The next general meeting of the Birmingham Audubon Society will be held on Thursday, October 19, 2006 at 7 p.m., at the Birmingham Zoo Auditorium. The speaker will be Nelson Brooke, Black Warrior Riverkeeper, who will speak on what a watershed is and how his work revolves around protecting a watershed, not just a river.

Nelson Brooke was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. He attended the Altamont School in Birmingham and graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder with an anthropology degree. He is also an Eagle Scout and an outdoor enthusiast who has enjoyed fishing and hunting along the banks of the Black Warrior River since he was 7-years-old. He has been the Black Warrior Riverkeeper since January of 2004.

As Riverkeeper, Nelson patrols and photographs the Black Warrior River and its tributaries, researches and analyzes polluters' permits, responds to citizen complaints, educates the public about the beauty of the river and threats to it, and acts as a spokesman for the Black Warrior River watershed.

Audubon Society general meetings are open to non-members. Show up early for refreshments...