PBC HISTORY:
INTO THE NEW MILLENNIUM

“Some of you may be surprised to learn that our club began as an anti-cat club. … a group of earnest citizens, concerned by the depredations by cats on the bird population, …approached the city council to see if something could be done by a city ordinance to stop, or… control the depredations. They were told that only protests by an organized group would be considered.” 

“And guess what the club dues were at that time -fifty cents! Undoubtedly the biggest bargain in Guilford County.”

Club guests and speakers over the years included Ernest Thompson Seton, the famed naturalist and writer, Mr. T. Gilbert Pearson, and Roger Tory Peterson. 

“In 1942 we also held our first Christmas count. The tabulation of that first count was made in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Swart, who provided a delicious waffle supper prior to the tabulation.” 

In the early 40’s when gas was rationed because of the war, field trips involved a lot more walking.    “The following is an excerpt from the Greensboro Record of February 25, 1943. 
‘The field trip chairman announced the first trip of the New Year for Sunday, February 28, at 2:30 p.m., starting at Apple's Store on Asheboro Street. The group will take the bus to the store, and ride bicycles from there to Sharpe's Lake.’ 
 Well, just plain old shank's mare turned out to be a good substitute for bicycles, not only on that trip, but on many subsequent ones.”

 In 1945, a “Most important event was having Greensboro declared a bird sanctuary through a city ordinance, the culmination of plans started the year before…  A proclamation of Greensboro as a bird sanctuary was made by a city official.” 

The 1988 history compiled by Grace Draper mentions the presentation of the Audubon Wildlife Films from 1955-1981.

“Subjects of the films were varied: nature, travel, bird and other animal life, with narration by experts in the fields or those who had produced the films. Among these have been Roger Tory Peterson and Allen Cruikshank.” 
She also details some of the honors and wards to a number of club members for various services to the community, that the club donated funds to the Natural Science Center, and scholarships to sent students to Audubon Nature camps, and a list of many trips and expeditions, both local and farther away.

Other achievements since then include:

•  Dennis Burnette, president in 1989, started the Adopt-a-Highway program, when the bird club took on the job of picking up highway trash on a section of Yanceyville Road.
•  According to an article in the PBC newsletter, Aug 20, 1990, the PBC bird counting team won a “Birdathon” in May, beating the T. Gilbert Pearson Audubon Society’s team by 3 species, with 106 sp.  This event raised money for the Piedmont Land conservancy and the Beidler Forest Wildlife Refuge in SC.
• From the PBC newsletter Feb., 1991: Jan 31- G’so city council annexed the city lakes into the Bird Sanctuary.  PBC members Jean McCoy, Henry Link, Emily Tyler and Judie Underkoffler made special efforts in terms of letter writing and speaking before City Council and Parks and Recreation Commission. 
•  1997- PBC enters the cyber world with a website, established by Charlie Campbell.
•  In 2000, the club traded in the Adopt-a-Highway participation for a new project, Adopt-A-Park, in which it takes care of the Bluebird houses and picking up trash at Country Park off Lawndale.