the nuthatch - Oakland Audubon Society

(photo credit: Allen Chartier)
Join us this evening and prepare to be enlightened, entertained and probably surprised.
THE
NUTHATCH
www.oaklandaudubon.org
―TURKEY VULTURES:
GORGEOUS IN A DIFFERENT WAY‖
Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2012
7:30 P.M.
Speaker: Dorothy McLeer
Inside This Issue:
(photo credit: MangoVerde.com)
You know them as nature’s clean-up crew, and you’ve seen them soaring effortlessly
on the wind. However, there’s a lot more to learn about these unusual examples of
Mother Nature’s creativity, and Dorothy McLeer of the U. of M. – Dearborn’s Environmental Interpretive Center will enlighten us. Turkey Vultures may look unlovable, but
after this program you’ll at least learn to appreciate them.
―EAGLES IN MICHIGAN‖
Tuesday, Oct. 09, 2012
7:30 P.M.
Speaker: Matthew Stuber
(photo credit: Sue Wright)
After being nearly extirpated from Michigan, the Bald Eagle has made an excellent
comeback. It didn’t just happen; there was a lot of effort put into it, and Matthew Stuber
of the U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service will tell us how this remarkable recovery occurred. Join us this evening and learn all about it.
VOLUME 54 ISSUE 4
OAKLAND AUDUBON SOCIETY
President’s Column
Meeting Announcement,
Annual Symposium
Pg.2
Pg.3
Conservation in a Far
Away Place
Pg.4
“Nuthatch Open’
Competitive Event
Pg.5
Young Birders Club
( YBC)
Pg.6
Newest Members
Welcomed / OAS
Board Members
Board Highlights/
Meeting Schedule
Pg.7
Pg.8
Field Trip Calendar
& Reports
Pg.9thru 11
Identification Quiz
Pg.12
Membership Form
Pg13
SEPT / OCT 2012
President’s Column
I’ve always considered the birding community a good group. Good people, helpful, friendly, all the good stuff.
Then, as I always have a tendency to do, I thought, what does community mean? From the dictionary, community is defined as “people who reside in one locality and are subject to the same laws, have the same interests,
etc” or “a body politic” or “a sharing or participation”. These all seem to fit a description of birders as a group.
We all reside in one locality – the planet earth, are subject to the same laws – public and within the birding organizations we belong to, and we share or participate in something common. I guess that fits us and explains
why we “flock together”. Sorry about that.
This community – Oakland Audubon Society – is a group that shares interests (birding, outdoors, all
things of nature, etc.), is a body politic – supporting environmental groups and programs that preserve the natural world and that lives together in this area. A group like the Oakland Audubon Society works hard to gather
more people into this community. Our membership has grown in recent years and that is heartening. What we
have not seen is an increase in family participation in our activities. Now, I understand that all kids today like
their electronics and games, then moves to computers and cell phones. But outdoor activity is something that
really should not be neglected. (And let’s not even get into the obesity issue!) What we really need is for a
number of families to commit early on to get their children outdoors and to events that we and others like Oakland County Parks offer. Get the kids interested in nature and being outside.
We are working hard to get a Young Birders program off the ground. The committee is working hard
to organize the activities we offer to make this easier for families. But we need a few families to get involved
and participate so this can grow. If you are a member of a family and want to comment on what we do and
what we can do to make this easier for you to participate, please let me or any other board member know. We
are here to serve.
Now, I’d be dishonest if there wasn’t some selfish portion to this plea. We want new members. We
also want another generation of nature appreciators to be coming along. And we want our “community” to resemble a normal community and not a group of senior citizens running around having fun. And that’s a key
element…..we do have fun and learn all the time. So consider what it would take to get you out with your family and be part of the community we are trying to grow. We’ll be here ready to help in whatever ways we can.
See you soon.
