One of the missions of the Audubon Society is education.  We do this by inspiring people to value and protect the natural world.

Call to Action! 

Jackson Audubon opposes the proposed Sandhill Crane hunt in Michigan.

• On October 11, the Michigan House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee voted 5 to 4 to pass House Resolution (HR) 154, which encourages the Michigan Natural Resources Commission to open a recreational sandhill crane hunting season.
• On October 18, HR 154 was passed in the House.
• Contact the Natural Resources Commission at 517-284-6237 nrc@michigan.gov to oppose HR 154.

• Sandhill cranes are a distinctive species and are models of fidelity and longevity.
• They hold the record as the oldest living bird species.
• As residents of the Jackson area, we have a special association with cranes.  Casper “Cap Haehnle, an avid hunter, deeded his property, now called the Phyllis Haehnle Memorial Sanctuary, for permanent protection for birds and other wildlife to Michigan Audubon. It has grown to over 1000 acres and has become a regional destination for tourists and birders, especially in the autumn. 

The economic benefits from crane viewing.

• Michigan Audubon, including Haehnle, participated in a study on the value of cranes for tourism a few years ago. The number of crane watchers far outnumbers the potential number of crane hunters.
• The visitor registry at Haehnle Sanctuary continually records visitors from across the US and other countries.
• Undoubtedly, hunting related dollars have had a positive impact on all wildlife in Michigan.  But current trends suggest more and more that wildlife watchers are enjoying non-hunting forms of recreation and these citizens are willing to spend their dollars to do so.
• We question the effect hunting cranes will have on the Sanctuary and tourism in Jackson & Calhoun counties.

Crane population and hunting

• In 1931, there were only 17 pairs of sandhill cranes in the lower peninsula.  While the bird’s population has recovered, and they are now abundant throughout the Mississippi flyway, we should celebrate this conservation success story rather than risk repeating past mistakes.
• After years of increasing, the fall population index of cranes in Michigan has leveled off since 2009.  
• Cranes have one of the lowest recruitment rates, meaning they reproduce at low numbers. 
• While we recognize that sandhill cranes inflict localized crop damage, it is not widespread. Michigan has already established successful management tools for agricultural stakeholders experiencing issues with this bird.  

Michigan Audubon opposes the proposed Sandhill Crane hunt in the state of Michigan.  

https://www.michiganaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/SandhillCraneHunting_PositionStatement_2017.pdf

Michigan Audubon post regarding pending action in the Michigan legislature:
https://www.michiganaudubon.org/urgent-calls-needed-today-protect-michigans-sandhill-cranes/

Posted 10/24/2017

Each year our Jackson Audubon chapter provides an enrichment program called  Audubon Adventures to classrooms, grades 3-5, in area schools. This award-winning environmental education program helps students form positive attitudes about nature and supports teachers with instructional content aligned with national standards for Social Studies, Civics, Science, and Language Arts.

Teachers report that students enjoy the reading, colorful pictures, graphics and information in the Audubon Adventures newsletters. Through this program students are engaged in learning, wondering, and are motivated to do additional research. Teachers report that there are many ways to integrate these materials into the curriculum and that Audubon Adventures boost students‘ enthusiasm for learning.    

The Audubon Adventures Program is free of charge for the classrooms because of generous donations from local corporations, community organizations and individuals. Jackson Audubon contacts teachers in the fall to enroll those wishing to participate.

Read more about this program on the national Audubon website

Become educated about the science, policy, and risks of this issue.  These links below provide information on Climate Change.

Climate change and birds at the Audubon website

NOAA Climate Change page

National Geographic Global Warming page

Not sure whether you should be playing a warbler call to bring one of those little guys closer?  The American Birding Association publishes a set of guidelines to assist. 

The ABA publishes the Principles of Birding Ethics