Things are happening fast enough that it seems appropriate to keep adding information here to keep people up-to-date. So let's call this a blog. If you would like to contribute to it, send articles to Dick Patterson, rpatters at math dot iupui dot edu. Articles that are unattributed were written by him.

November 15 - Wal-Mart Stewardship Day a Success!

by Amy Wilms.

On November 8th, about 30 Wal-Mart employees and family members from central Indiana descended on the Mary Gray Bird Sanctuary to attend the first Wal-Mart Stewardship Day. As the morning sun began to rise, the parking lot filled to capacity. The morning started off with a bird walk around the ponds and folks began to gather in the downstairs of the barn for a brief introduction to the Sanctuary and the history of the Indiana Audubon Society. After coffee and donuts were served, IAS members (Alan King, Bill Hummel, Marlene Frank, Trevor Abernathy, Carl & Amy Wilms, and other volunteers, Brian Hensley and Jason) introduced themselves and described the projects for the day and the tasks began.

Here's what we physically accomplished:

• A new walking bridge was constructed that now connects the campground to the Abernathy's front yard. This is in preparation for a new vehicle bridge to be installed without the need to close the Sanctuary. (Years ago there was a similar bridge in this location.)
• A large tree was cleared over the entrance in preparation for the lane bridgework to be done
• Brush and trees were cleared around the 4th pond and piled below the overflow to provide a habitat for wildlife
• The stone path across the road from Brooks Hall was resurrected
• The newly routed signs were carefully painted for the displays in the museum
• A new bridge was constructed that leads from the prairie to the Woods Loop trail
• A new garden was tilled and planted for the outdoor window on wildlife area that includes new birdfeeders, native plants, and a water feature
• The prairie and large brush pile were burned with expert supervision
• Several erosion dams were installed on the Beech Trail

In addition to these labor intensive tasks, fellowship was experienced by all involved. The two resident families invested significant time in preparation for the day and the fire departments (Glenwood VFD and Everton VFD) were coordinated by the Pflum family. The burning of the prairie was coordinated by Cheryl LaBlanc, a Ball State University professor who had been contacted by Bill Cummings. Cheryl's extensive training and experience was very valuable and demonstrated by the incident-free inferno during what some may have considered a breezy day.

After the crowd had cleared, a Sanctuary Committee meeting was held in Markle Barn while eating a meal provided by Amy Wilms. The property returned to the cool fall evening as the last of the tired participants found their ways home. Many commented that it was a tremendously rewarding day and that they look forward to a similar day in the future.

Thank You to:

• Chad Williams for organizing his great Wal-Mart group
• Wal-Mart Employees for donating several bags of bird food!
• George and Nancy Wilson for donating the water feature, native plants and designing the garden
• Bill Hummel and Marlene Frank for pitching right in and leading a group
• Trevor, Jason, Brian, and Carl for building the bridges and preparing all of the supplies
• Allen King for assisting as supervisor of several projects
• Steve, Gina, and Greg Pflum for coordinating with the fire department
• Bill Cummings and Greg Oskay for helping Cheryl supervise the burn

Wal-Mart Donates $1000 for Window on Wildlife

The Mary Gray Bird Sanctuary received a $1000 donation from Wal-Mart to assist in the building of a garden for the Window on Wildlife. Chad Williams, Asset Protection Manager for the Central Indiana Wal-Mart Market, presented the check to the Sanctuary during the Wal-Mart Stewardship Day. The funds were used to purchase several bird feeders and houses, containers for seed storage, native bushes, trees, and lumber, that Carl Wilms used to make a large platform feeder (complete with a shingled roof) for the area. In the spring, a rain barrel will be added along with additional plantings and a bench where visitors can plan to sit and relax while enjoying the sights and sounds of nature. Plans also call for photographs to be framed to surround the interior of the window on wildlife, so that viewers will find assistance in identifying visitors to the new feature.

November 11

Carl Wilms reports on the work party November 8.

Mid October

Lots of good news to report! As a follow-up to the offer from Walmart sent by Chad Williams (see below under the September 10 update), we received a grant! Here is the letter sent to Amy announcing it:

Betsy and George Wilson have been kind enough to help with the planting design and are donating a water feature which will help move our plan along! (Thank you so much)! Since we received more than we asked for, maybe we can purchase a rain barrel or two since we already have the water feature donated.

Amy is drawing up plans for the Sanctuary Committee to take a look at prior to the November 8th meeting/workday. If anyone has ideas or suggestions about where we should purchase the bird houses and feeders, rain barrel(s), or wireless outdoor microphone, please contact Amy. The plantings that we will be doing will all be native to Indiana. A few Spice Bushes are already marked for transplanting.

More good news about the Nature Center inside. Right before the Fall Meeting Audubon bird prints were hung all around Brooks Hall. Tom Goldsmith's company Meyer Plastics made and donated 13 beautiful plexiglass boxes to hold the stuffed owls and many bird nests. We installed these on the walls. Connersville artist and gallery owner Rebecca painted a flying bald eagle on the background behind the eagle's nest.

September 10

Amy Wilms has found us a grant opportunity and also some eager workers. First, the grant opportunity.

The SIA Foundation, Inc. "is making gifts to qualifying 501(c) 3 organizations or entities within the State of Indiana that will improve the quality of life and help meet the needs of our residents." They describe the projects they will fund, and ours seems to fit all the criteria. "Applications for grants will be accepted from January 1 through March 31 to be considered for a grant to be dispersed by June 15."

