50th Anniversary Booklet
NOTE: Depending on which browser you are using, the original made-for-the-printer PDF may cause the photos in the booklet to appear with horizontal lines or the covers to appear in inaccurate colors. Despite this, please enjoy the text and the still-readable historic photos.
Ralph T. Waterman Bird Club 50th Anniversary 1958-2008
as retold from Wings over Dutchess
Compiled and edited by Stan DeOrsey, Barbara Michelin, and
Barbara A. Butler
A lot happens in fifty years and our club is no exception. Relive events of past years through original stories as they appeared in Wings over Dutchess. This 64-page booklet is profusely illustrated with many photos never before published. It is divided into four sections, each with a gallery of photos:
History – learn about Ralph Waterman and the first Dutchess County Bird Club. Some of us hugged a tree at Mary Yegella’s urging; read about this “initiation rite.”
Activities – discover how the newsletter has evolved, read about memorable rare bird relays, and discover some of Florence Germond’s efforts to help Bluebirds fledge.
Field Trips – see the difference in bird sightings on field trips to the same location 43 years apart and learn about changes that have taken place in the Casperkill Creek. See what happens when you ride along the railroad tracks and your car breaks down!
Happenings – read about Peggy Fasciani, Rosa Corbeels, and Elaine Anderson’s Christmas Count, an adventure never to be forgotten. Learn why Cruger Island is an island. And remember the Snowy Owl who spent the whole winter in Poughkeepsie.
These and many other stories will let you relive the events of the club’s first 50 years. You will laugh and marvel at what has happened. Then you can help make the next fifty years just as memorable.
This digital copy has minimal corrections but is really the same as the original printed version. The digital version is a PDF file that can be read by anyone reading this page. The original booklet was given to every member in 2008 but there are a few copies remaining; see Barbara Butler if you would like one.
