The meeting, hosted by the Pennsylvania Audubon Council, began with introductions and discussions about
chapter activities and conservation efforts, particularly focusing on ESA advocacy against the Biggs
Amendment and recent legislative achievements. The group formed a new advocacy for conservation
committee and will establish a Google Group for coordinating chapter advocacy efforts. A detailed description
on the way the Google Group works was provided as well as suggestions on group usage and document
management. The conversation ended with discussions about scheduling challenges for monthly updates,
concerns about Federal environmental policy changes, and plans for sharing information about organizations
focused on litigation.
Next steps
• Tess: Share the list of chapter conservation/advocacy contacts with Nilesh for Google group setup
• Nilesh: Add interested members to the Google group once email addresses are received
• Tess, Nilesh, and Leigh: Organize a January walkthrough session about the new membership report
• Tess: Check chapter meeting schedules to identify potential times for monthly update calls
• Leigh: Send out AI meeting notes and chat transcript to attendees – COMPLETE
• Leigh and Tess: Work on rescheduling the monthly policy update calls with Audubon Mid-Atlantic
for better participation
• Leigh: Include information in December Drummer about Google group participation and chapter
representatives
• Committee/Chapters: Review and utilize the new membership report to identify potential advocacy
members
• Nilesh: Test and confirm how email responses to Google group messages are handled
• Committee: Discuss and potentially set up a shared Google Drive for document resources
• Committee: Develop ground rules for Google group participation
• Committee: Begin planning for January 2026 launch of advocacy conservation committee
Summary
Pennsylvania Audubon Chapter Meeting
The meeting began with Leigh Altadonna, the President of the Pennsylvania Audubon Council and Advocacy
Chair for the Liberty Bird Alliance, welcoming participants. Leigh noted that while 17 chapters had registered,
some were unable to attend due to conflicts. The meeting was recorded for note-taking purposes, and
participants were asked to introduce themselves in the chat. Leigh mentioned that the Lehigh Valley Audubon
Society Board and Audubon MidAtlantic were co-hosting a presentation from Penn Environment that evening.
The meeting aimed to discuss various chapter activities and conservation efforts, with Leigh expressing hope
that participants would share their thoughts and experiences.
Audubon Society’s Environmental Advocacy Success
The meeting focused on the early efforts of the Lehigh Valley Audubon Society to address concerns about the
Endangered Species Act and other environmental policies. The group discussed their successful advocacy
against the Biggs Amendment through direct engagement with congressional representatives. They highlighted
the importance of building relationships with lawmakers and the effectiveness of in-person meetings over
signing petitions. The meeting also touched on recent legislative achievements, such as the support for HB
1260 to require solar panels for warehouses and incentives for schools, which the council supported through
letter campaigns and advocacy efforts.
Advocacy Committee Launches in 2026
Tess provided a recap of the IBird/IVote event, which included a field trip and panel discussions on state and
federal policy. Leigh announced the formation of the Pennsylvania Audubon Council’s
Advocacy/Conservation committee, with Laura Jackson, Liz Brenzinger and Perry Strawn agreeing to serve.
Nilesh Shah will provide support to the committee, as needed. The committee aims to track legislation and
coordinate advocacy efforts among chapters. Leigh mentioned exploring a new time for the monthly Audubon
Mid-Atlantic updates to increase participation. The committee is set to launch in January 2026, and Nilesh
Shah will manage the associated Google group.
Chapter Advocacy Coordination Group
The group discussed creating a Google group for chapter representatives to coordinate advocacy efforts, for
topics such as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and state legislation, with a focus on communication and
action alerts. Tess reported compiling a list of conservation committee contacts from chapters, which she
agreed to share with Nilesh for inclusion in the Google group. The group clarified that the Google group would
be limited to a few key leaders rather than entire conservation committees, and Tess confirmed she was also
creating a separate Google group for chapter presidents. Leigh emphasized the need for ground rules to
manage discussions, particularly regarding controversial actions. Nilesh suggesting moderation options and
Liz emphasizing the rarity of problematic behavior. They addressed the need to prioritize conservation issues
amidst multiple challenges, with Pete mentioning biennial prioritization efforts with chapters.
Google Groups Communication Overview
Nilesh explained how Google Groups work, emphasizing their use as a communication forum where members
can see all emails and messages organized into conversation threads. He demonstrated how to start a
conversation, respond to threads, and receive notifications, noting that participants need a Google account to
join. Nilesh also mentioned instructions for creating a Google account without changing the existing email
address. Nilesh agreed to test whether responses to Google Group emails need to be done from within the
Group rather than regular email.
Advocacy Committee Document Repository Setup
Perri raised a question about document storage, noting that while Audubon Mid-Atlantic has some templates,
there might be a need for separate documentation. The group discussed setting up a shared Google Drive
repository for advocacy committee documents, with Tess offering her Audubon-connected drive as a potential
space for sample letters and fact sheets. Leigh suggested reviewing existing resources from organizations like
NRDC and Audubon Mid-Atlantic, and recommended creating a centralized location for relevant information
about issues like the Clean Water Act and wetlands definition.
Chapter Membership Report Transition
The meeting focused on a new report format containing supporter names, which will be used to appeal for
chapter conservation committee members. Tess offered to conduct a webinar in January to demonstrate the
report’s features, which can be sorted by congressional and legislative districts. The group discussed the need
to shift to the new report format, as the traditional report will be phased out in less than a year.
Environmental Policy and Scheduling Updates
The meeting focused on scheduling challenges for monthly updates, with participants discussing the need to
find more suitable times that work better for everyone. Tess agreed to review chapter meeting schedules to
identify potential slots, while Leigh suggested working with the Conservation Advocacy Committee to
determine optimal times. The group also addressed concerns about recent federal environmental policy
changes, with Liz emphasizing the importance of prioritizing efforts and focusing on legislative remedies
rather than getting overwhelmed by everything that seems negative. The conversation ended with a brief
discussion about sharing information about organizations focused on litigation to combat environmental policy
changes.