[nfbmi-talk] Fw: Birding for Blind children on CBS Evening News!

Donna Posont donnabutterfly50 at gmail.com
Thu Apr 18 03:23:59 UTC 2013


----- Original Message ----- 
From: Gwen 
To: VI-MICHIGAN at LIST.MSU.EDU 
Cc: 'Rebecca Thomson' ; Osman Koroma ; Donna Posont 
Sent: Wednesday, April 17, 2013 2:37 PM
Subject: Birding for Blind children on CBS Evening News!


On April 6 this spring, CBS Evening News came to Dearborn, Michigan to film Donna Posont, Field Services Director with Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind, lead Birding By Ear at our Celebrate Urban Birds event, cosponsored with Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the University of Michigan Dearborn.   This was a great opportunity for children and adults who are blind or visually impaired to participate in an event with others who are sighted on an equal basis.  CBS is currently planning on airing the film during the 6:30 PM CBS Evening News on Earth Day, Monday, April 22, although news of the day may preempt it and it could be shown on a different night.  It would be a great way to celebrate Earth Day, by watching our budding naturalists who are blind and visually impaired!

 

Donna has been leading Birding By Ear classes - learning to identify birds in our natural environment by sound rather than by sight - year round with sponsorship from the University of Michigan Dearborn, where she is a current student in Environmental Studies and Biology.  Additional support from Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind has allowed children from the Detroit area who have no transportation to attend these events.   Approximately 12 students, age 7 - HS, and a number of adults, called the Michigan Bird Brains, have been participating in these events in Dearborn and in Lansing.  Approximately 60 people participated in the Celebrate Urban Birds Event at the U of MD Environmental Interpretive Center (EIC).  Dr. Orin Gelderloos, founder of the EIC, was very pleased with the event and felt it was a perfect fit for the mission of the center and for Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind.

 

Donna Posont is a blind adult who has five children who decided to finally follow her dream of becoming a naturalist to introduce blind and visually impaired children to the wonders of the world around them, especially birds - her specialty.  She has been a naturalist with Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind for the past 7 years, and just recently was certified as a Certified Interpretive Guide by the National Association of Interpretive Guides.

 

Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind (OUB) is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to providing education and recreation opportunities for persons who are blind or visually impaired.  OUB provides approximately 12 weeks of camp for children and youth who have low vision or are blind, and hires young people who have vision loss as staff members and as mentors for younger campers. The majority of OUB CAMPS are held at Camp Tuhsmeheta, Greenville, MI, but also at other sites around the state, including Sleeping Bear Dunes  and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.  OUB focuses on skill building and learning while having a ton of fun at camp!  

 

Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind is accepting camper registrations for the 2013 camp season.  A full list of camps offered, including Family Camp for all ages, and registrations forms can be found on the OUB website, www.campt.org.   OUB is also still accepting staff applications for our summer season.  The staff application can also be found on the website.

 

Please enjoy watching our young Michigan Birders on CBS!

 

Gwen Botting

 

 

 

Gwen Botting, Director

Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind

PO Box 46

Greenville, MI  48838

Phone: 989-855-2430

Cell: 616-755-2221

gwen at campt.org

www.campt.org

 



More information about the NFBMI-Talk mailing list