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.
10/82 Twentysixth
season of Audubon Wildlife Films began, as had the first in 1956, with
presenter Fran Wm. Hall, who returned for his fifth visit to Wichita with a
film on New Zealand.
12/18/82 Annual Christmas
Count remarkable for the huge number of blackbirds—755,000 redwings and 250,000
brown-headed cowbirds.
01/83 Kingfisher
Pond renovation was completed with major funding from Chickadee Checkoff
Nongame Wildlife Fund and over 700 hours of labor from many WAS volunteers.
04/83 A
second Texas Birding Spectacular with trip to Texas East Coast by 38 WAS
members who compile 281 species for the trip.
05/83 Annual
election: John Wherry, President;
Marian Rakestraw, V. Pres.; Ruth Hodges, Secretary; Don Ferguson, Treasurer.
08/83 WAS
Meadowlark “logo” designed by Jos. Dimattia, brother of Renee Baade, becoming
the symbol of WAS.
07/84 Field
trip to the largest heron rookery in Kansas near 58th St. and South Broadway in
Wichita. Estimates were of 1,600
nests and over 7,000 individual birds.
09/84 Conference
held regarding the threat to Cheyenne Bottoms by loss of its primary source of
water, the Arkansas River that was dry.
05/85 Annual
election: Rick Goodrick,
President; Joe Schaefer, V. Pres.; Kathy Eldridge, Secretary; Hal Cumberland,
Treasurer.
10/85 Initiation
of Development Committee with responsibility for fund raising.
01/86 Board
of Directors questions desirability of continuing the Audubon Wildlife Films in
view of decreasing attendance attributed to availability of nature films on TV.
07/86 Unanimous
vote of Board to oppose sandhill crane hunting season as proposed by Kansas
Fish and Game staff.
10/86 Robert
C. Waltner is new Editor of Wichita Audubon newsletter.
05/87 Annual
election: Jay Newton, President;
Jim Marlett, V. Pres.; Sandra Tholen, Secretary; Judy Naylor, Treasurer.
07/87 Newsletter
reports recent deaths of Hazel Chaplin, Ruth Broderson, and Dean Love.
09/87 “Birder’s
Lunch” started first Tuesday of each month at Brown’s Grill, to be continued
later at Spear’s in Town West.
05/88 Annual
election: Phil Thomas, V. Pres.
and program chair. Others as before.
07/88 Special
issue of the Wichita Audubon newsletter announces initiation of campaign for
new interpretive building at Chaplin Nature Center.
10/88 Marcia
Newton the new editor of Wichita Audubon Newsletter.
11/88 President
Jay Newton appoints a CNC Building Committee with Dan Kilby, Chairman.
01/89 Building
fund for CNC nears 50% of its $400,000 goal. Development Committee recommends go-ahead to board for
construction of interpretive building.
02/89 Regional
office of National Audubon Society announces option to purchase Z Bar Ranch
with purpose of creating Flint Hills National Monument.
03/89 WAS
Board of Directors authorizes purchase of a pre/cut log structure for the new
Education Building at Chaplin Nature Center.
05/89 Annual
election of officers: Phil Thomas,
President; Bill Langley, V. Pres.; Sandra Tholen, Secretary; Don Ferguson,
Treasurer.
07/89 Gerald
Wiens, Rex Herndon and two Ark City teachers begin erection of the new
log-construction Education Building at CNC.
09/30/89 Grand Opening
(Dedication) of the Education and Interpretive Center building. 220 visitors signed guest book at CNC.
10/89 Carol
Soule assumes editorship of Newsletter.
10/89 Wally
Champeny, who hosts the yearly WAC
field trip at his Oxford Mill, is featured in 3rd issue of Kansas
Magazine.
04/90 Extended
field trip to Beaver’s Bend State Park, OK. 50 birders record 185 species. Red-cockaded Woodpecker the best find.
05/90 Three
separate birding groups in the Bird-a-thon reported 164 species, and obtained
pledges of $1813.
12/90 Mary
Wiley died after a bout with cancer.
She and husband Ralph had pioneered the annual Camp Horizon weekend and
led many of the yearly extended birding trips.
04/91 39
WAS members and friends enjoyed extended field trip led by Kenn Kaufman to the
King Ranch vicinity of Texas. 198
species were identified in two days.
05/91 Bill
Langley assumes Presidency of WAS in annual election.
.
10/91 Annual
CNC report documents busiest year with progress toward completion of Visitors
Center. The Donor Recognition tree
was installed and the natural habitat display utilizing nest and egg collection
was constructed.
01/92 Pete
Janzen calls for volunteers to participate in the 5 year Kansas Breeding Bird
Atlas project.
09/92 New
Editor of Wichita Audubon Newsletter is Pat Beckemeyer.
10/92 First
Bird Seminar and Seed Sale at Civitan Community House at 901 Porter. Another is scheduled for February 1993.
10/92 Plea
by Editor Beckemeyer to “take Oak Park back!”
