Good afternoon,

Bill Whan is a friend of mine and has done more for birding in Ohio than
any of us could hope to do in five lifetimes. His knowledge runs deep and
wide, and he has always been willing to donate his time and talents to help
and further birding in our state. He has written innumerable articles,
edited the Ohio Cardinal, served on the Ohio Bird Records Committee, helped
found the Ohio Ornithological Society, led the Columbus Avid Birders group,
and so much more. I have had the privilege of not only birding with him,
but also collaborating with him on several projects over the past 21 years,
and I can say without question that he has been one of the most important
influences in me becoming the birder that I am today. For that I am
eternally grateful.

As you know, I have not posted much lately, and I must say that I am not
pleased with what has happened with birding over the past several years.
The public shaming of Bill Whan and his subsequent removal from this list
is one of the most ridiculous things I have witnessed here and is the
proverbial straw for me. If you do not like this message, you need not
worry about me posting here again because I am unsubscribing. I will also
have to seriously consider whether I wish to continue contributing to a
hobby where I would have to be more concerned with what some poor soul
might think about what I say or write, especially in an historical context,
than promoting bird welfare, habitat conservation and restoration, and
natural history.

Signing off permanently,

Joe Hammond
Pataskala, OH

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