What happened to Spring? We blinked and now the Hog Island Audubon Camp is in full session. Two FOHI workweeks went whizzing by and the camp has already had four wildly successful sessions: Road Scholar, Joy of Birding I, Field Ornithology/Coastal Maine Birding for Teens, and Joy of Birding/Coastal Maine Birding for Teens. Throughout these past six weeks, FOHI volunteers have not faltered in making sure campers received the best of care.
Volunteer news
Julie Seifert, a former youth camper and now volunteer, graduated from college this spring and spent three weeks with us. Jill and Jack Whiting, Road Scholar campers in 2011, decided to come back as volunteers and spent most of the time helping Helen Walsh with the gardens and
window boxes as did Joann Frisch. Helen also donated all the flowers and plants on the island. Thank you, Helen. Jack painted the Bridge hallway! We even added another Eric – Eric Brown, also a former camper, came back so we had Eric, the elder, Eric, the younger and little Eric. Who knows perhaps we’ll have a fifth Eric! We still have volunteer openings for our September programs and FOHI workweek, so sign up and join in the fun. You’ll learn a lot, meet interesting people, work hard, and be part of a great team that keeps the camp humming.
FOHI highlights
Lots of highlights have happened in these lightening quick weeks: Maria Mason, volunteer, was responsible for the Camp receiving a brand new specimen case for the Queen Mary Lab’s bird collection. Road Scholar participants spent part of their time switching out the cases and putting the birds in their new home. Thank you, Maria, and all who helped.
To the delight of last year’s Field Ornithology alumni, Janii’s new stove finally arrived. Thanks to Lorraine Novinksi and Donna Yorkston for jump-starting the “Muffin Fund” which collected $4,800 for the kitchen, and to Linda Ford and the many other campers who contributed. Janii now puts all of his big pots there to boil.
Tired of seeing great black splotches marring the spectacular photo presentations shown in the Fish House, Scott Weidensaul, FOHI board member and camp instructor, donated a brand new projection screen. Now the bird images literally spring to life! Thank you, Scott. FOHI received a donation from the The First, N.A. in Damariscotta to fund a scholarship for a teacher from Washington County, Maine, to attend Sharing Nature: An Educator’s Week.
A donor who wished to remain anonymous challenged the Road Scholar group by donating $1,000 to the Endowment Fund. The group rose to the challenge and $2,000 for the Endowment Fund was raised. Again, where would we be without our “Friends.” Thank you.
And last, but not least, at the Field Ornithology session, FOHI presented it’s annual check of $50,000 to Steve Kress for Hog Island. Thank you to all who made it possible.
Check out our latest sightings on the island!