05/93 Annual
election: Carol Cumberland,
President; Alan Maccarone, V. Pres.; Don Vannoy, Treasurer; Cathy Clausen,
Secretary.
07/01/93 Newly revised by-laws
of Wichita Audubon Society, Inc. went into effect.
10/93 Fall
birdseed sale moved to Farmer’s Art Market.
10/93 31
acre tract of land adjacent to CNC property including sand bar and river bottom
donated as a memorial to Dick Metz by his wife and family.
11/93 President
Cumberland reminds that WAS and NAS co-sponsor 34 classrooms in south central
Kansas in provision of the environmental/nature newspaper of Audubon Adventures
program for children in grades 3 to 6.
01/94 Board
of Directors establishes the annual Meritorious Service Award with its purpose
“to acknowledge and thank an outstanding chapter activist who has sustained a
level of activity beyond that of the average chapter member.”
02/94 Death
of Pearlanna Briggs who shared charter membership as well as presidency of the
Society with her husband, Albert.
05/94 New
officers elected are Gordon Stockemer, Treasurer and Earlene Carter, Secretary.
05/94 John
Wherry is recipient of the first Meritorious Service Award.
0794 Ground
breaking ceremony for new Great Plains Nature Center hosted by former WAS
President and current GPNC Director Bob Gress.
07/94 First
issue of Volume 27 of Wichita Audubon newsletter published by new editor Patty
Marlett, announces that the enthusiastic efforts of Nicole and Jim Ryan in
manning the sales table at meetings have earned $5300 for WAS in the past year,
08/94 Headline
“Spectacular Arizona” in newsletter reports the extended field trip of 5 days
in southeast area of that state with 35 WAS participants,
10/94 40th
Anniversary Auction Fundraiser with Joseph Collins, Curator of KU Museum Of
Natural History, as auctioneer.
Over $5,000 raised on this occasion.
03/95 30
WAS members update the five year plan with special attention to nature
education at Chaplin Nature Center.
05/95 Dave
Rintoul begins his regular newsletter column, “Birding in Kansas.” He is Editor of Manhattan’s Northern
Flint Hills Audubon Society, and a biology Professor at Kansas State University.
04/95 Death
of Ralph Wiley, charter member, early president, and perennial leader who
conceived and organized the Camp Horizon family weekends and many extended
field trips. A posthumous award
for meritorious service was announced in May.
05/95 Annual
election: Patty Marlett,
President; Brian Loflin, V. Pres.; Marsha Ebaugh, Secretary; Gordon Stockemer,
Treasurer. Meritorious Service
Award to energetic long time member Geula McDonald.
06/95 Death
of Bev Hodges, veteran member whose service as an officer, field trip leader,
Chairman of Wildlife films, and persistent fundraiser was unmatched.
01/96 Roberta
Curtis appointed V. President and program chair to replace departing Brian
Loflin.
03/96 Pete
Janzen’s 14 “Hot Spots” for birding in Sedgwick County featured in newsletter.
05/96 Annual
election: Nicole Ryan, V. Pres.;
Don Clemence, Treasurer.
07/96 Nathan
McDonald recipient of Meritorious Service Award at Chisholm Creek Park picnic.
07/96 Sale
of 600 Wichita Audubon Society cookbooks prepared by committee of members and
headed by chairman, Louise Wherry, began and eventually raised over $4,000 to
fund the annual operating budget.
09/96 First
regular meeting of the Society in the auditorium of the Great Plains Nature
Center—a move from recent meetings at Botanica.
10/96 John
Wherry retires after many years delivering birdseed “to the door” on behalf of
WAS.
05/97 Annual
election: Nicole Ryan, President;
Carol Fiore, V. Pres.; Marsha Ebaugh, Secretary; Don Clemence, Treasurer. Kenn Kaufman returned as speaker for
the meeting.
06/97 Departure
of Gerald Wiens, first CNC naturalist whose 16 years of service resulted in a
magnificent signed system of trails, visitors center, and an educational
program which “touched thousands of people.”
07/97 Meritorious
Service Award given to Louise Wherry at annual picnic.
08/97 Our
new naturalist, Shawn Silliman, comes to Chaplin Nature Center from
Indianapolis to begin his residence there.
02/17/98 Huge two-night
production at Scottish Rite Temple of “live portrayal of John James Audubon” by
San Francisco actor David Giesen.
Generous support for the fund raising effort by a number of patrons,
sponsors, and the Forrest C. Laettner Foundation along with concerted
enthusiastic efforts by officers and members allowed WAS to reach its stated
goal of $20,000 for the occasion.
04/98 29
Auduboners visited Concan in the Texas Hill country to chase down
Golden-cheeked Warblers and Black-capped Vireos. The group, led by Sandra Tholen, observed 150 species.
05/98 Meritorious
Service Award to Don Vannoy.
05/98 Resignation
of Nicole Ryan and husband Jim from their offices.
07/98 New
officers beginning July term: Jay Newton, President; Sharon Gregory, Secretary;
Sandra Tholen, Treasurer. Carol
Fiore continued as V. Pres. and Program Chair.
