Annual MEETING Pot Luck DINNER and LECTURE: “The year-round biology of the Swallow-tailed Kite: A hemisphere of conservation challenges and opportunities” by Ken Meyer, Ph.D.,Research Ecologist, co-founder and executive director of the Avian Research and Conservation Institute (ARCI)

Tuesday, April 4, 6:00 p.m. dinner, 7:00 p.m. meeting & lecture

UPDATE: Video of the presentation

 Join us for a special presentation by Ken Meyer about the biology and conservation of the Swallow-tailed Kite.

Ken Meyer with Swallow-tailed Kite

Since 1996, Ken Meyer has served as an adjunct Associate Professor in the University of Florida’s Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation. He co-founded Avian Research and Conservation Institute (ARCI) in Gainesville, Florida, in 1997. Since then, he has held the positions of Research Ecologist and Executive Director at ARCI. In the course of conducting 38 years of field research and producing management and conservation plans, Meyer and his team have studied the behavior and ecology of 16 species of birds of conservation concern in eastern Canada, Maine, North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Louisiana, Mexico, Belize, Brazil, Bahamas, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico. In 2002, and again in 2014, Ken received a Partners in Flight National Research Award for studying the conservation biology of species at risk; and in 2005, a National Wildlife Stewardship Award from the Sustainable Forestry Initiative for cooperative studies of Swallow-tailed Kites.

He obtained his B.S. degree in Zoology from the University of Maine, Orono, in 1977; and his Ph.D. in Zoology from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, in 1987. From then until 1996, he studied imperiled birds as a post-doctoral and then research associate in the University of Florida’s Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation,  and as a research biologist with the National Park  Service.

Our By laws state: The notice of the annual meeting shall include a slate of officers and directors due to be elected that year as proposed by the nominating committee under Article VII of these bylaws, and a budget proposed by the board of directors under Article VI for a fiscal year running from April I to March 31. The agenda of the meeting must include election of officers and directors due to be elected that year, and the adoption of the budget.

The Annual Meeting this year will elect Directors (next year will include Officers). The Nominating Committee (Linda Humphries, Lori Pasco and Valerie Brauer) has put forth the following slate of Directors At Large: Anne Hoctor, Linda McCandless, Gerry Felipe, Eric Ray, Vicki Rogerson, Debbie Smith, Susan Snyder, Marcia Yeip, Sean Borak, and Mary Young.  Additional names to be considered for Directors must be received by Linda Humphries (hlinda@aol.com) by April 2nd. Proxies: If you are not able to attend ASE’s annual meeting and wish to vote by proxy, please contact Paton White (prwase@gmail.com 561-818-7574).

Additionally, the proposed budget included in the April Kite will be proposed and adopted by vote.

 Also at the meeting, our expert, Clive Pinnock will speak about the April Bird of the Month, Limpkin.

 Our Annual Meeting will be a pot luck dinner and free and open to the public. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., in rooms 101 and 102 at FAU Pine Jog Environmental Education Center, 6301 Summit Blvd (near Jog Road) in West Palm Beach. The food will be served at 6:00 p.m., and the annual meeting will start at 7:00 p.m. People with last names beginning with A-J please bring desserts, K-R bring a main dish, S-Z bring salads and veggies. Please bring ready-to-serve food; we have no kitchen. We will supply the drinks. Paton White has donated a large orchid arrangement for a special raffle, and all raffle ticket buyers will receive a surprise gift. We are looking forward to seeing you there!