Western Cuyahoga

Audubon Society
Success Stories
2019 - 2020
1. History of WCAS

Jess Bibbo
Grant Committee Volunteer
 The Beginnings of the WCAS

Rocky River View, Rocky River Reservation, 24000 Valley Pkwy,

North Olmsted, OH 44070 by Alice Merkel.

Serving Northern Ohio Conservation for Forty-Five Years

We began with just a few friends who shared a love for birds and birding and were interested
to preserve nature for our children's grandchildren.
WCAS: The First Thirty Years
“2009 Northeast Ohio Environmental Award”

● Advocacy

● Building the organization

● Connecting with the community

● Research and education

WCAS: Building Communities

● Website and Social Media

○ Began in 1999
○ Part of the 2007 strategic plan
○ A 2016 strategic investment
continues today

● A Community Resource

● Community Engagement
○ Urban Birding
○ Conservation Project Lab

Above: Screenshot of Western Cuyahoga Audubon Society website Home

page at https://www.wcaudubon.org/
2. Urban Birding
Cleveland

Michelle Brosius
Board Member, Bird Walk Coordinator
 What is Urban Birding?

“We all need to appreciate

that wildlife not only occurs in
our cities but it is here to stay.
There is fabulous wildlife all
around us and we need to
encourage and conserve it in
the places where it exists.”

- David Lindo, The Urban Birder

Photo: American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis), Urban Bird Walk in the Flats-Cleveland’s Rust Belt! Merwin's Wharf, 1785
Merwin Ave, Cleveland, OH 44113, Sunday, November 3, 2019 by Tom Fishburn.
Why Does Urban Birding Matter?

Urban Birding
activities raise
resident and visitor
awareness of bird
and habitat
conservation.

Photo: Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis), Lake County Lakefront Bird Walk Tour, Lake Erie Bluffs
Observation Tower, 2901 Clark Rd, Perry, OH 44081, Monday, November 4, 2019 by Gus Lanese.
 Urban Birding with David Lindo Week
Over 600 attendees, chapter members, youth birders, and 50+
volunteers!

Photo Credits (left to right): Cleveland Metroparks Rocky River Reservation IBA Bird Walk, Saturday, November 2, 2019 by Penny O’Connor; East Clark Bird Nerds, Urban Bird Walk in Cleveland Flats, Sunday,
November 3, 2019 by Liz McQuaid; Urban Birding with the Boys and Boys & Girls Club of Cleveland, Tuesday, November 5, 2019 by Betsey O’Hagan.
 Urban Birding Cleveland
Connect people to the birds in their communities with the purpose of
raising awareness about local wildlife and the importance of conserving
and growing habitat for our resident and migratory birds.

Photo Credits (left to right): WCAS Conservation Project Lab, Saturday, November 9, 2019 by Mary Anne Romito; Urban Birding Cleveland Design Lab, Thursday, November 7, 2019; East, Clark Middle School
Bird Nerds and OYBC NE Chapter Bird Walk, Thursday, November 7, 2019 by Betsey O’Hagan.
 Birding Trail in Historic Tremont

Bird walks are being planned with

residents to explore the urban
landscape, it's mature and new
forest canopy, birds, and wildlife in
historic Tremont, Ohio.

Photo: Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos), Urban Birding Tremont Neighborhood Walkabout, Photo: Urban Birding Tremont Neighborhood Walkabout, Cleveland,
Civilization, 2366 W 11th St, Cleveland, OH 44113, Wednesday, November 6, 2019 by Tom Fishburn. OH 44113, Wednesday, November 6, 2019 by Tom Fishburn.
3. Conservation
Project Lab

Gloria Ferris
Board Member
 Why a Conservation Lab?
One of National Audubon’s goals is to foster equity, diversity and
inclusivity in chapters. We decided that a goal of creating a younger,
more diverse chapter worked with our plan for sustainability.

Photo Credits (left to right): WCAS Conservation Project Lab, Saturday, November 9, 2019 by Mary Anne Romito; Native Plant Sale Meeting, January 4, 2020 and WCAS Bird Friendly Plant Sale, Saturday, September 29, 2019
by Betsey O’Hagan.
 How Did We Form our Lab?

● Chose a group leader

● Invited a group
● Had a facilitator
● Chose objectives

● Our organizational meeting

was a success

Photo Credit: Conservation Project Lab, Saturday, December 7, 2019 by Betsey O’Hagan.
 Choosing a First Project
We wanted the project to:

• Add another level to our birding activities

• Enrich bird-friendly habitats
• To be sustainable

Photo Credits (left to right): WCAS Conservation Project Lab Bird Friendly Plant Sale, Frostville Farmer’s Market, North Olmsted, OH 44070, June 2019 by Kaoru Tsubone; Bird Friendly Native Plant Sale,
Tremont, OH, September 2019 by Betsey O’Hagan.
 Second Project: David Lindo Week
When opportunity knocks, open the door.

A bigger project meant we needed:

• 45 Sponsoring partners
• 50+ Volunteers

Photo Credits (left to right): Urban Birding Tremont Neighborhood Walkabout, Wednesday, November 6, 2019 by Tom Fishburn; Community Program: "How to Be an Urban Birder" with David Lindo, The Urban
Birder, Saturday, November 2, 2019; and East, Clark Middle School Bird Nerds and OYBC NE Chapter Bird Walk and David Lindo Presentation to the East, Clark Elementary School, 885 E 146th St, Cleveland, OH
44110, Thursday, November 7, 2019 by Betsey O’Hagan.
Where To Start
● Start slow to go fast.

● Choose a project your chapter

has wanted to accomplish.

● And most importantly, have

fun. Fun has a way of
attracting the right people at
the right time.

● The sky’s the limit.

Photo Credit (left to right): Urban Birding Tremont Neighborhood Walkabout, Wednesday, November 6, 2019 by
Tom Fishburn.
 Questions and Answers
Western Cuyahoga
Audubon Society
https://www.wcaudubon.org/

Contacts
WCAS
info@wcaudubon.org

Jess Bibbo
JessBibbo@wcaudubon.org

Michelle Brosius
MichelleBrosius@wcaudubon.org

Gloria Ferris
Photo Credit: Trumpeter Swans (Cygnus buccinator), Sandy Ridge Reservation Bird Walk, Friday, November 8, 2019 by Michelle Brosius. GloriaFerris@wcaudubon.org