YOU ARE INVITED!!

SAS CHAPTER PLANNING SESSION

DATE: JULY 11, 2024

TIME: 6:00 PM TO 8 PM

WHERE: ON ZOOM

Hello Sonoran Auduboners!

Your Board of Directors invites you to participate in strategic planning for the Chapter! The most recent plan covered the past two years up to the end of May 2024—so it is time to update the plan. We already know that we achieved some great things this past year but fell down on our plans in some key areas. Soooooo, we need your assistance to set goals and decide who does what, etc. We NEED your input and ideas! We are gathering ON ZOOM on Thursday, July 11, 2024 ON ZOOM from 6 PM to 8 PM.

RSVP (Required)

It is vitally important that you RSVP on e mail to [email protected]

That is how you will get your specific invitation to ZOOM.

For those of you unable to attend…or just want us to know ahead of time… please feel free to message— by July 10, 2024—your thoughts, issues, concerns or “attaboys” to: Karen LaFrance, Co-Chair and Coordinator [email protected] and/or to Andree’ Tarby, SAS Founding Board Member [email protected] .

Once you RSVP, we’ll send out the reports and agenda ahead of time w/ the Zoom info.

Discussion Items for July 11th:

1. What progress has been made since 2022-2024 planning session at Hassayampa, summer 2022? (SHORT REPORTS: will be shared prior to the meeting; For Discussion at the meeting: What are potential next steps?)

a. Building the Chapter & the Board

b. Birding Trips

c. Lights Out—Bird Safe Windows

d. Communications

e. Administration

2. Background Questions:

a. How do we think about SAS? How are we doing? Growing? Not Growing? Doing what a chapter should do? Outreach to younger folks? (examples: Western Yellow Billed Cuckoo Internships, year 4 in summer 2024 with National Audubon “Audubon in Action” grant and Joe Ford/Tom Locascio’s Maricopa County Parks’ “almost weekley” Bird Walks and Programs….)

b. What is the Chapter doing on conservation issues as bird habitat continues to be threatened in AZ? Anything more?

c. What interest does the Chapter have in:

a) In person meetings & programs: subjects?

b) larger,1-2-3 times/yr, in person programs, potentially with other chapters? subjects?

c) Twice a year (Fall & Spring) picnics with Bird Walks, raffles, fun, etc.— locations—Horseshoe Ranch, Glendale Thunderbird Conservation Park, OTHER VENUES in West Valley?

d) Hosted Education Programs about birds, birding and bird habitat? “Birding 101” classes, etc.

e) “TABLING” and Bird Walks—Tres Rios Nature Festival (February); Agua Fria High School “STEM CON” (April 2025 TBD 5-8 PM), OTHER OPPORTUNITIES?

f) Sponsoring Guided Birding Trips and Walks

3. Potential Work Items for the Summer; from Board Discussions:

a. Planning, set up & advertising for Birding Trips & INFORMAL Meet Ups

b. RECRUITING & Finding the volunteers that the Chapter needs

c. Maintaining Fund-Raising

d. What Teams does the Chapter need?

e. Succession Planning—Time Frame—Assignment (KLaF)

THANKS EVERYONE! YOUR SAS BOARD OF DIRECTORS