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Joining The Bird Conservation
Network
Membership
If your organization is not a BCN member, please consider joining us.
Organizational dues are only $75 a year, and you'll be doing the
best thing you can to support conservation of bird habitat
throughout our area. In addition to our work on habitat
conservation, we also coordinate bird monitoring throughout the
Chicagoland area. Contact us
for more details.
Q. Who can join BCN?
A. Our members are largely comprised of Birding Clubs
and Audubon chapters; however, membership is not limited to
these types of groups. Our members also include other
organizations, alliances, and foundations that are dedicated to
conserving birds. Bird conservation is not necessarily the
only facet of their work.
BCN is generally seeking organizations with a focus towards
birds or bird conservation (as at least one major focus of their
work). Although not always feasible, BCN prefers that
organizations send at least one representative to each of
the BCN meetings held at least quarterly at various locations in
the Chicago area (usually in centrally located areas of Cook
Co., Lake Co., and DuPage Co.).
Representatives from member organizations should have a basic
understanding of birds and their needs, place the welfare of
birds forefront when casting votes, and vote in a manner that
respects the views of their members at large.
Organizations should be based in or have membership in the
"Chicago Region". The "Chicago Region" is not specifically
defined, but for our purposes currently includes areas as far
west as DeKalb County and as far east as eastern Indiana.
North and south boundaries are not well established. Currently,
BCN includes member clubs only as far north and south as Lake
Co. IL and Will Co., but organizations to the north or south of
these areas with a desire to join BCN are encouraged to inquire.
With development expanding outward from Chicago at a rapid pace,
we encourage organizations in any of the collar rural counties
to inquire if interested (even if commute to BCN meetings isn't
a feasibility).
Q. Why should we join BCN?
A. Clubs and organizations can join BCN to show their
support for conservation initiatives and research like the BCN
Census, Bird Blitz, Chicago Region Birding Trail, Migrant Bird
Habitat Study, and more. As members of BCN, each
organization / club can designate up to three representatives to
act and vote at BCN meetings on behalf of its members at large.
All clubs and organizations sharing an interest in bird
conservation can benefit from the strong support of the Bird Conservation Network
through its region-wide recognition, increased influence through
strength in numbers, and experience at attempting to work in cooperation with all involved parties to reach
sensible agreements. BCN
helps many groups with local conservation issues in their
communities. BCN also needs your club's support and
support from your club's active BCN reps to help bring attention
to conservation issues in your local area.
Q. Where does the $75 go?
A. Most of your money supports basic necessities
associated with operating BCN, including expenses for office
materials, mailings, phone calls, the BCN website, and
other items required for the bare-bones operation of BCN.
Remaining funds provide a small additional pool that supports BCN conservation projects and initiatives. Most of our
major support comes from our many dedicated volunteers and
grants from other organizations. If your organization has
a financial hardship that makes payment of dues difficult,
please let us know.
Q. Can I join as an individual?
A. The Bird Conservation Network, rather than being
comprised of individual members, is built upon a coalition of
birding clubs and other organizations active in bird
conservation. However, the BCN bylaws do contain a clause
that allows individuals to directly join BCN. Currently,
BCN only has a couple individual members. These are
individuals who "support the goals of BCN and are willing to
donate their time and effort to realizing the goals of BCN.
Individual Members shall be nominated by existing members, and
shall be accepted by a consensus of the current members
attending the next regular meeting. Individual Member dues are
$25.00 per year." Individual members are generally
admitted under special circumstances. These individuals
are typically active in conservation work but unaffiliated with
a local club / organization or working in a region that lacks an
assembled group that is a member of BCN. Whenever
possible, individuals are encouraged to seek out and work with a
birding club or other group in their area that is a member of
BCN (or has interest in joining).
If you simply wish to show your individual support for BCN:
Contact us
for more details or to join.
Conserve Chicagoland Birds!
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