Lakes Area Birding Club Brief History

by Shar Legenhausen

I sat down and visited with club founder, Betsy Beneke and reminisced. I asked Betsy how the club came about.

Betsy had been working full time at Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge for approximately one year and had just started to get into bird watching big-time. She didn't know many people or any serious birders in the area, when she heard of a program being offered by Becker Pet and Garden. Mary Wyatt, former member of the Fargo-Moorhead Audubon Society, was scheduled to give a bird talk. The day came for the talk and Betsy and Peggy Hines from the DNR went to hear Mary speak. Betsy was so impressed with Mary's knowledge of birds she went up to her and introduced herself. She asked Mary if she would be interested in helping establish a bird club in the lakes area. Mary and Bill were instrumental in starting the Fargo/Moorhead Audubon, and Mary did agree to help.

Betsy put an article in the local newspaper, made an announcement on the radio and posters were made up and put around town. The night of the meeting, June 26, 1990, came. At five minutes to 7:00 there were three people; Mary, Betsy, and Peggy. However, by 7:10 the room held 25 people! The evening ended with a beautiful pontoon ride on Detroit Lake looking at the Heron rookery, and that was the beginning of the Lakes Area Birding Club. From this humble beginning, many birding friendships have grown between members.

There have been many field trips, but the ones that stand out in Betsy's mind are the ones made in the infancy of the club. Hamden Slough field trip was one such trip. It was a large group that went.  Hamden Slough was just being developed and Mike Murphy had been on staff a short time. His enthusiasm was contagious as the group looked out over the marshes and prairie land visualizing how the area would eventually appear.

Both Mary and Betsy say the friendships made and the networking with other birders has been due to the Bird Club. Mary has especially enjoyed being involved with The Festival of Birds. She loves talking about birds, and through the Birding Festival has met people from all over and from all cross-sections of society. Mary has personally met Roger Tory Peterson and Chandler Robbins, one author of Golden Field Guide to Birds of North America, Don & Lillian Stokes and Kenn Kaufman.

In the last decade Betsy has made quite a name for herself. She is now known as an authoritative birder within the community, region, and has received statewide recognition. Betsy has been · instrumental in initiating not only the Lakes Area Birding Club but also the Pine to Prairie Birding Trail, the annual Festival of Birds (known nationally), and the Birding Hotline.

Thanks in part to all these organizations, our small part of the world is now more clearly documented and birding knowledge preserved for generations to come.   

Note: Betsy Beneke is currently Outdoor Recreation Planner at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge near Brigham City, UT.