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Purple Martin Voice

Volume 2(1)

Purple Martin Voice is an eNewsletter distributed by Purple Martin Association of the Dakotas. Issues feature the plights and triumphs of Purple Martins in the Dakotas.

Notes

It is difficult to believe the Purple Martins have already started returning to the United States with temperatures in the Dakotas below zero degrees. Winter’s grip was slightly lessened with above-zero-degree temperatures predicted during the first weekend of February. Originally, I sat in my vehicle over my lunch hour on Friday, January 31st at the Greenway of Greater Grand Forks Purple Martin Site dictating this eNewsletter to Siri. Unfortunately, later that night as I attempted to copy and save, I inadvertently deleted everything. Therefore the eNewsletter was delayed as I took advantage of the warmer weather and went cross country skiing with my son at the Greenway of Greater Grand Forks even though the eNewsletter was due. We were out of town the only other above-zero-degree weekends since Christmas, so we needed to get on the ski trails. We enjoyed the time outdoors together.

Research

We are seeking funding to purchase a GPS device for $400.00. These devices are similar to geolocators that fit on the back of Purple Martins. What is super with this technology is the device sends out location signals that are then transmitted from a satellite to a York University lab computer. Data is collected from these location signals which are more exact in location than geolocators were. Additionally, these GPS devices do not have to be retrieved. As long as the battery is good, York University can continually and constantly collect location data on every deployed GPS device. So if the Purple Martin dies, we will be able to see where that happens such as whether it occurred in winter grounds or during migration. This is much more useful data to obtain and a more state of the art technology developed to study Purple Martins.

Please make your donation to the GPS Device Project. You can send a check payable to Purple Martin Association of the Dakotas, 703 Barley Court, Grand Forks, ND 58201-8066 or make a secure online donation using PayPal.

If you have questions, call or email me at (218) 791 – 3689 or Perry@PurpleMartinDakotas.org.

Beginning a Public Charity

I want to take this opportunity to update everyone about the organization, how the organization was formed, and how important you are to the future. Let me tell you, it has been a rewarding experience and, for me personally, an awe-inspiring journey.

On November 30, 2011, I awoke at about 2:00 am with pain in my left ankle, calf, and heel. I had my second ankle surgery in three months just one week prior. I had gone from working full-time as a computer programmer for the last 18 years to lying on the couch for a week with a completely messed up sleep schedule. A less-than-ideal situation with still five more weeks of short-term disability was transformed into a pivotal life-changing moment. That night I sent out a Facebook post saying that I was looking to get connected with everyone in North Dakota or anyone in the Northwest Minnesota Region who was interested in the conservation of Purple Martins. The next day John Tautin from the Purple Martin Conservation Association sent me the contact information for Paul Mammenga from Columbia, South Dakota.

I sent an email to Paul Mammenga on December 5th and awaited a reply. Two days later, I launched our Facebook page. Again at about 2:00 am on December 8th I awoke. It was in that very moment that I decided to reach out to others again. Since I was still taking heavy medication, it took me two hours to write the email that I distributed on forums, listservs, and social media outlets. I then went back to sleep. Four hours later, when I woke up, five people wanted more information. Paul emailed me back on December 9th indicating he would be more interested after he had retired. On December 10th, Paul reconsidered and emailed me again suggesting we combine North Dakota and South Dakota into a single organization. The next day Purple Martin Association of the Dakotas was born. These were the humble beginnings of Purple Martin Association of the Dakotas.

2011

During the last three weeks, before I returned to my full-time job, we applied as a Purple Martin Conservation Association Affiliate Member, and we were approved on December 19th. We were interviewed by Patricia Stockdill a freelance journalist from Garrison, North Dakota. The Prairie Adventures column she writes focuses on the outdoors, natural resources and related topics. The column was published in 12 regionally distributed newspapers in west central North Dakota on December 23rd. Patricia has since written several articles, all of which can be found on our website.

2012

Most of January was spent developing the organization and researching nonprofit corporations in both North Dakota and South Dakota. Our first big decision needed to be whether to incorporate in North Dakota or South Dakota. We decided North Dakota mainly because South Dakota required three incorporators up front, but North Dakota only required two incorporators to be identified. Either way both states required three directors by the time the nonprofit corporation annual report was filed, but that gave us additional time to elect the other director. After I signed the Articles of Incorporation they were sent to Paul to sign.

