Contributed by Lucie Lehmann
The Green Mountain Audubon board welcomed two new board members this summer, Sarah Schmidt and Liza Morse. The women replaced retiring board members Elizabeth Spinney, Larry Haugh, and Jacob Crawford, all of whom contributed greatly to GMAS, and whose service and presence will be sorely missed.
Schmidt, born near Brattleboro but raised in Western Massachusetts before returning to Vermont after college, has been the CFO of Champlain National Bank in Willsboro, New York since December 2018. Previously, she was the Corporate Controller for the Sporn Company, Inc. in Burlington, and Controller and Director of Financial Reporting for Merchants Bank in South Burlington. Schmidt also has corporate accounting and management experience in the food and energy industries. She holds a BA from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.
Schmidt’s love of birds evolved from her passionate interest in all animals, beginning with the indoor cats that she has always had. From there, it was “learning about poaching and the pet trade of exotic animals, including birds. It never occurred to me growing up that animals, including birds, were sacrificed for beautiful possessions. Destroying habitat and shortsighted behavior need to be altered for the long-term survival of species. My heart breaks when I think about the number of birds that needlessly die because of poor decisions humans make. Hopefully continuing to change mindsets will make a difference for the greater good.”
Her reason for serving on the GMAS board builds from there. “Conservation is a huge part of it, understanding our impact on the world. We’re not necessarily good stewards of the world, so how can we reach across and get more people involved in understanding? From there, if they have an understanding, it morphs into taking some form of action.”
Schmidt lives in Hinesburg but birds all over our area, including on the Charlotte to Essex ferry, which is her daily commute to work. In addition to the GMAS board, where she’ll sit on the Finance Committee, she also serves on the Board for the Chittenden County Humane Society.
Liza Morse is a conservation biologist and ecologist with a background in forest conservation and restoration, bird habitat management, and community science. She grew up in Amherst, Massachusetts but came to Vermont years ago to work at a farm and wilderness camp in Plymouth. Her passion for birds came both from her parents and from an older man who “was on the board or very involved with our local Audubon chapter, and I started doing the CBC with him… That mentorship meant a lot to me.”
Morse is in the fourth year of her graduate studies at UVM. Her PhD research focuses on birds in coffee agroforestry landscapes and in sugarbushes. Previously, her work with grassland bird habitat management involved collaboration with farmers and landowners in agricultural landscapes. Her work has focused on birds in working landscapes because she is passionate about finding solutions for both humans and wildlife, and because of a personal, lifelong love for birds. “I don’t believe that humans are separate from nature,” she says, “and when we think about sustainable solutions for our world and birds, we need to consider humans as part of the system. Working landscapes are valuable tools to support sustainable livelihoods for people.”
Following graduate school, she hopes to continue a career in bird conservation research that engages with both the ornithological field and with a diverse array of stakeholder groups to find creative solutions to intractable problems. While she is here, however, Morse feels an obligation to give back to the community in which she lives and works. “I grew up in a college town and saw how the college and community worked together and interacted. I want community work to be a part of my time at UVM.” And, she adds, “Audubon Societies writ large are at an inflection point, and a lot of boards tend to be older… I felt like being invited [to serve] was a way of making a community I’m involved with better and bigger.” Morse will serve on the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Committee, among other assignments.
When not looking at birds for research, Liza is probably looking at birds for fun, baking a cake, or watching a costume drama. She lives in South Burlington with her partner, Brendan, and her dog, Gus.
Would You Like to Join Our Board?
The Green Mountain Audubon Board of Directors is recruiting new members from Chittenden, Franklin, and Grand Isle counties. Are you interested in serving your community as a member of this dynamic, all-volunteer board? Would you like to use some of your time and your passion for birding to introduce others to our mission and the amazing world of birds and conservation? Read on!
We need help with communications, outings, programs, and outreach to previously under-represented communities. We really need you if you have special skills in organization, social media, website maintenance, and website analytics! Openings include the Board Secretary position, responsible for taking the minutes at monthly meetings, and slots on the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Christmas Bird Count committees.
Interested applicants can write to: President@Greenmountainaudubon.org.