Don Burlett
PAGE 2
OAKLAND AUDUBON SOCIETY
SEPT / OCT 2012
September & October
Program Meeting Announcement
Because of reconstruction of our porch entrance and Fellowship Hall at the First United Methodist Church, we have been
assigned the Martin Room for two fall meetings. This very comfortable room can be accessed at the Pleasant Street entrance (labeled on the door). The Martin Room is the first one on the right coming in from Pleasant Street. For parking,
take the first "entry" drive at the south end of the lot (coming from Maple) and stay to the left. There are places for
handicapped that we can use those evenings. From the parking lot, walk to the Pleasant Street sidewalk and go right. If
you mistakenly take a different door, just keep turning left, following signs for the Runkel Chapel.
We'll be back in Fellowship Hall for November and the rest of the year.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
September 29th, 2012
Annual Conservation
Symposium
Migration Secrets:
Not Just for Birds
Co-sponsored by
Detroit Audubon Society
Oakland Audubon Society
New birders still learning their yard birds, well-traveled veteran birders with expansive life-lists or, like many, somewhere in between, will all find this year’s event fun, entertaining, educational and delicious! Four experts are coming
from across the country, across the state and across the street to the historic Edsel and Eleanor Ford House in Grosse
Pointe Shores, MI. The day’s events include free give-aways, an early morning bird walk on the Ford House grounds
with Rosann Kovalcik and Bill Rapai, three great speakers, a lovely buffet lunch, the something-for-everyone Silent Auction, and Detroit-area nonprofit organizations and vendors of cool bird and nature stuff.
NOTE: The Bird Walk (with continental breakfast) and the Symposium (with lunch) are available as a package or separately.
PAGE 3
OAKLAND AUDUBON SOCIETY
SEPT / OCT 2012
CONSERVATION IN A FAR-AWAY PLACE
by Doris Applebaum
About a year ago, Bat Conservation International asked its members to contact the people of a town called Taima on the island of
Sulawesi in Indonesia and encourage them to protect the flying foxes in their area. These fruit bats were the target of commercial
bushmeat hunters, and their numbers were seriously declining. I sent a message to them, per the information from BCI.
As a result of this communication, I learned of an organization called Alliance for Tompotika Conservation (AlTo), which has done
a tremendous job of partnering with the people of Taima and some other towns around Mt. Tompotika, in the furtherance of a variety
of conservation activities that benefit not only the local wildlife but also the people.
I decided to donate to the Alliance and as a result have received their periodic newsletter. I was happy to learn that the people of
Taima stopped the exploitation of their flying foxes for bushmeat, and they have also worked with the Alliance on other conservation
projects, such as:
---In 2011, they saved over 2,000 sea turtle hatchlings of three different species which otherwise would have been killed by people
who had been stealing eggs from turtle nests for years. This protection effort will continue in future years.
---They have provided ongoing protection for several years for the Maleo, a member of the amazing group of birds called megapodes, which build mounds of vegetation in which to incubate their eggs.
---They are educating the people about the eight species of primitive primates called tarsiers that are known to occur on Sulawesi.
These small primates can be seen in banana and papaya orchards and are often accused of stealing the fruit, but a campaign is under
way to spread the word that they do not eat fruit; their diet is insects and small vertebrates (they have to be small vertebrates if the tiny
tarsiers can overwhelm them).
In addition to helping the people protect wildlife, the Alliance has engaged in projects to benefit the people themselves.
For one thing, they have taught organic farming techniques; commercial fertilizers are expensive and are not good for the environment.
A major effort, particularly for Taima residents, is an effort to provide fresh water. Wells that are dug near homes hit water quickly
due to the high water table, but it’s salty because the town is on the coast of a bay off the Pacific Ocean. A temporary project has provided clean, fresh water by repairing a community well and pump located away from the coast. AlTo is sponsoring research on a comprehensive study to determine the best way to obtain a more extensive solution.
These are only a few of the activities that I’ve learned about, but it has been heartwarming to know that people of a third-world
country can make such great strides in protecting their wildlife and making a better life for themselves without damaging their environment.
Part of AlTo’s mission statement reads: AlTo protects endangered species, tropical rainforests, and coral reefs while promoting the
dignity and self-sufficiency of local communities in a changing world.
If you would like to learn more about this organization, check out: www.tompotika.org.
