by Eric Reuter

Many Thanks to Our CoMoGives Donors!

-by Nancy Bedan, CAS CoMoGives Committee

The 2018 CoMoGives fundraiser for area non-profit organizations ended at midnight Dec. 31; this was the fourth year of participation for Columbia Audubon. Although we won’t have final totals for the number of donors and dollars received until January, we are very grateful to our supporters. As of December 31, we had received more than $9100 from 70-plus online and offline contributors, exceeding our ambitious 2018 goal of $8,000.

The funds received through the CoMoGives drive help support the maintenance and expansion of our nature areas, including the Columbia Audubon Nature Sanctuary on Bray Avenue; the Band with Nature field trip for Columbia-area second-graders; and scholarships for students and teachers to attend science and nature-education programs.

January meeting: book discussion

The regular January meeting will take place at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 16th, when CAS members Eric & Joanna Reuter will lead a public book discussion about Seattle-based author and researcher John M. Marzluff’s 2014 book Welcome to Subirdia about biodiversity in urban areas. As a review posted by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology noted,

“Subirdia’s startling thesis is that suburbs not only hold a surprising variety of creatures, they often increase diversity. Although some species may not do well, the mosaic of edges and small refuges that make up this fractal habitat provides new opportunities for native creatures, not to mention species that have so escaped their natural bonds that they occur in virtually every city in the world.”

We hope you’ll join us with questions, comments, and ideas inspired by the book. Even if you haven’t had the chance to read or finish it, please feel free to come and participate in the conversation. This event is open to the public (like all CAS events) and will take place in the first-floor Friends Room of the Daniel Boone Regional Library in Columbia, not at the regular U-U Church location, due to our collaboration with the library.

Supporting CAS

Carrying out our mission through education, conservation, and outreach takes a wide variety of resources, from the valued time of dedicated volunteers to the financial support of members and donors. We welcome and appreciate all participants and supporters of our work through their generous donations of time, money, or other resources.

Submitting material to The Chat

The Chat is published online on the first of every month from September through May. Submissions are welcome, including photographs, stories, and suggestions for content; please contact News Editor Eric Reuter. The submission deadline is the evening of the 25th of each month.