator of Ornithology at KU, spoke at the November meeting
on TV tower casualties at Topeka in October.
01/02/55 First Christmas Count
of the Society. 28 participants
identified 55 species.
03/07/55 Field trip to Great
Salt Plains, where 30 eagles are observed.
04/19/55 Annual Member’s Meeting
with election of new officers:
Dick Elving, President; Bill Stark, V. President; Pearlanna Briggs,
Sec.; Louise Watson, Treas. Board
Members: John Mcmillan, Willard
Peters, Floyd Amsden, Margaret Hayes, Walker Butin.
02/10/56 Decided at Board of
Director’s meeting to apply to NAS for Audubon Screen Tours. Jennibelle Watson agreed to be our
local representative.
04/24/56 Annual meeting with
election: Ralph Wiley, President;
Dan Kilby, V. President. New
board: Geneva Kinkade, Kirk
Downing.
04/28/56 WAS hosted the meeting
of the Kansas Ornithological Society on the WSU campus. The high point of the banquet was the
unique tongue whistling of Dr. James Butin with his bird imitations. Field trip the next day featured shore
birds at Cadillac Lake and climaxed with a drive to the heron colony at Bentley
(largest in the state with 100-125 nests). Total species count was 114.
10/24/56 First Screen Tour held
at 20th Century Club featuring Fran Wm. Hall of Northfield, MN
speaking about Hawaii.
12/30/56 3rd annual
Christmas count was held. 20
birders elected to pay 50 cents each for participation. The species total of 60 was the best to
date.
01/11/57 Board of
Directors made decision to return Screen Tours for a second season, with a
venue change to Roosevelt Jr. High.
03/25/57 O. S. Pettingill
presented his film “Penguin Summer”.
10/15/57 Second season of
Screen Tours opens at new location drawing 400-500 viewers.
12/29/57 4th
Christmas Count was held with 17 observers totaling 57 species. Among those present was Harry Hobson,
who had been the lone reporter of Christmas Counts prior to 1954, as well as
Max Thompson of Udall.
01/20/58 Mike Harder’s “Scope”
TV program featured Wichita Audubon.
Kilby, Stark, Butin and Jennibelle Watson discussed our local
organization and its affiliation with National Audubon, along with our common
aims for conservation and appreciation of birds in particular.
04/22/58 Annual meeting with
election: Carl Holmes, President;
Nathan McDonald, V. President; Mary Wiley, Sec. New Board Member:
Elmer Woolsey.
05/11/58 WAS “Big Day”
totaled 88 species. Best finds
included Lazuli Bunting, Bobolink, Blue Grosbeak and Black-necked Stilt.
10/04/58 The 3rd
season of the Screen Tours began, featuring Dr. Arthur Allen, Director of the
Cornell Lab of Ornithology. His
host was former pupil Dan Kilby.
01/22/59 The famous Roger Tory
Peterson presented his film “Wild America” telling the story of the trek across
the continent with British ornithologist James Fisher as they hoped to set a
record bird list. Many field
guides were signed at the reception afterward.
04/10/59 O. S. Pettingill
returned for his second Screen Tour film “Tip O’ the Mitten”.
05/14/59 Annual “Big Day”
weekend total of 97 species included 12 warblers.
11/01/59 Field trip to
“new” Quivira Wildlife Refuge with guided tour by refuge manager J. J.
Harmon. At that point the refuge
consisted of 7,000 of the proposed 21,000 acres.
12/27/59 Scheduled Christmas
Count cancelled by blizzard. The
count was held one week later (01/02/60) but strong northwest wind limited the
total to 45 species, with the best find being a Peregrine Falcon.
05/15/60 “Big Day” totaled 82
species, with warblers being “abundant” and a flock of Buff-breasted Sandpipers
at Cadillac Lake.
12/26/60 The Christmas Count,
with 21 observers, recorded 55 species, including a flock of 25 Red Crossbills.
12/30/61 Nathan McDonald,
President, reports Christmas Count by 20 birders who log 57 species featuring
10 pygmy nuthatches, 48 evening grosbeaks, and both red and white-winged
crossbills.
03/28/62 Screen Tour film “The
Faraway Falklands” featured penguins and marked the return of nationally known
O.S. Pettingill to Wichita for the third time.
05/05/62 WAS again hosted the
Kansas Ornithological Society on the WSU Campus. Field Trips next day were reported by retiring President
Orville Rice of Topeka, logging 126 species within a radius of 15 miles.