PAGE
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OAKLAND
AUDUBON SOCIETY
SOCIETY
OAKLAND
AUDUBON
SEPT
2012
Jan // OCT
Feb 2010
―Nuthatch Open‖
Competitive Birding Event
PAGE
Page 54
OAKLAND
AUDUBON SOCIETY
SOCIETY
OAKLAND
AUDUBON
SEPT
2012
Jan // OCT
Feb 2010
Young Birders Club (YBC)
This is a new program that a few Audubon members have been working on over the past months. My name is Lisa
McArthur and I have been working with Janet Hug and Don Burlett. I have been a member for the past few years. Before
that I was working at nature centers and on bird studies in Michigan, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. I became interested in
birds when I was in college. I took one ornithology class and loved it. I didn’t realize how exciting birds could be until I
took that class and learned so much of their natural history. I have always wanted to pass that knowledge onto the next
generation. When I worked at a nature center hardly any of the programs were geared specifically for birds and most programs where just generalized information. I am glad that we are going to focus on birds and have the chance to share all
the great information that we have on bird species with the next generation.
The Young Birders Club program with be set up similar to Oakland Audubon Society with meetings and field trips.
These events however will be geared towards upper elementary age to high school age students. We have decided on this
age range because birding does require a degree of patience and cognitive knowledge that we feel young children just
won’t be able to grasp. The goal of this program will be to educate and inform students about the birding world. We feel
that this should be an important part of the Audubon Society.
I am excited to say that we are starting to set up our first event for the club. The event will take place during the Christmas Bird Count this year. We are planning on having feeder events in the local community of the Christmas Bird Count
area. This will allow families to come and see what a Christmas Bird Count is all about and actually be able to participate
in obtaining the data. At the event, we will also have available the opportunity to join the Young Birders Club and see the
upcoming events.
This is where we would like the input of the Audubon members. We are looking to have bi-monthly programs for the
YBC and would like your help in finding either speakers or field trip locations that would be appropriate for children of
the upper elementary to high school level. Currently we have been tossing around some ideas but it would be great to get
your ideas as well.
We are all really excited to see the club come together and we hope that with some great events and great people we can
bring the legacy of Audubon Society to the next generation of birders.
PAGE
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OAKLAND
AUDUBON SOCIETY
SOCIETY
OAKLAND
AUDUBON
SEPT
2012
Jan // OCT
Feb 2010
"We Welcome Our Newest Oakland Audubon Members"
Mary Buchowski, Mary Capuccilli, Judith Daniel, Seetaram Ponugupati,
Cary Sheremet, Kim and Eric Smith, Ana and Stephen Varnado
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
OAS Board Members
PRESIDENT
Don Burlett
(248) 236-9486
[email protected]
RECORDING SECRETARY
Doris Applebaum
(248) 542-2506
[email protected]
CORRESP. SECRETARY
Lori Schubert
(248) 909-5190
[email protected]
TREASURER
Joan Tisdale
(248) 258-6585
[email protected]
PROGRAM CO-OFFICER
Doris Applebaum
(248) 542-2506
[email protected]
PROGRAM CO-OFFICER
Margaret Moran
(248) 646-7387
[email protected]
MEMBERSHIP OFFICER
Dave Frye
(248) 627-5650
[email protected]
FIELD TRIP OFFICER
Ed Lewandowski
(248) 736-6397
[email protected]
HOSPITALITY OFFICER
Alice Marotti
(248) 545-4165
[email protected]
WEB CO-EDITOR
Don Burlett
(248) 236-9486
[email protected]
WEB CO-EDITOR
Joan Tisdale
(248) 258-6585
[email protected]
SOCIAL MEDIA ADMINISTATOR Janet Hug
[email protected]
NUTHATCH EDITOR
Mike McCullough
(810) 375-2126
[email protected]
NEWSLETTER MAILING
Mary Lou Harrison
(248) 643-8983
NEWSLETTER PRINTER
Gene Tata
(248) 399-0884
Minuteman Printer
SEVEN PONDS REP.
Don Burlett
(248) 236-9486
[email protected]
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(photo credits: Joan Tisdale)
PAGE
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Jan / Feb 2010
OAKLANDAUDAUDUBON
AUDUBON SOCIETY
SEPT / OCT 2012
OAKLAND
UBON SOCIETY
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING HIGHLIGHTS / JUNE 16, 2012
Web-site Co-editor Joan Tisdale reported that the Butterfly/Dragonfly Photo Gallery is being upgraded with many new photos including some caterpillars, and improvements to the home page are also planned.
