The keynote speaker was David Seideman, editor-in-chief of Audubon magazine. He spoke on the history and beginnings of the Audubon movement and the magazine, entertained us with anecdotes about the magazine and his entry into the environmental world, as well as some of the important issues Audubon is working on today. Helen McClure, one of the original twelve founding members, was honored for her past 60 years of service to NSAS. Ralph Cioffi spoke eloquently from his heart about her influence on him and many birders through the years. Since Helen was still recovering from surgery and unfortunately unable to attend, Zu Proly read excerpts from a letter Helen wrote. Members of the Committee later visited Helen in the hospital and presented her with a NYS Senate Proclamation and a special wooden bird carving of a red-breasted nuthatch.

All who attended feasted upon delightfully exquisite entrées from a variety of salads, such as farro, mushroom, pasta dishes, carved meats, grilled salmon with fennel coulis, apple-raisin stuffed chicken breast in cider au jus and eggplant rollatini. Then the dessert table offered fabulous choices for everyone to enjoy. There were many excellent prizes, for a bird identification game and raffles, from coffee, dining gift certificates, to bird seed and bird feeder, to photography classes and even a camera. Berger Brothers Camera store had a table set up with optics for all to examine. A special thanks to all the businesses that generously donated to the raffle prizes.

As an attendee stated, “I was so impressed with the establishment, the food the raffle prizes and the hard work the Anniversary Committee put into this event! It was just great!” Thank you to the committee members; Kathryne Natale, Lindy Nielsen, Ralph Cioffi , Rachel Braver, Wendy Murbach, and Jill Vomacka for organizing this wonderful event.

The Origin of the History Booklet
By Lindy Nielsen

At each of the three celebrations for our chapter, 20th, 30th and now the 60th year Anniversary, there has been a booklet printed commemorating the Chapters’ beginning, achievements and the hard working members’ names, given out to those individuals who paid for the dinner or luncheon.

Our own Ralph Cioffi laboriously documented the first two booklets, without which members would not have remembered any of the events or people. A list at the end of each booklet listed all the Presidents’ names and their years of service.

Nothing had been written of our chapter history since 1982, and that is where I picked up. Having scanned through all the bulletins that are in our archives and talking to many long standing members, I managed to update our achievements to 2012 plus update the Presidents list. With the help of Ralph Cioffi, we comprised a list of bulletin editors, something that had never been put together before.

The present booklet covers the 60 years of our chapter and includes a biography of Dr. Lyman Langdon, for whom the chapter was originally named.

Ed Note: The booklet was part of the take home package that all attendees of the 60th Anniversary luncheon received.
Thanks to Lindy and Ralph for making this possible.

Premier Sponsor: Berger Brothers in Syosset

Birding skills are built on the experiences and field observations of many people. I can remember my first birding mentor – Ella Brown. When I moved to Port Washington at age thirteen, she discovered I was interested in birds and introduced me to Lyman Langdon’s spring bird walk. Lyman Langdon was the principal of the Port Washington Junior High School which I attended. I remember his lunch hour films about birds, bird flight and nature. His PhD was in Environmental Education from Hofstra.

Field knowledge accumulates through the years. I wish I could acknowledge all the birding enthusiasts that inspired me. But most significant was that adult birding class of thirteen that Lyman Langdon led in 1952. Thanks to a very determined member of the class, Mary Bonnewell from Manhasset, who insisted we must form an Audubon Chapter, we still have one sixty years later. How she persevered to draw in all the birders in the area, especially those who were members of the functioning Queens County Bird Club.

I especially remember Orville Dunning from Plandome who ran his own scientific business but as a hobby pursued birding with a vengeance. His beautiful living room was fi lled with files of his many bird trips.

Over the years, we have had many active members who then moved away but then formed or joined other Audubon Chapters. I would like to mention all the memorable names of those who helped our Audubon Chapter evolve but most important is how it grew. From a one page bulletin, we now have many pages. From a one person conservation chairman, the Board is all involved in many intricate issues. From a few programs each year at the Port Washington Flower Hill School, we now have frequent meetings at the Manhasset Library with refreshments from Whole Foods.

Also, our half day Wednesday and Saturday walks have multiplied over time. I remember Jill Lamoureux, an early field explorer, say that “if you really want to know people, go on our field trips”. Of course, those early all-day trips and even weekend trips really immersed us in our surroundings. Today’s busy world leaves little time for such indulgence. When I think about my most lasting friends and my visitors when I’m ill, it’s birding companions. We have an appreciation of our surroundings; we understand each other. Indeed, we are part of nature. We are all connected. We and all living things are intertwined.

The miracle for our chapter has been not to just survive but to grow for sixty years. At some times, there were a bare few active members that were determined to keep the chapter alive and they DID IT. Our most important members today are those who are now doing the work, often doing double jobs in a very complicated bureaucratic world. Members, plesase try to help with little jobs, such as mailings, if you can volunteer.

My wholehearted thanks to our current hard workers. I love your bulletin, your field trips, your programs, your difficult conservation efforts and I wish I were more involved.

Thanks for honoring me at the anniversary luncheon but all current workers, I honor you! The saddest part of my present condition is that I cannot attend the 60th Anniversary Luncheon. The happiest part is that I know you are having one.

Congratulations 60th North Shore Audubon!

Thank You Helen
By Ralph Cioffi

Sixty years ago an amazing group of people came together by chance in a bird watching class and lo and behold they created our extraordinary, first of a kind organization on Long Island, our Audubon chapter. Among these pioneers, one stood out for her youth and her knowledge of nature--she’d been birding since she was a young girl, that young birder was our beloved Helen (Gracik) McClure. Helen rose to the position of chapter president in 1974, but her greatest work over the years has been as a leader of field trips at birding hotspots such as Welwyn preserve, Shu Swamp, and Muttontown preserve. At Garvies Point Preserve she has been a volunteer for many years where she leads school groups through its trails and opens up the wonders of the natural world to eager young people.

Helen takes part in our annual Christmas bird count, covering the Mill Neck area including Shu Swamp preserve. She censused breeding birds in Coffi n Woods preserve and its surrounding area for the atlas project for 5 years—where she confirmed a pair of breeding Kentucky warblers and a territorial Cerulean warbler, both rare on long island. But I think her best birding find over the years was a Pileated woodpecker in her own back yard.

Helen worked with our conservation people who tried to save a piece of the unique Hempstead Plains as a prairie preserve and she joined in efforts to keep what is now Welwyn preserve from becoming a landfill, and yes, she has rolled up her sleeves and pitched in to do clean-ups and trail improvement at local preserves when called on.

My admiration for Helen knows no bounds. If you have birded with her you know what I mean. I’ve been birding a long time but I’m still learning from her---I’m still being encouraged by her. Helen’s sensitivity and generosity come with an encyclopedic knowledge of birds, bird song, butterflies, trees, shrubs and flowers all shared with those lucky enough to walk the fields, woods and beaches with her---and all given with a quiet, unassuming manner. And did I mention her smile, always radiant all the while. And so Helen we come to this award – a recognition not only of 60 years of devotion to our Audubon chapter but mostly, truly, for the person that you are, -- the friend and leader who has been and remains our most esteemed teacher about the joys and wonders of nature.