07/15/62 Chief of National
Society’s Nature Centers Division to our meeting to lead discussion of what
might be required to establish such a program in Wichita.
03/19/63 Ralph Wiley reviews
Rachel Carson’s controversial book, “Silent Spring”, as WAS discusses the
problem of pesticides and the environment.
04/17/63 Annual meeting with
election of officers: Albert Briggs, President; E. A. Randall, V. Pres.; Mrs.
Carl Packer, Sec.; Louise Watson, Treas.
New Board member: Dean Love.
10/16/63 Wm. Ferguson
returned with his film, “High Horizons”, to open our 8th season, at West High
Auditorium for the first time.
01/28/64 Arch O’Bryant’s column
‘The Bystander’ in the Beacon describes a WAS winter Field trip on the Simon
Swanson farm on west Central.
07/03/64 The death of A.L.
Hickman was reported. He was noted for his penmanship and had been prominent in
the Audubon Society of Kansas and participated as well in many of our WAS
activities.
10/07/64 The ninth season of our
Audubon Screen Tours was initiated by Allan Cruickshank with his film, River of
the Crying Bird. 850 attended and
were mystified by the cries of the Limpkin.
11/20/64 Jennibelle Watson
died after a short illness from abdominal cancer. This was an incalculable loss and shock to all those who had
known her, but especially to those who had worked with her from the beginning
of the WAS Screen Tours.
12/26/64 Twenty stouthearted
birders braved the north wind and temps of 16 above (F) for the Christmas
Count. Total species count was
only 50.
02/10/65 Arch O’Bryant’s
Bystander column quoted Dean Love about WAS interest in establishing a “nature
education center” in the Wichita area—its goal to preserve “natural
environment” otherwise lost to “progress.”
04/10/65 Annual meeting with
election of officers: Luray
Parker, President; Carl Packer, V. Pres.; Mary Wiley, Sec.; and Louise Watson,
Treas.
05/08/65 “Big Day in May”
received extensive coverage by the Eagle in articles before, during, and after
the count by 30 birders who totaled 121 species. Kirk Downing identified 84 for the “most species” award
while Mary Wiley’s Sora rail was the “most unusual”.
11/07/65 Field trip to the
Oxford/Geuda Springs area hosted by Wally Champeny at the mill was attended by
36 observers, among whom was a 13 yr. old boy; a budding ornithologist whose
name was Kenneth Kaufman!
12/26/65 Christmas count by 24
WAS members logged 67 species and more than 14,000 birds.
01/66 Arch
O'Bryant, in his Bystander column, described his trip to the “Stedman Chaplin
Wildlife Refuge” southeast of Geuda Springs where Mrs. Chaplin demonstrated
hummingbirds eating out of her hand.
05/09/66 A “Second Annual Big
Day in May” involved 18 birders in a 24-hour census over a 50 mile radius which
included sites as distant as McPherson and Ark City. 154 species were tallied with Kirk Downing again counting 118
while Ken Slaughter’s Cerulean Warbler won the rarest “Whooper” award.
10/23/66 WAS members were
alerted by a postcard from Dan Kilby, our “Zoo liaison rep.” That we should
work for passage of the important bond issue on the new Metropolitan Zoo.
12/27/66 25 WAS members cited a
recent “dry spell” as responsible for the low species count on the Christmas
bird count - 64 species and 6000 individuals.
12/30/67 Christmas count by 20
members during a light snow produced 60 species. 3163 Horned Larks and 612 Lapland Longspurs were of much
greater interest than the more numerous starlings and house sparrows.
04/09/68 Roger Tory Peterson
returned after ten years to present his film on the fabled “Galapagos - Wild
Eden.”
12/29/68 Christmas Count was
reported in a full page Sunday Eagle article that included photos of several
Auduboners in action with binoculars and notepads. A record number of 82 species was identified. Max Thompson introduced the southwest
crew to the sandpits adjacent to interstate 235 that revealed several less
common ducks.
12/22/69 “Waterfowl Count Soars
in Kansas” Headline reports the Christmas Count. 80 species were tallied with 12 ducks among them.
04/18/70 Field trip to Black
Mesa in Oklahoma panhandle. 42
members and friends identified 102 species, many of them peculiar to that
particular area, despite driving rains.
.
