GOS SPRING MEETING
Rome, GA
1-3 May 2009

Meeting Details:  The Spring 2009 Meeting of the Georgia Ornithological Society will be held in Rome, Georgia, from Friday, May 1, through Sunday, May 3, 2009. Our headquarters hotel is the Ramada Skytop Center (see details below). The registration desk will open in the lobby of that hotel at 5:00 PM on Friday, May 1, 2009.

Dinner on Friday is on your own. The Friday night program begins at 7:00 PM with two presentations. One is by Michael C. Parrish, M.S. Candidate, Forest Resources, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, and a recent recipient of the Society’s H. Branch Howe Research Grant. Michael will talk on "Changes in Breeding Bird Abundance and Diversity across Urban-Rural Gradients in Northeastern Georgia." Our other featured speaker is Dr. Roarke Donnelly, Professor of Biology at Oglethorpe University. The title of his program is “Impacts of Chinese Privet on Native Forest Birds and Plants.” Following these presentations we will preview the planned field trips for the weekend. You will then have the opportunity to sign up for your choice of field trips.

Field trip destinations on Saturday and Sunday include such wonderful birding sites as Berry College and the Berry College WMA, Georgia Highlands College, Northwest Georgia Experiment Station, Arrowhead Wildlife Education Center, Johns Mountain, Marshall Forest, Rome City River Park, Myrtle Hill Cemetery and the Coosa Preserve.

The Social Hour begins Saturday night at 6:00 PM with the banquet starting at 7:00 PM. The featured speaker is our own Georgann Schmalz. Georgann has a Master’s Degree in Ornithology from Clemson University, taught for over 28 years at Fernbank Science Center in DeKalb County and is a three-time past president of the Atlanta Audubon Society. She has led birding tours to some of the best birding locations all over the world as the owner/operator of Birding Adventures, Inc. Her presentation is entitled “The Top Ten Ways to Share the Wonder of Birds.” Georgann says “parts of it will be serious, but most of it will be fun!” A review of the planned field trips for Sunday and the Countdown will follow Georgann’s program.

Meeting Registration: Register for this meeting by mailing the  registration form to the GOS Treasurer, Jeannie Wright (her address is on the form). The deadline for receipt of the meeting registration is April 25, 2009.

Please make your own arrangements for lodging. Our official hotel is the Ramada Skytop Center, 20 Highway 411 East, Rome, GA 30161, (706) 295-1100. The group room rate is $79.00 per night. Breakfast is included in the room rate and will be available starting at 5:30 AM. A block of rooms is being held under Georgia Ornithological Society until 6:00 PM on April 20, 2009. To ensure a room at the group rate, reservations should be made by this date. When making your reservation, identify yourself as a member of the GOS group. Please note that GOS has contracted with the Ramada Skytop Center for a certain number of rooms in order to secure the meeting space at a discounted rate. In order for GOS to receive the credit, please book your hotel room via the phone number above and not through one of the discount websites. Also, please consider this before staying at any other motel in Rome.

For additional information regarding programs contact Bill Lotz (404) 261-1906, or email blotz@mindspring.com. For more information concerning registration or lodging contact Dan Vickers at (770) 235-7301, or email dvickers@mindspring.com.