Now for the willing workers. Amy got an e-mail from Chad Williams, an enthusiastic new birder (www.indianabirder.blogspot.com). He says "I am a Market Manager (Asset Protection) for Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. and assist in the Management of 13 stores including stores in the Connersville area. Recently, within the last year I have become the self-appointed environmental initiatives supporter among our team. Thus far, my team and me have worked with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Amos Butler Audubon Society to lend Wal-Mart's support to two very important organizations. I am currently looking for an environmental advocacy project for my team of 11 salaried managers and possibly their associates this fall".

Amy's reply: "We have a 'Window on Wildlife' that is a bird blind room where folks will be able to sit and view birds through a window (inside the Center). I wonder if your team would be interested in helping us with the outdoor portion? For instance, we would like to plant a native wildflower habitat for birds and butterflies, add a water feature, bird feeders and houses. In addition, we would like to add a microphone in one of the feeders and put speakers in the blind for groups to enjoy the sounds of the birds. In the room, we plan to offer birdwatching handouts, information about the ecology of the area over the past 100 years, and picture cards of the birds folks will see at the feeders. We see this as a wonderful opportunity for school groups, community members, among other organizations to learn about their natural surroundings and enjoy nature and in a safe and warm environment. Our hope is to link this to the Project Feeder Watch Program that Cornell heads up."

Chad's reply was strongly positive, so we can look forward to some fast progress. In fact this whole project is moving so fast that most of our members will not even know about it if they don't see it here. It is exciting!

Mid-August

Here are some of the projects we are planning for the Nature Center. See if you can find one that you can do in time for the Fall Meeting.

If you do find one you can do, please notify Fox Ellis, who is the main coordinator, Amy Wilms, the onsite coordinator, and Dick Patterson, who will update this website. (Fox is the Audubon impersonator who did a program for us and is going to do another one, in addition to this museum project. His email is foxtales at foxtalesint dot com. Amy's is wilmsab at muohio dot edu. Patterson's is rpatters at math dot iupui dot edu.)

1. Build several bird houses that have a hinge on the front with a small knob so kids can peek inside. Design it so we can place a nest and a mounted bird inside the house and it is sealed with a plexiglass front under the liftable wood front.
   • 2 bluebird houses [done]
   • wren [done]
   • wood duck
   • owl
   • screech owl
   • others?
2. Cut out life size top-view silhouettes of several birds and paint it in realistic colors, (no real detail needed).
   • bald eagle [done]
   • red-tailed hawk [done]
   • robin [done]
   • hummingbird [done]
   • others?
3. Build ten plexi-glass boxes with a wooden back to display nests, and few boxes for owls and other taxidermy as the need arises. [will be done by Tom Goldsmith]
   [Fox will write, frame and hang interpretive signs creating an interactive guessing game.]
4. Rout out lettered signs for headlines/exhibit titles. [will be done by Amy Wilms, but she might be able to use help]
5. Purchase Thayer birding software and digital photo frame, upload photos and songs for 'birding by ear' exhibit. [ Amy has already initiated this process. Fox will write, frame and hang signs.]
6. Clear out old displays, store or dispose of them as needed. [Carl Wilms and Trevor Abernathy (the new tenant)]
7. Get appraisal of Turkey print, barrister bookcases and other antiques. [Carl Wilms will initiate project, board needs to approve sales of antiques.]
8. Investigate a Grant that IAS can request for funding to expand on museum project (Phase II, if you will). [Karen Henman and Amy Wilms will follow-up. Fox will help with text.]
9. Fix electrical wiring for portraits of Alice and Finley Gray. [a very easy job, but it has to be done on-site]
10. Clean glass on Audubon Prints, write signs, arrange and hang art in Brooks hall. [Fox will write signs, Rebecca will clean frames, both will hang art.]
11. Purchase and install track lighting in Window on Wildlife room. (This is a small room with 2 horizontal windows that is intended for a bird blind, but has not been used for this for years.)
12. Paint Mural for Window on Wildlife. [Rebecca should be paid for this intensive project]
13. Build a table top, 3-D map of Mary Gray bird sanctuary, similar to scale model train platform, using the 2' x 6' foot short antique-looking table.
14. Build an 18" x 18" pedestal with a plexi-glass top and four drawers for 'collections'.
15. Write and send letters to all Indiana Wild Bird Centers for feeder donations and then visit the stores to request/collect donations. It would help if anyone who lives near a store volunteers to collect feeder and agreed to purchase 'year supply' of the feed required. Please contact Amy if you are interested so we do not get three people visiting the same store. [Fox will write the letter, Amy will send them. Will several of you please visit a store AND purchase the seed?]
16. Write letter for donation from Walmart, Target, and other stores. [Do you have a personal connection with a business who may donate supplies or funding? Please contact Amy and Fox to coordinate efforts.]
17. Coordinate taxidermy with Dale and Wylen, a professor and graduate student from ISU. Dale W. Sparks, as Assistant Curator of Vertebrates Department of Ecology and Organismal Biology at Indiana State University has agreed to help us acquire taxidermy and the proper permits. His graduate student will help with some of the displays. [Karen Henman, who lives in Terre Haute, will help transport materials if needed. Fox will help generate the wish list, write, frame and hang signs.]
18. We also have several boxes of rocks and minerals, sea shells, insects, skulls, and other specimens that we would like to display in a cabinet, approximately 30 inches tall and 18 x 24. This requires some detailed custom cabinetry to turn these display boxes into drawers, attach sliders and drawer handles etc. [We need someone to purchase lumber and build.]

Driving Directions Change: Two new bridges are going in on Bird Sanctuary Road. The road will be closed for the meeting. If you usually come in from SR44, you will need to take the other road in from the east. Drive east on SR 44 into Connersville. Turn RIGHT on IN-121 South. Drive 2.7 miles. Turn RIGHT onto W-CR 350 S. Drive 3.1 miles and arrive at the Mary Gray Bird Sanctuary. (Map)(Google Map)