Mailing Address
PSO
2469 Hammertown Rd
Narvon PA 17555-9730
Organization
To email a PSO officer or Board Member, click on the name below.
Officers
President – Brian Byrnes
Vice-President – Carolyn Hendricks
Secretary – Val Dunn
Treasurer – Franklin Haas
Board Members
David Barber
Chelsea Beck
Sheree Daugherty
Joseph Gyekis
Laura Jackson
Jeff Kenney
Mary Alice Koeneke
Wayne Laubscher
Brian Miller
Sean Murphy
Richard Rieger
Doug Wentzel
Nathan Weyandt
Karter Witmer
Newsletter Editor
Kaitlyn Stouch
Pennsylvania Birds Editor
Mark Bonta
PSO Membership Manager
Pennsylvania Birds Subscription Manager
Webmaster
PSO Sales Manager
Franklin Haas
Committees
The following is a list of the current committees of the PSO. We encourage members to participate in these working groups. If you have an interest in serving on one, feel free to contact the committee chair listed below.
Annual Meeting
Chair: Deb Grove and Julia Plummer
Members: David Barber, Brian Byrnes, Doug Wentzel
Plan annual meeting, including virtual and in-person.
Awards and Nominations
Chair: Brian Byrnes
Members: Deb Grove, Greg Grove, Sandy Lockerman, Emily Thomas, Carole Winslow
This committee manages the Certificate of Appreciation program, the Conservation and Poole Awards selection process, and the Student Research Grant program.
1) Student Research Grants ($500) will be awarded to undergraduates or graduate students in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or doctorate. They will submit proposals describing their research that will be evaluated for their scientific merit and the likelihood that the work will make a meaningful contribution to our understanding of Pennsylvania avifauna. The application is available on the PSO website.
2) The committee will request nominations for the PSO Conservation award and the Earl Poole award that can be presented annually. The Conservation Award is presented to an individual or organization that has had a positive impact on bird conservation in Pennsylvania. The Earl Poole award is presented to a person or persons who have made significant contributions to Pennsylvania’s ornithology. Members will read nominating letters, discuss the merits of the nominee and vote to determine the recipient that will receive the award at the annual meeting.
3) As a token of PSO appreciation for their hospitality a Certificate of Appreciation will be awarded to homeowners who host birders to view rare birds.
Citizen Science Committee
Chairs: Greg Grove
Members: David Barber, Sean Murphy, David Yeany II, Dan Brauning
Coordinate or sponsor projects
Conservation
Chair: Laura Jackson
The PSO Conservation Committee is committed to inspiring people to conserve native birds and their habitats.The PSO Conservation Committee is committed to inspiring people to conserve native birds and their habitats.
Actions:
The Conservation Chat Room column is a regular feature in the PSO newsletter and dedicated to bird conservation topics.
The committee’s main project is the annual Breeding Bird Blitz for Conservation (B4C) where birding teams across Pennsylvania volunteer to raise funds for conservation partners while birding in mid-June during the nesting season. More details about this successful project are found at the B4C website: https://www.breedingbirdblitz.org.
We organize opportunities for PSO members to do hands-on conservation activities, such as the 2022 tree planting to improve riparian buffer habitat along Middle Creek.
Committee members write letters of support or concern for local, state, and federal issues that impact bird populations and their habitats.
Committee meetings are held via Zoom every other month, with more frequent communication between members, as needed.
Current members are: Brian Byrnes, Vern Gauthier, Carolyn Hendricks, David Yeany II
Education
Chair: Tony DeSantis
Members: Julia Plummer, Emily Thomas, Doug Wentzel
This committee will promote education in birding, the cultivation of the next generation of birders, and award youth scholarships to the Annual Meeting and and manage the Youth Camp scholarship program.
Events and Field Trips
Chairs: Open
Members: Evan Mann, Tony DeSantis
This committee will plan, organize and conduct field trips and other group events. They will organize the field trips at the yearly meeting in conjunction with bird clubs local to the meeting site.
Journal
Chair: Mark Bonta, Editor
Editorial Board: Nick Bolgiano, Mike Fialkovich, Dan Brauning, Geoff Malosh, Holly Merker, Rudy Keller, Deb Grove, Rob Dickerson, Frank Haas
This committee is responsible for the publication of four seasonal issues of Pennsylvania Birds with an emphasis on bird distribution and ornithological analysis and research within the Commonwealth.
Membership and Outreach
Chair: Open
Members: Dan Brauning, Frank Haas
This committee is responsible for promoting the Society, managing the Society’s social media activities, recruiting new members and welcoming them into the Society.
Pennsylvania Ornithological Records Committee
Chair: Julia Plummer,
George Armistead, Scott Stoleson, Annie Lindsay, Amy Davis, Corey Husic, Emily Ritter (non-voting Secretary)
The Pennsylvania Ornithological Records Committee is recognized as a special committee within the Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology and operates with its own bylaws which are approved by the PSO Board of Directors. The goal of PORC is to maintain the Official List of the Birds of Pennsylvania, as well as keeping records of rare birds that occur within the state. This is done in a juried manner, with voting members. New members of this committee are selected by its current members.
Newsletter
Editor: Kaitlyn Stouch
Bylaws (ad hoc)
Chair: Dan Brauning
Members: Mike Fialkovich, Evan Mann
Finance
Treasurer: Frank Haas
Website
Webmaster: Frank Haas
