The following forwarded message came from the Upper Valley Conservation Network.
Offers of assistance in this nighthawk project in the Upper Valley should go
directly to Lou-Anne Conroy (e-mail address and phone number below).
--- Edited Message from kurt.gott ---
>Date: 22 May 2008 00:29:06 -0400
>From: kurt.gott
>Subject: nighthawk conservation project
Hello all, message from the Upper Valley Conservation Network.
Kurt
UVCN
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--- Forwarded message from "Lou-Anne Conroy" ---
>Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
>From: "Lou-Anne Conroy" <[log in to unmask]>
>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: nighthawk conservation project
>Date: Wed, 21 May 2008 15:49:48 -0400
Hello Kurt,
Molly at the Hanover Conservation Council and Vicki Smith recommended that I
contact you about Project Nighthawk. She mentioned that you would be able
to send this message out to others. I would greatly appreciate the help in
getting the word out about Project Nighthawk!
I am a new volunteer for this NH Audubon project and am interested in
finding people here in the Upper Valley who would also like to be involved
with this experiment. As you may know, this project is based on Ken
Klapper's masters thesis project out of Antioch and includes constructing 9'
X 9' peastone gravel nest patches on flat roofed businesses in downtown
areas. There may be a correlation between the disappearance of this once
abundant bird in the Upper Valley downtown areas and the change from
peastone gravel and tar roofs to rubber membrane roofs and large gravel
ballast roofs 10 or so years ago. Last year many nest patches were
constructed in downtown Keene and Concord and just today I was notified that
volunteers there have sighted returning nighthawks to these downtowns. They
are back in the state! Needless to say, the volunteers in Concord and Keene
are eager to see if these nighthawks are enticed by the nest patches this
year!
A couple of weeks ago, I coordinated and assisted Lyme Timber in the
construction of Hanover's first nest patches on 23 and 63 S. Main St. (Bank
of America and Canoe Club roofs) with Roy Von Vleck, Robbie Harlow and Andy
Badger, all very generous, enthusiastic and supportive of this project.
Although I have approached Dartmouth Real Estate and Investment Properties,
individuals there were very interested but the nest construction was
thwarted by the fear of liability issues on there part. They own many good
buildings in Centerra as well as several in downtown Hanover. I have
approached Jim Rubens (Hanover Park-Clay's Store,etc.) who was interested
but again NH Audubon could not agree to the conditions he wanted which
involved getting an attorney involved to draw up a liability document. There
have been a few other businesses I have contacted but they have not shown
much interest this year. (Gilberte's roof would be a great one but no one
there has shown much initiative)
I did send a press release and other information to a contact at the Valley
News and I am hoping they run some publicity for this project.
I have also emailed Douglas Bolger, a conservation biologist, at Dartmouth a
couple of weeks ago but have not heard back. (I realize it is a very hectic
time for Dartmouth folks. I don't expect to hear from him for awhile.)
At this point, I would greatly appreciate any help with the following:
1) coordinated monitoring of the downtown area, at least Hanover but
also Lebanon for returning nighthawks in the area from now until late July
in the evenings or early mornings
2) general notification of local birders to be on the look out for
nighthawks migrating through and recording any sightings with date and
location and birds seen
3) coordinating monitoring of any nesting birds on 23 and/or 63 S.
Main St. and any chicks that may appear (!) if any do decide to nest in
Hanover this year
4) providing me with a list of potential contacts who would be
interested in allowing nest patches to be constructed on their roof or
perhaps you would be interested in contacting people
The following is a good link to information regarding Project Nighthawk.
Project Nighthawk page
http://nhbirdrecords.org/Nighthawk/Nighthawk-main.html
Here is a Press Release and NH Audubon contact information:
http://www.nhaudubon.org/pdf/04-08-ProjectNighthawk.pdf
Feel free to email me or call me at 603-236-9264 (I live in Lyme). I look
forward to hearing from you.
Thank you!
Sincerely,
Lou-Anne Conroy
--- End of forwarded text ---
Thank You,
Kurt Gotthardt
[log in to unmask]
"In Nature, everything is connected to something else, nothing is ever wasted,
and every natural act has a purpose."
[This message was forwarded by George Clark of Norwich, VT]
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