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Tom Tribble, President of Elisha Mitchell Audubon Society in Asheville was honored recently with the National Audubon Society’s 2017 Atlantic Flyway William Dutcher Award on July 15 in Park City, Utah at the Biennial Audubon Convention. The William Dutcher Award recognizes exceptional Audubon volunteers for their exemplary standard of service to Audubon.
A dedicated birder and Audubon member since 1975, Tom is known to friends as “the Ambassador of Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary” because he has spent so much time facilitating bird walks for groups ranging from local Boy Scouts to faith groups and garden clubs. Tom currently leads a regional volunteer effort to document the responses of nuthatches to climate change, and drives outreach to local plant nurseries through Audubon NC’s Bird-Friendly Native Plants program.
“Watching Tom receive the award was a truly beautiful moment. It was incredible to see such a tireless bird advocate receive recognition on the national stage for all that he has done for the birds of western NC,” said Heather Hahn, Executive Director of Audubon North Carolina.
“I am most thankful for my involvement with Audubon, which gives genuine meaning to my life, especially in retirement,” Tribble said. “I am thankful to be part of an amazing community of committed people who cherish birds and nature as much as I do.”
Tom’s work in bird conservation, stretched across parts of six counties in western North Carolina, has been instrumental in building an ever-more-effective Audubon network in the Blue Ridge Mountain region.
Buncombe County Birders
The Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary is located here. The Elisha Mitchell Audubon Society holds three bird walks every month. On the first Saturday is the Beaver Lake Birdwalk, the second Saturday is held at Jackson Park in Hendersonville and the third Saturday is at Charles D. Owen Park in Swannanoa. April through September the walks start at 8am and October through March will start at 9am. For more information about the Elisha Mitchell Audubon Society visit emasnc.org
The Friends of the Fairview Library present the ‘The Wood Thrush Connection’, a short film about the climate-threatened Wood Thrush, with Kim Brand from Audubon North Carolina.
Last year, one Wood Thrush’s migration journey created an incredible connection between North Carolina and Belize. Follow this bird’s journey from North Carolina to Belize and be inspired by the conservation heroes working to protect Wood Thrushes. Produced by the Climate Listening Project, a visual and storytelling project, the video features Forsyth Audubon and the Belize Audubon Society sharing stories of why they’re dedicated to protecting the Wood Thrush everywhere it lives. Learn more about how you can help protect habitats and build resiliency for birds threatened by climate change.
Kim Brand, a Forsyth Member and Audubon North Carolina staff member featured in the film, will be on hand to answer questions and the Friends of the Library will provide refreshments.