07/98 Tyler
Hicks, “boy wonder birder,” was enabled to attend Camp Chiricahua in Arizona
with support from WAS members. His
full report of the 12 day trip filled much of the October newsletter.
12/98 Archie,
the Bald Eagle, resident at CNC for 15 years, succumbed to bacterial and fungal
infection despite donations up to $800 by Ark City schoolchildren for
veterinary care.
01/99 Bill
Browning, President of Kansas Audubon Council, reports the employment of Ron
Klataske to serve as Director of Audubon in Kansas. He encourages financial support for its programs by all
local chapters in the state to be sent to Treasurer Carol Cumberland in
Wichita.
04/99 22
people traveled to Beavers Bend State Park in Oklahoma on an extended field trip. Led by Patty Marlett, a close look at a
Swainson’s Warbler delighted everyone.
05/99 Annual
election: Carol Cumberland returns
as President; V. Pres., Marsha
Ebaugh; Julia Hoppes, Secretary; Sandra Tholen, Treasurer. Meritorious Service Award to Bob Gress.
08/99 Kansas
Audubon Council officially becomes Audubon of Kansas with new Constitution and
By-laws. Patty Marlett is
Secretary, Carol Cumberland, Treasurer.
03/00 First
Backyard Birding field trip with open houses hosted by five member families who
demonstrated their bird feeding activities.
05/00 Annual
election: V. Pres. Kevin
Groeneweg; Julia Hoppes and Sandra Tholen continued as Secretary and
Treasurer. Meritorious Service
Award to Dan Kilby.
05/00 First
Twilight Dinner on the beach at Chaplin Nature Center.
08/29/00 At last, GRAND OPENING
of the Great Plains Nature Center with its Koch Habitat Hall.
01/01 Lowell
Wilder, our member videographer, is speaker for the 4th consecutive year at the
regular January program.
04/01 Wichita
Audubon phone line, in less regular use than in former years, is discontinued.
05/01 Annual
election: Patty Marlett returns
for a second term as President; Julia Hoppes, Secretary; Kevin Groeneweg as V.
Pres. and Duane DeLong as Treasurer.
Recipient of the Meritorious Service Award is Rex Herndon.
08/01 Death
of Mike Lesan, past President, Board member, and perennial leader of field
trips.
09/01 Society
members meet with city architects to discuss proposed changes for Oak Park.
01/31/02 Extensive ice
storm damage at Chaplin Nature Center.
Much volunteer work in cleanup was necessary though the spring.
04/02 The
extended field trip to Big Bend NP in Texas was attended by 15 members. Those who hiked up the Boot Canyon
trail were rewarded for their efforts with great looks at the Colima Warbler.
05/02 Twilight
dinner highlight a reenactment portrayal of Meriwether Lewis by former
President Phil Thomas.
05/02 Annual
election: Sharon Bolin elected
Secretary. Recipient of
Meritorious Sevice Award is Wally Champeny.
03/03 Newsletter
headline “CNC Wetlands Restoration” tells of Kingfisher Pond being replenished
by addition of a windmill for the well.
05/03 Annual
election: Kevin Groeneweg
President; Carol Cumberland, V. Pres. and Program Chair; Sharon Bolin, Duane
DeLong remain Secretary and Treasurer.
Patty Marlett, who has been newsletter editor for nine years, is the
recipient of the Meritorious Service Award.
11/03 Newsletter
contains insert by “Take Back Audubon”, a grass roots organization protesting
NAS policy that reduces dues shared with chapters thereby forcing significant
cutbacks in their activities.
Members are advised to vote in NAS election of Board of Directors for
candidates truly representing interests of local chapters.
04/04 The
extended field trip was a grouse tour of Colorado. 11 hardy participants traveled in rented vans and observed
all target species, including the highlight of seeing several White-tailed
Ptarmigan on Guanella Pass.
05/04 Carol
Cumberland recipient of Meritorious Service Award, and in the annual election
was re-elected V. Pres and Program Chair.
Sandra Tholen was elected again as Treasurer and newly elected Secretary
was Nancy Beard.
06/04 A
second extended field trip was led by Patty Marlett to the Niobrara in Nebraska
and the Hutton Ranch, owned by Audubon of Kansas. Activities included canoeing and a steak dinner at the
ranch. A ranch tour featured
numerous Bobolinks and several Long-billed Curlews.
09/24/04 Shawn Silliman conducts
the first ever Bioblitz at CNC.
This 24 hour cataloging of biodiversity at CNC resulting in the
identification of over 547 species.
Of the 275 species of plants, 23 were county records and one was a state
record. 74 species of birds, 40
species of lichens, 13 species of herps, 7 species of mammals, 20 species of
fish and 164 species of invertebrates were also identified by a number of
participants.
09/25/04 The year-long 50th
anniversary celebration culminated with a banquet at the Wichita Art Museum
featuring a visit by Kenn Kaufmann.
Over 80 members reminisced together, along with pictures and
presentations by charter members Walker Butin and Dan Kilby. The weekend activities also included a
field trip with Kenn.