As an example of the reach that our Facebook page is having, Social Media Administrator Janet Hug received a request via
Facebook to contact a Michigan DNR employee, who asked us to set up a beginner birding event (“Birding 101”) at Wetzel
State Park.
Programs for membership meetings have been scheduled through May 2013.
Bird surveys have been completed at Independence Oaks County Park; next targets = Rose Oaks and Highland Oaks
County Parks.
Our competitive birding event (the Nuthatch Open) is set for September 22, with teams competing to see who can find the
most bird species in Oakland County. Trophies will be awarded to the winning teams.
OAS is cooperating with Detroit Audubon Society on a September 29 symposium at the Edsel Ford Home in Grosse
Pointe Shores. The theme is “Migration Secrets” and will feature a morning bird walk, an auction, lunch, and three speakers.
Doris Applebaum
Recording Secretary
DATE
TIME
EVENT
LOCATION
“Turkey Vultures: Gorgeous
in a Different Way”
TUES., SEPT. 11
7:30 pm
TUES., OCT. 09
7:30 pm
TUES., NOV. 13
7:30 pm
Dorothy McLeer
First United Methodist Church,
Martin Room / Pleasant St. entrance
“Eagles in Michigan”
First United Methodist Church,
Matthew Stuber
Martin Room / Pleasant St. entrance
“Unexpected South Africa”
First United Methodist Church,
Rosemarie Attilio
(see below)
“Winter in South Florida:
TUES., JAN. 08
7:30 pm
Sanibel and the Everglades"
First United Methodist Church,
(see below)
Bob Clement
TUES., FEB. 12
7:30 pm
“ Mount St. Helens Revisited”
First United Methodist Church,
Gordon Lonie
(see below)
Membership Meetings & Programs 2012/13
Monthly membership meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month (except December, June, July and August) at 7:30
p.m., at the First United Methodist Church, 1589 West Maple Road, Birmingham, Fellowship Hall, Room 152. The facility is
located on the south side of Maple Road between Southfield and Cranbrook Roads. There is plenty of lighted, free parking and
barrier-free access. (Barrier-free access located at entrance off first parking lot on Pleasant St.) Our meetings are free and open
to the public. For meeting cancellation information, check our website, call a board member or call the church at (248) 646-1200.
PAGE
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OAKLAND AUDUBON
OAKLAND
AUDUBONSOCIETY
SOCIETY
SEPT
2012
Jan // OCT
Feb 2010
OAKLAND AUDUBON FIELD TRIP CALENDAR 2012
(Check
Date
the OAS Website for details)
Location
Sat, Sept. 15, 2012
8:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Sat, Sept. 22, 2012
All Day
Sat, Oct. 06, 2012
Holiday Beach Migration
Competitive Birding Event
Trip Leader
Ed Lewandowski
Don Burlett
Ed Lewandowski
Highland/Rose Oaks Survey
Dave Holt
Stony Creek by Bike
Ed Lewandowski
8:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Sat, Oct. 13, 2012
8:00 AM – 1:00 PM
www.oaklandaudubon.org
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Field Trip Reports
photo credits: Joan Tisdale
For Mar Nature Center – Mott Lake – April 14, 2012
trip leader: Don Burlett
It was a cloudy, sprinkly day with just a couple of participants. (Some days, it doesn’t take much to discourage participants.) We
persevered and walked the grounds of For Mar Nature Center in Flint. We had a group of turkeys strut by as we walked around.
Nothing out of the ordinary on this overcast day. We went to Mott Lake and we rewarded with a Common Loon out of the water
(when we could see him between long dives). We also went to Holloway Reservoir and with nothing much on the water, we did
track down a Pine Warbler calling in the pines near the beach area. A quiet day for April but fun.
