Restore Your Soul
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Send to friend2.17.09
Restore Your Soul
Remember back to junior high school biology class? We learned that all animals need food, water, shelter and safety. As humans we rely on a house to provide shelter, our drinking water comes from the municipal supply or a well and farming provides our food. Birds have the same needs as humans but meet them in very different ways. They shelter in nests, eat from the land, drink from creeks and take flight or cover in a nearby tree when threatened. The name for these basic needs in the natural world is habitat.
Birds are a unique species because of the vast amount of miles they travel each year. They can nest as far north as the Arctic Circle and winter in South America. When a bird needs food, rest or water during migration it lands in habitat. Auglaize County is a stopover for some birds along the way. The St. Marys River Basin is one such area. This belt of habitat extends from Van Wert through Mercer and into western Auglaize County.
The St. Marys River Basin is designated as an Important Bird Area by Audubon due to the variety of habitat it provides. An Important Bird Area is a designation for high quality land that provides essential habitat for birds year round. Think about it, right here in Auglaize County we are recognized as essential habitat for healthy bird populations in North America.
Because of the Important Bird Area designation land owners in the St. Marys River Water Shed are eligible for conservation programs. These include filter strips, windbreaks and hedgerows, riparian buffers, wetlands, and reforestation. Good conservation practices enhance good habitat and good habitat results in healthy bird populations.
You are invited to attend a Conservation Outreach Seminar to learn more about the St. Marys River Basin Initiative. The seminar is sponsored by the Audubon Society with funding from the Joyce Foundation. Local conservationist Gary Steinbrunner has been contracted by Audubon, Ohio to lead these conservation efforts. The only thing you need to qualify for this free dinner program is 5 or more acres of land in the river watershed. The program Restore Your Land/ Restore Your Soul will be held on March 3, 11:00 am-1:00 pm at Speedway Lanes or March 11, at Easy Campground from 6:00-8:00pm. Reserve a seat by emailing: ohio@audubon.org, or by contacting Gary Steinbrunner aaasteinbrunner@bright.net or calling (419) 305-9981.
Habitat is important for all life forms. Here is an opportunity to do something in our own back yards that will have a big impact on birds, our international visitors, and on local wildlife as well. Working together to restore and maintain quality habitat will have lasting benefits. Restore Your Land/ Restore Your Soul!
Allison Brady
Heritage Trails Park District, Your Auglaize County Parks
Htparks.org
