I'd like to encourage everyone on the Ohio Birds ListServ to consider attending the Ohio Young Birders Conference on November 5th, at the Grange Insurance Audubon Center (GIAC) in Columbus, Ohio. The cost is just $20 for adults 19 and over - and $10 for students 18 and under. The presentations are given by young people on a variety of nature topics ranging from Shorebird Research in Alaska to Lake Erie Water Snake Research on South Bass Island. This year's keynote speaker is Rachael Butek, the reigning American Birding Association Young Birder of the Year. This event is truly for everyone, not just for kids. This is our 5th annual event, and each year we've had more than 100 people attend, more than half of them adults. A morning field trip around the grounds of the GIAC, songbird banding, birds of prey on display courtesy of the incomparable Susan Williams and Raptor Inc., great presentations, wonderful door prizes and optics raffles, and a free, six month subscription to the online Birds of North America accounts courtesy of Cornell Lab of Ornithology, are just a few of the great things the conference offers attendees. If you've ever felt concern for the future of bird conservation because kids just don't seem to care about nature these days, you'll come away with a healthy dose of inspiration as well. Come to the event, support these outstanding young people, and do something good for yourself, too. Here's a link to more information, the event schedule, and registration information: http://ohioyoungbirders.org/2011_oybc_5th_annual_conference.htm <http://ohioyoungbirders.org/2011_oybc_5th_annual_conference.htm%20> Or, you can call the bird observatory with any questions at (419) 898-4070. Thanks, everyone. I hope to see you there, Kim Kimberly Kaufman Executive Director Black Swamp Bird Observatory 13551 West State Route 2 Oak Harbor, Ohio 43449 419-898-4070 www.bsbobird.org www.ohioyoungbirders.org www.biggestweekinamericanbirding.com www.birdingwithkennandkim.blogspot.com Become a fan of BSBO and Ohio Young Birders Club on Facebook: www.facebook.com/BSBOBIRD www.faceboo.com/OHIOYOUNGBIRDERS Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/BSBOBIRD ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]