For what it's worth...

By -
A message from Kimberly: I have watched in awe as Kenn and many others navigated some turbulent seas to get the ABA on track. Kenn and I have had some "lively" discussions about the issue, ; ) and while I was not directly involved in the process of searching for the new Executive Director (I'm officially casting my vote for axing the term "President"), I have been actively engaged in studying the whole process and have learned a great deal from it. Thank you to everyone for the outpouring of support for the ABA---and for Kenn. If the dude wasn't so determined to write field guides that help people discover and enjoy nature (and so wonderful at it, I might add!), I'd encourage him to take the job himself. But, whomever the next ED is, I'm sure they can count on Kenn as a resource and I certainly hope that they will do just that.

So, consider this my "shout out" to Kenn and all those who are working hard to get the ABA back on its feet. I'd especially like to thank the staff at ABA for hanging on in spite of the rough seas that have threatened to drown out all the solid things they're continuing to accomplish.

And here's a little something to remind us all of why the effectiveness/success of every bird and conservation organization is worth working hard for.

Lincoln Sparrow



hope for the future of birds and birding

Magnolia Warbler


Loggerhead Shrike



Bay-breasted Warbler


Pied-billed Grebe

Comments

  1. DaveAugust 27, 2010 at 9:30 PM

    Bravo Kenn!
    Can I still be your friend?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kenn KaufmanAugust 28, 2010 at 12:40 AM

    Hi Dave ... I hope so! As long as Bobb the Chipmunk doesn't object!

    Honest, I didn't know that Kimmer was writing this. I definitely wouldn't consider taking the ABA President job myself -- I don't think I have the necessary skills, and I'm determined to keep working on book projects. And a lot of good people have been working behind the scenes to set things right at ABA again, so I'm just one person out of many involved in the effort.

    I should point out that Eddie Callaway over at the BirdFreak blog suggested that ABA should hire Kimberly herself as the new Prez. http://bit.ly/ceZoAR
    She's thoroughly occupied with Black Swamp Bird Observatory, but still, we appreciate the fact that Eddie recognizes her talents.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Peter NelsonSeptember 3, 2010 at 2:53 PM

    Well said and your pictures are amazing! You guys are awesome! Pete

    ReplyDelete
  4. ChadSeptember 4, 2010 at 9:21 AM

    Thank you Kenn! I am only a few years into the ABA but and a strong supporter (to the extent that I can) and am personally very, very appreciative of your and everyone else's work on keeping the ABA going! Many thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  5. LarrySeptember 5, 2010 at 9:49 PM

    Well said by Kim. Lets all hope for a bright future for the ABA and especially for the birds.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousSeptember 9, 2010 at 2:53 PM

    Your photography is outstanding.

    These are all birds that I wish I could see here where we live. Especially my name's sake, the Lincoln sparrow.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Michael RetterSeptember 17, 2010 at 11:28 AM

    Well said, Kim!

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousSeptember 17, 2010 at 4:37 PM

    Something to think about when looking at the President/CEO vs. Executive Director issue:
    http://nonprofitconversation.blogspot.com/2010/06/whats-in-name-benefits-of-presidentceo.html

    The next head of ABA is going to have to be a strong leader--for ABA and the birding community--and will need the strongest title possible to be taken seriously. Perhaps the problem isn't that we call the head of ABA a President/CEO, but that we haven't had anyone in that position recently that has lived up to that title!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Barnie PostcardsOctober 14, 2010 at 4:03 AM

    Ooohh I love birds. This is a cool site with beautiful birds photos. I am a postcards collector and postcards of birds are one of the themes that I collect.
    http://projeksatudunia.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

From Kenn's Drawing Table: Great Black Hawk

By -
Image
Kenn Writes: Some bird painters can put down just a few lines on canvas or paper and then start painting. I respect that, but it doesn't work for me; I have to have a detailed idea of where things are going before I start to lay in any color. I recently started a portrait of an immature Great Black Hawk, and the basic drawing evolved over a couple of days. On the left here is the subfinal drawing. After putting it aside for a while, I decided to change the position of the head, make the bill a little thicker, and make a few other adjustments. I'll probably make more changes in the process of painting, but at least the foundation is set in advance.
Read more

Which Way for ABA?

By -
From a state of contemplation, Kenn writes: The American Birding Association (ABA) has been an important part of my life ever since I joined, at the age of 16, back in the 1970s. The ABA was a brand-new organization then, and it served a unique role in connecting the active birders of the U.S. and Canada. Its little bimonthly magazine, Birding, was a treasure trove for me as a teenager, giving me tips on bird-finding and bird identification that I wouldn’t have known about in any other way. When I started traveling, as a hitch-hiking, teenaged birder, the ABA connected me with other enthusiasts and with prime birding hotspots, and helped to put me on a course as a professional naturalist. In subsequent years I was involved with ABA in many ways. I taught bird I.D. workshops at many of their conventions, and later I began giving evening keynote talks at these events; for a while, I had spoken at more ABA conventions than anyone else. I wrote dozens of pieces for Birding magazine, and...
Read more