By February 1st Paul had the Articles of Incorporation sent to the North Dakota Secretary of State. Also on that day, I received a phone call from Studio One a live television show produced by the University of North Dakota. We did a pre-interview that Friday, and they invited us to be on their show. Purple Martin Association of the Dakotas was the first live segment of their 49th season on February 17th. The telecast was rebroadcast regionally on Public Broadcasting Service.

We launched our free website, purplemartinassociationdakotas.weebly.com, on March 3rd. Then on March 7, 2012, Purple Martin Association of the Dakotas officially became a Nonprofit Corporation in North Dakota. We made arrangements with Agassiz Audubon Society of Warren, Minnesota and sent an application for the Purple Martin Conservation Association’s Lonestar Buy One-Get One Grant Program as part of the North Red River Valley Purple Martin Project. We were awarded the grant a week later on March 19th.

On Earth Day 2012, we installed our first public site at the Greenway of Greater Grand Forks near 13th Avenue South and Belmont Road, Grand Forks, North Dakota. Almost two weeks later on May 5th, Boy Scouts, Venturers, and Webelos from the Voyageur Trails and Lake Agassiz District helped with the installation of the new Purple Martin housing system at the Agassiz Valley Water Resource Management Project. A few days later I sat down with Brad Dokken from the Grand Forks Herald to talk about Purple Martins. The two-page spread was published in the outdoors section of the Grand Forks Herald on Mother’s Day 2012. The article was just days before the Purple Martin presentation that we did in cooperation with Agassiz Audubon Society at the East Grand Forks Campbell Library.

The evening of June 8th Paul and I met face-to-face for the first time. All of our communications had been via email up until this point, and as a matter-of-fact, we never even spoke on the phone. It was also a good sign to find the first Purple Martin egg at the Greenway of Greater Grand Forks that day. Paul and his wife Joy were in Grand Forks to attend our 1st Annual Meeting for Purple Martin Association of the Dakotas on June 9th in Optimist Park. The day included three presentations, lunch, door prizes, and tours of the Purple Martin sites.

Our next steps were to tackle the Application for Recognition of Exemption Under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Therefore, we adopted Bylaws and a Conflict of Interest Policy in mid-July. Aside from launching our Twitter feed on August 12th, the next few months were spent working out the application details for 501(c)(3). Then the news that shocked me to the core, just a few days before the application was finalized and mailed off, Paul had been in the hospital after falling about 12 feet from a tree stand.

I continued to communicate with our associates on Facebook, Twitter, our website, and email via various groups and listservs for the next few months. I kept our associates engaged, but activities were very low key.

2013

Paul was recovered enough to attend our Board of Directors Meeting at the Dr. James Carlson Library in Fargo, North Dakota on February 23rd. During that meeting the board decided to launch Purple Martin Voice with our first issue being distributed on March 3rd.

All of our Purple Martin Voice back issues are available to associates on our Subscription Confirmed page. Except for the last week of December, all the happenings of 2013 have been included in those articles.

During the last week of December, we launched m.PurpleMartinDakotas.org our mobile-friendly website and migrated our classic website to a Content Management System using concrete5, a free open source website building tool, provided by our hosting partner.

2014

All of January was focused on our website enhancements. We implemented a dedicated search engine and optimized website pages. In the future, you will find the Frequently Asked Questions and Answers About Purple Martins pages. Also, keep on the lookout for our new logo.

You are important to the future of Purple Martins in the Dakotas. Our website has a Volunteer page that details available opportunities. If you have questions, comments, urgent issues, or just want to say hello, please use our Contact page. Purple Martin Association of the Dakotas has re-launched an enhanced online Registration page. Register your Purple Martin colony site, whether active or inactive, and we will include a pushpin on our Map page. The data collected will be used to enhance the Purple Martin Scout Reports and other maps we develop and use for our educational information and scientific research.

Calendar

Tuesday, March 4, 12pm – 1pm Midwest Aerial Insectivore Working Group Bi-monthly Conference Call
Saturday, March 8, 10am – 1pm Board of Directors Meeting

For more information on events, visit our Calendar page.