Organization

Officers

President –ย Dan Brauning
Vice-President –ย Brian Byrnes
Secretary –ย Val Dunn
Treasurer –ย Franklin Haas

Board Members

David Barber
Chelsea Beck
Tony DeSantis
Carolyn Hendricks
Laura Jackson
Jeff Kenney
Mary Alice Koeneke
Wayne Laubscher
Sean Murphy
Julia Plummer
Emily Thomas
Doug Wentzelย 
Nathan Weyandt
Karter Witmer

Newsletter Editor
Kaitlyn Stouch

Pennsylvania Birdsย Editor
Mark Bonta

PSO Membership Manager
Pennsylvania Birdsย 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 bachelorโ€™s degree, masterโ€™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 committeeโ€™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 Societyโ€™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


Donation

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