[Posted by Chuck Almdale]

Have you noticed how the little Santa Monica Bay Chapter of Audubon keeps churning out bird-centered news on its blog, invites you to monthly field trips at Malibu Lagoon, and keeps tabs on bird conservation locally year after year?

Your chapter is readying itself for a 50th Anniversary celebration. Fifty years ago a group of hardy local birders declared their independence from the greater Los Angeles Audubon in order to focus on the more coastal habitats. That was a brave move by our founders. As you may know, in Audubon’s general organization each chapter is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which receives minimal support from the National Audubon Society. Our chapter has survived and is thriving.

However, without younger (or any age) new board members, this chapter will die of attrition. In the past few years the functions of the chapter have been borne by a progressively smaller number of participants. In the past five years we have lost five active board members and another six in the five years before that. This year two board members moved away and one resigned due to health, leaving the board shorthanded. The members of the board, are somehow not getting younger.

We need new board members who have some time and enthusiasm to keep the chapter flourishing. There is no financial obligation to serving on the board.

So this is our call to our general membership and friends. Please consider volunteering a few hours to help the Chapter thrive. We need contributors to the blog. Chuck Almdale has made it the most interesting source of information in the L.A. conservation community, but he needs more input from fine writers like…you? Field trips outside of the Lagoon are a welcome leadership opportunity for birders to share places and habitats they love with the local birding community. Want to get your feet wet as a local lobbyist for nature? We’ll give you plenty of opportunity.

So…how to get started? If any of those activities are attractive, come test the water by attending our Board’s annual planning meeting. This year it will be held in Brentwood on Sunday July 13th from 10 AM to 2 PM (lunch included) at the home of one of our board members. Please call me for more info. We will limit new volunteers to 10 because of seating capacity, and minimum age requirement is 16. 🙂 (There is no maximum!)

Lu Plauzoles, V.P.   310. 779. 0966