PAGE
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OAKLAND
AUDUBON SOCIETY
SOCIETY
OAKLAND
AUDUBON
SEPT/
Jan OCT
/ Feb 2012
2010
Field Trip Reports
Independence Oaks Survey – April 29, 2012
trip leader: Ed Lewandowski
This was a standard survey and we got a few warblers in spite of the cloudy conditions.
Embury Road, Waterloo Recreation Area – May 5, 2012
trip leader: Don Burlett
This was a cool and breezy morning with plenty of cloud cover. Not exactly what you would want for a day working a traditional
warbler area. We did track down a number of nice birds. We found both Acadian Flycatcher and Great Crested Flycatcher along the
road. Later we found both Blue-winged and Golden-winged Warblers along the road and Cerulean Warbler high up in the trees with
17 warbler species total. The surprise of the day was returning to our cars and having a Barred Owl sitting in the tree over them.
What a pleasant visitor to run into. Made my day!
Magee March Crazy Day – May 12, 2012
trip leader: Don Burlett
What can we say – a crazy day can be just that, even when you don’t think so. This day was pretty nice for a spring day. At first, it
seemed to be a slow day. But the birds were there and slowly but surely. Suddenly, we had both cuckoos, both tanagers and we were
off. Only two vireos but 25 species of warblers, in spite of seeming slow. One of the highlights was a Kirtland’s Warbler seen on the
beach west of the parking lot. We counted our list up at about 5 PM and were over 100 species! How did we do that? Back to the
boardwalk for a few extras and we ended up with 113 species. Very nice. My personal second highest day at Magee.
Pt. Huron SGA – May 26, 2012
trip leader: Dave Frye
It was supposed to be a bird banding demonstration but the banders at that site were already done for the spring. So we birded the
area. It was a nice day and we added a few other nice birds. A surprise was a covey of Ruffed Grouse springing out of the brush at
one point – WoW!! We also added 9 warblers and both Alder and Willow Flycatchers.
Oak Openings – June 2, 2012
trip leader: Don Burlett
Here we go, back to site of one of my greatest frustrations. I’ve been coming here for years and have never caught up with the Blue
Grosbeak. Today was very nice, sunny and comfortable. We easily got the Lark Sparrow and many others. We got the Alder and
Willow Flycatchers. Then we finally saw the Blue Grosbeak. Not very satisfying looks but it was there. Then we walked the woods
in the afternoon for wonderful looks at the Hooded Warbler and yet another Barred Owl. Of course, we had a Prairie Warbler but he
was not to be seen and he skulked around on an island. Another nice trip to Oak Openings.
PAGE10
Page 3
OAKLAND
AUDUBONSOCIETY
SOCIETY
OAKLAND
AUDUBON
SEPT
OCT2010
2012
Jan // Feb
Field Trip Reports
Lost Nation SGA – June 9, 2012
trip leader: Don Burlett
Another trip with just a few participants but a nice warm day. Never could catch up with a Yellow-breasted Chat or Louisiana Waterthrush. Did hear a Cerulean Warbler up in the fully leaved trees. We did better with flycatchers, getting Acadian and Alder. Also,
no White-eyed Vireo. But an okay trip with a few good birds.
Independence Oaks Survey – June 16, 2012
trip leaders: Don Burlett / Ed Lewandowski
Ed and I did the survey and walked the grounds getting a reasonably good number of birds around the grounds. This completes the
four seasonal surveys of this park. On to the next.
Hogback Hills, Flint – June 23, 2012
trip leaders: Don Burlett / Jeff Buecking
Jeff and Don led this walk through this park area north of Flint. The woods were very nice but the birds were a bit quiet. However,
even when things are quiet, there are still good birds to be found. We had two Barred Owls (again?) calling while we walked. We
also had Acadian and Willow Flycatchers. Finally, Brown Thrasher proved the highlight of the morning. It was a long walk and
there were probably a few other birds just waiting to be seen.
Butterfly Survey – Independence Oaks – June 30, 2012
trip leaders: Kathleen Dougherty and Dwayne Badgero
It was a brutally hot, sunny day for this. Perfect for butterflies but not for people. A good number of butterflies were found and identified. It was excellent to have Dwayne doing this, as he knows his butterflies and moths.
