GSO Photo Contest!

Hi Everyone,

This semester, as one of FW GSO's fund raising events, we are going to have a photo contest. Each winner of the contest will receive an award and have their photo(s) published in a 2012 calendar that will be for sale near the end of 2011. Yes, you may be the next "Mr. October" or "Ms. March." Details are as follows:

This contest is open to all faculty, staff, and students (both undergrad and grad).

There are 4 categories.
1) Wildlife
2) Scenery
3) Fieldwork
4) Humor (in relation to one or more of the above 3 categories)

Each photo entered requires a $2 entry fee, but wait! You can enter more than one photo in the contest and will receive a discount for multiple entries: 3 photos for $5 or 8 photos for $10.

You can submit photo(s) and pay fees to anyone on the FW GSO fund raising committee (see below), but you must pay the fee to the person you submit the photo.

**For initial submission, we will take electronic copies of your photos in .jpg format no larger than 150 K. The voting will take place via survey monkey which has a maximum size limit for .jpg files. If indeed your photo makes it into the calendar, we will ask you for a higher resolution more suitable for printing.

Photos and entry fees are due by October 31st, after which we will send out a survey for the department to vote for their favorites.

The top 2 in each category will receive monetary awards. The amount of each award will depend upon the number of entries into the contest. Third place in each category will receive some awesome FW paraphernalia.

The top 3 favorite photos from each category will make it into the FW GSO 2012 calendar.

The winners will also be highlighted in the twice yearly GSO newsletter.

Get to snapping!

Yours truly,
The FW GSO fund raising committee

Brian Langseth
Carson Prichard
Corey Higley
Andrea Bowling (abowling@msu.edu)

Kellogg Bird Sanctuary Workday!

What: Building bird enclosures and helping give medication checks to birds of prey!

When: This Sunday 10/16. We'll leave campus at 10 and be back between 4:30 and 5pm.

Where: Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, near Kalamazoo. It's part of MSU's Kellogg Biological Station.

http://www.kbs.msu.edu/visit/birdsanctuary

We've gone there the past two years and have had a really fun time helping out! So, come get some great hands on experience, build some skills, and get free pizza for lunch!! Bring waders if you have them!

We'll be signing up at our meeting this Thursday, but email us if you want to go and can't make it the meeting! msufwclub@gmail.com.

We need drivers as well. We can reimburse those who drive for gas money!

Weekend Events!

Sat 10/8 9:30am: Fall stream monitoring from the Mid-Michigan Environmental Action Council.

Where: Munn Park on Jolly road.

Event Description:

"Come join the Mid-Michigan Environmental Action Council for a fun day out in the streams. Meet at Munn Park (near the Jolly / Aurelius intersection in Lansing) at 9:30am for a short training session, then we will head out into the streams and collect some bugs! The bugs we collect tell a story of the health of the stream at each of our 6 sites. Complementary snacks, refreshments, and a light lunch will be provided. NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY! Dress to have fun, and help us take care of the Red Cedar watershed. Monitoring will end in the early afternoon. Waders provided, but feel free to bring your own."

https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=248800841826549

*Meet at 9:00am behind the NR Building for rides.

Sat 10/8 4:30pm: Crane Fest in Bellevue!

*Meet behind the NR Building at 4:30pm for rides!

Event Description:

"Imagine a cool crisp afternoon amidst the splendor of autumn colors. The stillness is interrupted by the eerie prehistoric cry of the cranes. As the Sandhill Cranes glide into view, you are thrilled by the majestic beauty of Michigan’s largest bird.

The Festival was started to raise awareness and appreciation of our natural heritage, and to support ongoing educational and conservation projects of the Michigan Audubon Society and Baker Sanctuary. CraneFest is a jointly-sponsored event between the Kiwanis Club of Battle Creek and Michigan Audubon; the festival site is the Kiwanis Youth Area, overlooking Big Marsh Lake.

A major attraction will be watching thousands of Sandhill Cranes return to the adjoining Baker Sanctuary. The “Fly-In” typically begins slowing around 4 PM with best viewing of large numbers of cranes between 5 PM and dusk. Admission is free and parking is $3.

More than 6,000 cranes are expected to greet more than 5,000 CraneFest visitors again this year. With autumn color predicted to be near its peak the same weekend, everyone should consider making CraneFest 2010 part of their fall color tour.

Sandhill Cranes are believed to be the oldest living bird species, having existed for more than 9 million years in their present form. The cranes are Michigan’s largest bird measuring up to five feet tall with wings spanning an impressive six to seven feet. Thousands of these majestic birds return annually to roost at Big Marsh Lake in Baker Sanctuary before completing their autumn migration to Florida. With more than 9,400 Sandhill Cranes counted last October, Baker Sanctuary set a new single day state record for crane numbers. Saved from the brink of extinction, cranes have become a Michigan environmental success story."

Festival includes nature walks, food, merchandise stands, falconers, talks, and most importantly the sandhill cranes flying in. It's a relaxed social kind of event.

Plan on getting there between 4:30-5:30 and staying til about 7:00is.

http://cranefest.org