Kay’s Birding Blog

In the fall of 1992, Kay and Jim Charter realized that many of their favorite migrant bird species were in decline.  Birds like Baltimore orioles, scarlet tanagers, indigo buntings and warblers are losing ground every year.  Unable to stand by and watch the downward slide of these beautiful creatures, the Charters opted to take action by selling their lakefront home in order to purchase a large tract of land away from the water.  Before the year was out, the house was sold and the Charters used the proceeds from the home sale and their retirement savings to purchase a 47-acre tract of mixed habitat away from the water.  There they established a safe haven for the feathered jewels they love.

In the summer of 2001, Kay Charter and her husband Jim were the driving force behind the founding of Saving Birds Thru Habitat.  This organization is dedicated to the cause of teaching others about the challenges facing our migrating bird population, and instructing them about how to help resolve those problems.  Charter is the Executive Director of SBTH.  Her engaging PowerPoint program addresses problems for our migrant bird population, and it demonstrates how every single person can make a positive difference right in his or her backyard.

When the organization was established, it was Charter’s goal to work with industries and commercial interests whenever there was a possibility of saving or creating healthy habitat for birds.  In 2005, she did just that by establishing a relationship with a local sand mining interest to advise them how to best restore land that had been mined.  Through her guidance, a certification program was initiated.  This certification program gives credit and positive publicity to companies willing to go the extra step in creating or protecting habitat for migrating and nesting birds.

In order to connect the general public to the magic and mystery of migrating birds, Charter began writing a regular column about birds and their habits and habitats for the Traverse City Record-Eagle in 1995.  The column, which appeared on the first Sunday of each month, grew in popularity until early 2009 when it was cancelled for financial reasons.  Charter has also written conservation articles for Michigan Audubon Society’s newsletter, “Jack Pine Warbler” and for other publications.  Her writings and photographs have been featured in numerous publications, including the San Diego Zoological Society’s, ZOONOOZ, and Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine.  She received a Gold Award from the International Regional Magazine Association for her piece in Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine about Connie Hagar, “the bird lady of Rockport.”  Charter’s book, For the Love of Birds, was published in 2000 by Crofton Creek Press.

As a committed conservationist, Charter is a strong supporter of coalitions and alliances, both with other NGO’s as well as outside the conservation community.  She was founder of Nature North, an annual event in Northern Michigan, which is dedicated to bringing the public at large into the world of conservation.  Participants in this event have included local, state, national and international organizations such as Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Michigan United Conservation Clubs, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, National Wildlife Federation, The Nature Conservancy and Trout Unlimited.

Charter has presented her program for city governments, libraries, schools, colleges, Audubon clubs, service organizations and garden groups across the country.  She has been a featured speaker at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis, Missouri, the Cox Arboretum in Dayton, Ohio, Morton Arboretum near Chicago and the 2006 Rivers and Wildlife Festival in Kearney, Nebraska.  In 2007, she presented a seminar on the subject of bird conservation to a standing room only crowd at the Zoological Society of San Diego’s Center for Conservation and Research for Endangered Species.

In May of 2007, Charter received one of the state’s highest conservation awards when she was honored by Michigan United Conservation Clubs as “Exceptional Outdoorswoman of 2006” for her efforts.