09/01/70 Fifteenth Season for
WAS Screen Tours to be unique in that the full five film schedule will be shown
at both West and Southeast High School auditoriums on successive nights.
12/26/70 Christmas Count on a
clear cold day logged 82 species with the 15 combined numbers of ducks and
geese contributing to the total. A
golden eagle was also seen.
01/71 Larry
Gray wrote as ‘guest editor’ that Geneva Kinkade’s husband, Roy had died
12/28/70 and that Geneva was in the hospital. This issue also contained an article by Kenn Kaufman
reporting his recent impressions from a visit to southern Arizona.
03/71 Editor
Gray in an editorial stressed the need for more attention by WAS to
conservation as a major thrust.
05/71 Gray
initiates a new volume titled “THIRD WAVE” as the bimonthly Voice of WAS
“Concerned about the Wise Use of Our Natural Resources.” He introduces his
assistants on the newsletter staff as Jeff Cox, Kenn Kaufman, and Craig
Hultman.
02/15/71 Incorporation of
WAS as 501 (c) (3) non/profit becomes official.
09/71 “Roving
Reporter” Kenn Kaufman in Third Wave is featured in Article headed “Kaufmania: The Field Guides
Revisited”. He suggests Wichita
Auduboners recommend Peterson’s Field Guide to the Birds of Texas to beginning
birders who ask for advice.
05/72 4th
Annual “Horizon Weekend” near Ark City with 69 in attendance.
06/19/72 WAS featured in 30
minute program on KPTS (Wichita’s only public TV station). Dee Divinia,
Marjorie Marshall, Louise Wherry, and Ralph Wiley represented us.
07/72 The
“bimonthly voice” reports the May election of officers for the coming
year: Mike Lesan, President; Macy
Lewis, V.Pres.; Jenny Prather, Secretary; Carol Slaughter, Treasurer. Board of Directors: Pearlanna Briggs,
John Prather, Dan Kilby, Larry Gray, and Margaret Selfridge. The issue also reported the banning of
DDT by the Environmental Protection Agency effective at the end of the year.
03/72 “WICHITA
AUDUBON”, a new name, was introduced in a first time printed format as the
bimonthly voice of WAS. Its
content this issue featured E. Raymond Hall of Kansas University who would
speak at the April meeting in support of a “Tallgrass Prairie National Park.”
10/72 Final
issue of the ‘Voice’ for the year featured a long article by editor Gray
regarding the McClellan/Kerr Ark River Navigation System. He raised the question whether
channeling the river for ship travel might have “disastrous” effects on the
environment.
12/20/72 Fifteen birders on an
icy cold day netted only a disappointing 67 species on the annual Christmas
Count. Wally Champeny was compiler.
05/73 Election
meeting—New Officers: Don Vannoy,
President; Walter Broderson, V. President; Frieda Jorgensen, Sec.; Albert
Briggs, Treas.
07/73 Newsletter
headline—“The Nature Center: Within Our Reach At Last”. Option to buy signed. Cost $50,000 with $12,000 down payment,
balance over 10 years at 6%. Made
possible because of Chaplin generosity and Geneva Kinkade bequest of $17,000.
08/05/73 Eagle article in Sports
section re attacks by Mississippi Kites on golfers at McDonald Park.
10/25/73 Warranty Deed for
Chaplin farm of 230 acres to be transferred to WAS for $50,000. Signed by C. Stedman Chaplin and Hazel
Chaplin, his wife.
10/73 Newsletter
announcement by Louise Wherry, Speaker’s bureau chairperson, that a number of
programs are available to Scouts,
Campfire groups, classrooms and clubs.
10/73 Death
comes at age 84 to our oldest member, Geneva Kinkade, whose pioneering role as
Secretary of Audubon Society of Kansas dated back to the thirties. She continued active birding including
field trips into her late seventies.
01/74 Word
came that former WAS member Kenn Kaufman had been top AOU birder for 1973 with
671 species.
03/74 Board
of Directors gives official name of Chaplin Nature Center to the newly acquired
property. Seeks help from National
in coming up with a plan for its development.
05/03/74 WAS hosts the 2nd West
Central Region Audubon Conference with headquarters at Beechcraft Activities
Center. Field trips to the Flint
Hills, Ark Valley (Camp Horizon and Chaplin NC), and Cheyenne Bottoms on the
agenda.
06/14/74 Louise Watson, early
treasurer of WAS, died at age 87.
