Upcoming Events - Audubon Society of Kalamazoo

FEBRUARY 2010 MONTHLY MEETING: “WIND POWER”

Did you know that Michigan is the 14^th windiest state in the country and receives as much direct sunlight as Florida during the summer?

Did you know that a single utility-scale (750KW) wind turbine can prevent the emission of 5,000 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere each year? Did you know that this would be equivalent to the absorptive capacity of 500 acres of forest?

Did you know that only 11% of electricity comes from renewable energy sources?

Did you know you can generate electrons in your backyard?! How cool is that??

Mark Bauer, president and founder of Bauer Power, will present a program on February 22 about alternative energy and wind power and their applicability in Michigan. Mark became interested in renewable energy in 2001 and gained his photovoltaic certification though the Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association (GLREA) and has since melded his background of home building with knowledge of renewable energy and launched Bauer Power in 2005.

In 1994, after raptor deaths at the Altamont Pass windfarm in California became a general concern, the wind energy industry joined with other stakeholders (government officials, environmental groups, utilities) to form the National Wind Coordinating Collaborative (www.nationalwind.org) aimed at addressing the wind/avian issue. The American Wind Wildlife Institute (www.awwi.org) is another collaborative group focused on research and addressing wildlife/windfarm siting issues. Pre-construction wildlife surveys are common practice in the industry now, and the National Academy of Science estimates that in 2006, wind energy was responsible for less than three out of every 100,000 bird deaths caused by human or feline activities (Source: American Wind Energy Association www.awea.org). The industry is now responding to bat collisions in Appalachia.

In order for the alternative energy industry to become mainstream, it needs to be better understood. Mark provides education on renewable energy by hosting seminars, teaching classes on solar and wind for the GLREA and Grand Rapids Community College, and has served as an expert for many live panel discussions, including the PBS panel “Ask the Experts.” Bauer Power recently was selected to put solar and wind energy systems in Michigan schools though the Energy Works Michigan program, sponsored by the Michigan Public Service Commission. This program will identify building improvements at 60 schools to eliminate 10% to 30% of the school’s energy use, and participating schools will receive an interactive kiosk, teacher training, and lesson plans to share this knowledge with the students. To find out more about Energy Works Michigan’s many programs, visit their website at www.energyworksmichigan.org.

So, come to the ASK program to be held at People’s Church, 1758 North 10^th Street, Kalamazoo, on Monday, February 22, and learn more interesting facts about wind power and alternative energy. The program starts at 7:30 PM and is preceded at 7:00 by a social time with light refreshments. Guests and the general public are encouraged to attend. Please bring your own coffee cup to save our refreshment committee from dishpan hands. Handicap parking and access is at the rear of the building.

ASK’S GREAT BACKYARD BIRD COUNT ACTIVITIES AT
WOLF LAKE FISH HATCHERY

On Saturday, February 13^th, ASK will participate in the 13^th Annual Great Backyard Bird Count. We will start with a PowerPoint presentation by Ilse Gebhard about the count at 9:30 AM in the auditorium of the Wolf Lake Fish Hatchery Visitor Center. A Winter Bird Walk will follow the presentation at 10:00 AM (see Field Trips below).

We will count the different bird species and the numbers of each for entry in the Cornell Lab of Ornithology database, along with thousands of other participants across the country. All age and skill levels are welcome and the visitor center will provide light refreshments after the walk, when participants can pick up information and ask questions about the count, bird feeding, or winter birds.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON FIELD TRIPS

Please note that our field trips now include the phone number of the leader. It is our policy that the leader will go to the meeting point even if the weather is poor. This does not mean the leader will go to the meeting point if it is dangerous to do so or if the roads are so bad, i.e. deep snow, that travel is not recommended. The phone numbers are provided for cases where the conditions are questionable, so that you can call the leader to see if the trip will be held. Please realize that we still hold our trips rain, snow, or shine, but we now leave it up to the leader to decide what is just plain unsuitable weather. Reminder: We still attempt to start trips at or very near the appointed time, so please don't be late. If you have any general questions about the policy, please call Russ Schipper at 375-7210.