Boletin Audubon
February / March 2007
Newsletter Archives

The Newsletter of Sociedad Audubon de México, A.C.

ANNUAL GALA A HUGE SUCCESS–MORE MEMBERS, MORE FUN THAN EVER

Audubon reaped more than $4,000 USD on Saturday, February 17th, at our annual gala for bird-lovers. Way more than 100 lovers of all kinds gathered in the remarkable setting--Barbara Porter's casa on Sollano, complete with macaws, parrots, marmosets, folk art, flowers, masks, sunset, and good company.

Almost everyone who attended the party was a current Audubon member, renewed their membership or joined up with Audubon as a new member, so the event was a landmark in the history of Audubon San Miguel and a great boon to the programs we support, helping preserve the habitat of our local birds, improve water resources and teach schoolchildren the wonder of their environment.

Thanks go to all our volunteers who made the party come off so beautifully, to Barbara Porter, without whom... none of it could have happened, and to the suppliers who provided food and drink–La Puertacita, Romano's, Chocodisiac, Hecho en Mexico, Freixenet wines, and Tequila Evolucion 501. Thanks also to the generous donors to our silent auction–Anne Bowles, Kelly Vandiver, La Casa Encantada in Patzcuaro, Bahia de la Luna, Posada de los Raqueros in Troncones, and the Inn at Magic Mountain in Vermont.

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FEBRUARY SEVENTH—MONARCAS MYSTERY TOUR

On February 7th, lucky nature-lovers took an overnight Audubon trip to another world—El Rosario, the mysterious retreat of the Monarchs in Michoacan. Every year millions of gorgeous orange and black Monarch butterflies make a 2500-mile migration from Canada to Mexico, to two sanctuaries in Michoacan, only a few hours away from San Miguel by bus.

On this Audubon trip, travelers joined the Monarchs at one of their winter destinations, ten thousand feet up. We were surrounded by the butterflies, they lit on our bodies, we experienced an atmosphere thick with the beauty of these ephemeral creatures, who die when they give birth to replacements.

Most of the climb up the mountain is by way of steps cut into the slope, and several people took the advice of Bob Graham, leader of the trip, who suggested we bring a walking stick to make the hike easier (it did), but everyone who started out made it to the top. Bob also lugged his 'scope all the way up the mountain so we could see some of the farther-off butterflies up close. The weather was perfect--our one-night stay is at the Hotel Margarita in Angengueo was warmed by fireplaces--and the sun shone throughout our trip. These pictures will give you some idea of the splendid experience we all had.

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JANUARY SIERRA GORDA ADVENTURE

Driving through forested hillsides that are home to pumas, jaguars, parrots and macaws, viewing a 150-foot waterfall in a pine forest at 8,000 feet, and exploring Las Pozas, Edward James’s “swirling dream in concrete, a fantasy that mimics Gaudi… and the Emerald City of Oz,” were just a few of the highlights of the Audubon adventure trip to the Sierra Gorda. Participants stayed one night at a hacienda near a famous Sierra Gorda mission adorned with a striking San Miguel slaying a mean-looking monster.

    
Michael Pope                                                          Michael Pope

They dined in the ruins of an 18th century hacienda. The next night was spent at El Castillo, the surrealistic former home of a colleague and co-builder with Edward James. Along the way on both days, travelers stopped at several other missions, each noted for its hand-painted façade, including more San Miguels, as well as angels, saints and cherubs. And throughout, they drove around the mountains through what one participant likened to "10 Grand Canyons," peaks lost in the mist, valleys the deepest imaginable gorges.

Michael Pope

Because of the size of the hotel in Las Pozas, only twelve people at a time can make this trip, but Audubon is hoping to return to the Sierra Gorda again before too long. To make sure you don’t miss this spectacular trip the next time, better make your reservations early. Call or e-mail trip leader Don Knoles at 152-1678 or pgknoles@yahoo.com 

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AT LAST! A BIRD BOOK WILL SOON TAKE FLIGHT

As a bird watcher, an environmentalist or just an appreciator of nature, you wouldn’t be the first person to wish there were a field guide to the birds of San Miguel—and to be disappointed when you found it didn’t exist. Your time is coming! Audubon is at work right now on a field guide to our abundant, beautiful local birds. The guide will follow the style of Flores Silvestres de San Miguel de Allende, the wonderfully successful and useful field guide to our local wildflowers that appeared in 2006—sized to fit in a pocket, with full-color pictures and brief descriptions of each bird (and a ruler on the back). We’re hoping to have it available some time this year.