Conservation Committee Reports
FEBRUARY 2000 CONSERVATION COMMITTEE REPORT
by Yvonne Homeyer
Another productive meeting with Busch CA officials Mark Flaspohler and Mike Arduser took place on December 10. In attendance from WGNSS were Jack Harris, Jim Ziebol, Sue Gustafson, Randy Korotev, David Rabenau, Pat McCormick, Jim Holsen, Margot Holsen and Yvonne Homeyer. WGNSS and the Dept. of Conservation will undertake a joint project to create a Butterfly Garden outside the new headquarters building at Busch CA. We envision this garden to be similar to one at the Santa Ana NWR in the Rio Grande Valley, where Chris Best (Margot Holsen's son) works. Nectaring plants will attract butterflies which can be observed at close range by the general public and butterfly enthusiasts alike. Seventy-five species of butterflies have been seen in Busch, including Henry's Elfin, Hickory Hairstreak, Gray Comma, Harvester, Falcate Orangetip, Olympia Marble, Byssus Skipper, Hayhurst's Scallopwing, Appalachian Brown, and Bronze Copper. If you would like to volunteer time, expertise, seeds or plants, please call Yvonne Homeyer.
The Committee is also looking into the issue of bird mortality caused by birds flying into lighted buildings during migration and into tall towers. In North America, one billion birds per year perish in this manner. National Public Radio carried a recent story about this problem. The American Ornithological Union addressed the issue at its annual conference last August at Cornell University. Simply turning out the lights at night during migration can eliminate the problem. In Toronto, FLAP (Fatal Light Awareness Program) has been instrumental in getting building managers to do exactly that - turn out the lights. The Committee will be looking into what we can do here in St. Louis to eliminate these death traps.
Another peril that kills birds, especially raptors, is electrocution by power lines. A recent article by Ted Williams, "Zapped", in the national Audubon Society magazine (Jan/Feb.2000) highlights many examples of hawks and eagles fried when landing on poorly insulated wires. A recent lawsuit by two USF&WS agents and the Justice Dept. may encourage utilities to voluntarily retrofit their power lines to make them safe for birds.