Bird Conservation Network Elects New Officers

Chicago (April 17, 2020) – The Bird Conservation Network (BCN), an Illinois-based regional coalition of 20+ environmental organizations, has elected a team of respected conservationists to lead the organization’s bird advocacy efforts in 2020. The new officers are:

• Sonny Cohen, President and representative from Lake/Cook Audubon (Highland Park)
• Matt Igleski, Vice President, representative from Illinois Ornithological Society as well as IOS president (Hammond, Indiana)
• Charlotte Pavelka, Treasurer and representative from Lake County Audubon (Green Oaks)
• Steve Constantelos, Secretary and representative from DuPage Bird Club as well as the group’s president (Evanston)

BCN promotes public awareness, knowledge, appreciation and enjoyment of birds and their habitat. The organization both proposes and supports programs to protect, restore and enhance the natural environment, and conserve/increase native bird populations, including monitoring bird populations throughout the region, advocating for bird friendly building design and outdoor cat management.

“We live in one of the most important migratory bird flyways in North America and also have important habitat for breeding birds ranging from owls to warblers, wrens and bobolinks. Our mission is to gather information and help shape policy that will benefit our region’s migratory, resident and breeding bird wildlife,” Cohen said. “That work in turn can have a substantial impact on the regional environment as a whole, so our agenda complements other conservation efforts as well.”

More information is at bcnbirds.org.