10/74 Ruth
Broderson began editorship of the Newsletter . Louise Wherry opened season with her program, ‘Mysteries of
Migration.’
10/74 19th
Season of Wildlife Films to be presented at West High only.
12/14/74 Christmas Count
in overcast windy weather netted 73 species. Those in southwest quadrant were no longer greeted at the
Simon Swanson farm just west of Maize Road on Central by the patriarch whose
journal we had signed yearly before birding the Cowskin there. Daughter Kjersti told of his death in
July. our identification of the
threatened Peregrine there was the best bird of the day.
03/75 WAS
revised its Constitution and Bylaws.
New version made V. Pres. responsible for programs, and gave each Board
member a specific job assigment.
Presidential term was 2 years, all other officers elected for one year
term only.
04/75 Ralph
Wiley, chairman of Chaplin Nature Center committee, appointed sub-chairs for
each to form own committee for the following activities: Construction, finance,
education, resource development, publicity, and trails.
05/75 Offices
filled at annual election were: President, Louis Bussjaeger; Vice/president Max
Shults; Secretary, Sue Jehle; Treasurer, Albert Briggs.
06/75 Death
of Stedman Chaplin at 76. WAS
members were pallbearers at the funeral and burial in Arkansas City.
10/75 WAS
participated in formation of the Kansas Audubon Council, to be composed of the
several local and regional Audubon chapters in the state.
10/75 First
Fall Field Day at Chaplin Nature Center.
82 persons enjoyed a “beautiful day.”
01/03/76 First Christmas Count
over a 15 mile diameter centered in Ark City’s Newman Park with compilation at
Chaplin Nature Center.
Early 76 Colorful brochure
introducing Chaplin Nature Center “under development” by WAS was mailed to
prospective donors. It included a
location map which pointed out several routes for a visit there.
05/76 Bruce
F. Dietler was elected Vice President and program chairman in the annual
election. All other officers
continued in their previous positions.
12/18/76 WAS Christmas
Count by 30 birders yielded only 63 species, “probably an all time low”, said
President Louis Bussjaeger, who blamed unseasonable warmth.
01/77 President
Bussjaeger calls for WAS to “broaden its base in regard to conservation
action”, suggests taking a position on certain current environmental proposals,
Naming specifically the coal gasification/coal slurry pipeline project.
06/77 New
President David Zeh leads a WAS field trip to KGE Wolf Creek power plant near
Burlington.
09/77 WAS
Board of Directors vote to oppose proposed encroachment on Oak Park by an
adjacent swimming pool, parking lot and boat house in North Riverside Park.
10/77 Cattle
Egrets reported in Wichita proper for the first time.
09/78 Ruth
Broderson retires as Newsletter editor after four years, but continues to serve
as Vice/President and program chair.
Carolee Bussjaeger is the new editor.
04/23-25/79 “Texas
Birding Spectacular” led by Bev Hodges a “huge success”—24 participants totaled
trip list of 215 species that included 31 warblers.
05/79 Annual
election of officers: Ruth
Broderson, President; Ralph Wiley, V. President; Mary Manlove, Secretary,
Margaret Selfridge, Treasurer.
08/04/79 Death of Marjorie
Marshall who had served for ten years as the local representative for Audubon
Wildlife Films before her retirement in 1975.
10/79 Louis
Bussjaeger designated Conservation Educator of the Year by the Kansas Wildlife
Foundation.
09/80 Gerald
J. Wiens accepts the position of naturalist for CNC and will begin living there
when the residence becomes available early in 1981.
10/80 Formal
letter to the membership signed by Ruth Broderson, President and John Wherry,
Chairman of Chaplin Nature Center committee announces the hiring of a full-time
Naturalist “to develop, promote, and direct the educational activities of the
Chaplin Nature Center.” Financial
support necessary to fund this new commitment is solicited with designation of
specific categories for gifts that will be income tax deductible.
09/80 Field
Activities schedule lists opening of CNC for Educational Programs on
Saturdays—three in the fall, three in spring at monthly intervals.
05/81 Annual
election of officers: President,
Bob Gress; V. Pres., Renee Baade; Secretary, Mary Butel; Treasurer, Margaret
Selfridge; Editor, Patricia Hudson.
07/81 Monthly
nature programs on Saturdays beginning in July to be led by naturalist Gerald
Wiens.
10/81 Over
1500 visitors registered at CNC during the year.