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THEVISTA
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University of Central Oklahoma
WOMEN’S SOCCER GETS TWO WINS • Page 7
TUESDAY• October 9, 2012
The Student Voice Since 1903
THE BIRDMAN COMETH Dr. Chris Butler, a professor at UCO, has been accepted as a member of a national ornithology [the study of birds] organization. He has been fascinated by our feathered friends since a very young age.
Dr. Chris Butler poses for a picture in his office on Thursday, Oct. 4, 2012. Photo by Aliki Dyer, The Vista
• JOSH WALLACE, Staff Writer •
L
ast month, UCO’s own Dr. Chris Butler, professor of biology, was awarded by the American Ornithologists’ Union (AOU) the honor of being named a Elective Member within the organization for his work in ornithology, the research and study of birds. Formed in 1883, the AOU is one of the oldest, and most well respected, organizations among the scientific field. Butler was recognized for his research and received nomination by three Fellows within the organization, and ultimately was selected for membership during AOU’s 130th Stated Meeting, which was held this past August in Vancouver, British Colombia. In September, he received a letter from the organization informing him of his selection, and also emphasized his work, stating, “Election to this membership class is an honor bestowed in recognition of your contributions to ornithology and to the AOU.” Butler’s interest in birds began very early in his life, “I saw an American Gold Finch when I was five and was in kindergarten. I got off the bus and was coming back home, and past a little hedge, and these bright yellow birds flew out in front of me, and I had never
seen them before. I thought they were really pretty, so I thought, ‘if I haven’t seen this, and I’ve missed this in all my five years of life, what else have I been missing?’ and it sort of snowballed from there.” He described that throughout his life, he remained interested in birds, adding that, even at different points along the way, where he thought of different career fields, ranging from meteorology, music, to wanting to possibly be an astronaut, the study of birds would also remain a focus, no matter what career he chose. Aside from teaching multiple classes on campus at UCO, Butler regularly embarks upon field research, with trips planned throughout the year. In November, he and 10 students will be taking a trip to southeastern Oklahoma, to the Red Slough Wildlife Management Area, where they will be studying four different species of bird, the Yellow Rail, Le Conte’s Sparrow, Sedge Wren, and Nelson’s Sparrow, looking at where the different species winter. During winter break in December, he’s also planned a trip running from Mississippi to Florida, along the Gulf Coast, to band birds, adding, “All four species are poorly known, Yellow Rails are nocturnal, they all live in marshes, and we don’t really have a good understanding of where they go for the winter, or where they breed, so the usual way when you study bird migration is they put bird bands on them, and then somebody
else has to find a banded bird and then get back to you and say ‘I found your banded bird.’” He went on to add that, despite over 800 Yellow Rails being banded since 2004, the bird has remained extremely elusive, with only two recaptures since then. In addition to banding the birds, Butler takes a feather sample from the birds for analysis, and through study of the feather, he can determine where the birds where breeding from the chemical makeup contained within the sample. Also during the winter, he does work with Whippoorwills, known for their distinct call, adding that the species has been in decline, and it’s still unknown exactly why. The Whippoorwills winter in Florida and the Yucatan, and Butler is looking to see if the decline is related to the population in Florida, adding that habitat fragmentation has become very noticeable. As for his preference when working with birds, Butler enjoys the challenge of working with birds that haven’t been well studied, adding, “it gives me a chance to still make an interesting contribution.” Butler’s future plans include a trip to Belize next May. He hopes to offer a tropical field biology class from May 20-31, telling students, “If you’re interested in going down to Belize and seeing Toucans and other interesting things there should be an announcement, hopefully in the not too distant future.”
The 2012 VSLC food drive hopes to stock Central Pantry • MERVYN CHUA, Staff Writer • The UCO Volunteer and Service Learning Center (VSLC) is having a food drive, until Friday, to stock the Central Pantry, a food pantry for students, faculty and staff that cannot afford food, or is in an emergency situation. Anyone can donate food through the yellow bins around campus marked with “Central Pantry Collection” or bring it directly to the VSLC office, room 212 of the NUC. To start off the food drive, the Shack-a-thon volunteers had to bring non-perishable food items in exchange for materials to build their shack. All the money they raised from begging for money will go to purchasing food for Central Pantry. The food will be bought at a discounted rate from the Oklahoma Regional Food Bank. Lyndsay Holder, assistant director of the Volunteer and Service Learning Center, explains how UCO is partnering with the food bank. “Regional Food Bank will give us A donation bin inside the Administration Building on Monday, Oct. any food that is donated to them 8, 2012. Students and faculty have until Friday to make their dona- for free. But they have worked with tions. Photo by Aliki Dyer, The Vista some local chefs to come up with
these ‘meals ready to eat’ (MRE) and all they require is for you to add water and they feed four. But they cost about $2 a box. So that should cover the cost. If it costs money, we will get it at a discounted rate. We’re getting a very good deal.” More drives will be held throughout the year especially closer to holiday seasons. “We’ll do special drives during Thanksgiving and Christmas. Also, we’re going to have a drive once every one to two months because we’re relying on UCO students to feed UCO students. It won’t be every week but we will always accept donations at the office,” Holder said. Central Pantry was created because many UCO students were found utilizing the services of the Edmond Hope Center when VSLC went out into the community and did an assessment on the food pantry. Holder felt that UCO needed to start this service because we are here to help each other. “I think it will make people feel more secure in their education. If
they are not going to have to worry about where their dinner’s coming from that night, then it will make studying and dedication to learning more easy. They can concentrate more in the classroom knowing that they can get a bag of nutritious food to feed my family, and that’s a big worry that we can alleviate for them.” Central Pantry will be in room 203 of the NUC and open for business on Nov. 15, after the opening ceremony at 10 a.m. Business hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and after hours depend on volunteer availability. The procedure for taking food is set up by the Regional Food Bank. A form has to be filled out declaring the individual’s income and the number of people in the household. There will be a reference list indicating the amount of food they can take. The central pantry will be a choice model pantry where individuals can choose the types of food they want.
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