Rose Oaks/Highland Oaks Survey – July 8, 2012
trip leader: Ed Lewandowski
This becomes the start of a new cycle at an Oakland County Park. This cycle includes both Rose Oaks and Highland Oaks. It was a
very productive day. We had lots of species, many sparrows, orioles, flycatchers, etc. This will continue the rest of this year through
spring next year.
Seven Ponds Nature Center – Butterflies and Dragonflies – July 28, 2012
trip leaders: Doris Applebaum / Joan Tisdale
It has been a great year for viewing butterflies and dragonflies and the OAS field trip to Seven Ponds Nature Center was no exception. Seven participants were dazzled with views of these gems of prairie and pond. We started our walk in the butterfly garden and
almost on cue, a Giant Swallowtail flew in to join us. Several skippers and some dragonflies were also seen there. We then headed
to the prairie and saw two more swallowtail species (Eastern Tiger, Spicebush), dancing Great Spangled Fritillaries, many Redspotted Purples, Monarchs and some of the “browns”. The prairie also hosted quite a few dragonfly species including meadowhawks
(Ruby, White-faced), Widow Skimmer and Common Whitetail. A walk through the woods brought us to the pond area where we saw
damselfly species and had great views of Slaty Skimmer, Blue Dasher and Eastern Pondhawk. As luck would have it, the participants saw all three species of pennant (Calico, Banded and Halloween) on the boardwalk near the bridge. After lunch we headed to
the North-80 part of the grounds and added Common Buckeye, Viceroy, Common Ringlet, lots of Pearl Crescents and the small
“blues” (Summer Azure, Eastern Tailed-Blue) to our list along with Black Saddlebags. Both butterfly and dragonfly were cooperative with photo shoots throughout the day. We totaled 23 species of butterflies and 19 species of damselflies and dragonflies.
PAGE
Page 11
3
OAKLAND
AUDUBONSOCIETY
SOCIETY
OAKLAND
AUDUBON
SEPT
2012
Jan/ /OCT
Feb 2010
Identification Quiz
Who am I?
A)____________________________
B)____________________________
C)____________________________
May / June Answers
A) Twelve-spotted Skimmer
PAGE
Page 12
3
B) Eastern Pondhawk
C) White-faced Meadowhawk
OAKLAND
AUDUBONSOCIETY
SOCIETY
OAKLAND
AUDUBON
SEPT
2012
Jan/ /OCT
Feb 2010
OAKLAND AUDUBON SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP FORM
NAME: ______________________________________
ADDRESS: ___________________________________
CITY: _______________ STATE: ______ ZIP: ______
PHONE: (_____) ______________________________
MOBILE: (_____) ______________________________
E-MAIL ADDRESS: __________________________
Please check ( X ) any personal information above you do not want listed in the OAS membership directory.
CHECK ALSO IF YOU ARE A MEMBER OF:
____ NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY
____ MICHIGAN AUDUBON SOCIETY
OAS NEEDS AND WELCOMES VOLUNTEERS!
PLEASE PARTICIPATE!
CHECK IF YOU WISH TO VOLUNTEER:
____ TO BECOME A BOARD MEMBER
____ LEAD A FIELD TRIP/PRESENT A PROGRAM
____ FILL AN OPEN POSITION
POSITION (__________________________)
PLEASE CHECK APPROPRIATE LINE:
____ MEMBER RENEWAL
____ NEW MEMBER
____ CHANGE OF ADDRESS
OAS Membership Fees
INDIVIDUAL $10
Our Mission
FAMILY $15
CONTRIBUTING $25
SUPPORTING $50
To provide, on a local level, access to the natural world through educational
programs such as meetings and field trips.
BENEFACTOR $100
PLEASE MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO:
OAKLAND AUDUBON SOCIETY
To advocate the preservation of wildlife habitats and endeavor to create interest
in native birds, other animals and plants in Michigan.
MAIL TO:
OAS MEMBERSHIP
2780 SCENIC MEADOWS DRIVE
ORTONVILLE, MICHIGAN 48462
PAGE
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8
OAKLANDAUDUBON
AUDUBON SOCIETY
OAKLAND
SOCIETY
MAY
2012
Jan/ /JUNE
Feb 2010