The Raptor Center of St. Paul has been busy this winter treating Great Gray Owls that have been injured in the course of the owl invasion that began in November. Most injuries require orthopedic surgery and the average patient runs up a bill of $1,500. Most winters, the center treats about three Great Grays, so this year’s invasion has exhausted the entire year’s budget. However, the Katherine B. Andersen Fund of the St. Paul Foundation has launched a matching grant challenge, “Give a Hoot.” They will match every dollar raised by private donors, up to $20,000. Interested? Send a check to: The Raptor Center, 1920 Fitch Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108 or, to make a donation online, go to: www.cvm.umn.edu/depts/raptorcenter/donate/greatgray

The effort to draft a bill to remove a hunting season on Mourning Doves has ended for this legislative session. The groups involved will try again next year. The Bluebird Recovery Program, an offshoot of Minneapolis Audubon, will hold their annual conference at Faribault Middle School, Faribault, on April 16. For more information, visit their website at www.bbrp.org/conference.

Tree Swallows and Eastern Bluebirds are back! Now’s the time to clean out those boxes and get them ready for the next generation, if you haven’t already done so. It’s almost time for Ruby-throated Hummingbirds and Baltimore Orioles to arrive. Hang nectar feeders and set out oranges May 1.

Center City resident and native plant enthusiast Tom Dickhudt is available to teach a class on native plants to interested Audubon members. The informal class would include identification of plants, how to landscape a septic mound and how to design a rain garden. Call 257-6044 for more information.

From Dave Spohn: Last week there was a beautiful sight to be seen in the open countryside north of Stacy. A huge formation of over 100 tundra swans rose into a dark gray backdrop of clouds, white bodies gleaming in the setting sun against the dark clouds. This was right in front of us as we were driving home. We drove another mile and saw a pair of sandhill cranes just above us. All were headed north. It is spring...

And finally, thanks to everyone who were so faithful in letters and phonecalls to our senators, especially Mr. Coleman, in our fight to save the Arctice Refuge. It's not over until it's over!

Audubon Minnesota Gets New Executive Director

After a lengthy search, the Executive Board of Audubon Minnesota has selected Mark Peterson of Fort Collins, Colorado to head the state office. Peterson, a native Midwesterner, comes to the job with impressive credentials. He holds a B.S in Environmental Education, a M.S. in Environmental Journalism and a Ph.D. in Wildland Management. His thesis work involved protecting habitat for Whooping Cranes and other migrators along the Platte River of Nebraska. He claims that he especially enjoys the human interaction involved in getting diverse groups to co-operate in conservation efforts in which all have a stake. His most recent position was with the National Parks Conservation Association at Fort Collins. He also served a stint as Executive Director of the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute of Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin. Peterson assumed the reins April 4th. He has expressed interest in visiting with chapter members in their local habitat, and Wild River hopes to host him at an event in the near future.