Highlights from the First Fifty Years
Entries below are by membership year (i.e., from September 1 of one year through August 31 of the next year). Some years are not included because there were no really significant events. For more detailed information from all years, see Fifty Years of History.
1972-1973
January 1, 1972
Meeting to organize Howard County Bird Club (HCBC) held on November 1, 1972. + First public meeting and program on December 14, 1972. + First Field trip. + First issue of newsletter published.
1974-1975
January 1, 1974
First May Count HCBC compiled.
1975-1976
January 1, 1975
Howard County Rare Bird Alert authorized using a telephone tree.
1977-1978
January 1, 1977
Mounted bird and nest collection begun. + American Goldfinch named Howard County Bird at HCBC’s suggestion. + Spring Wildflower Checklist project begun.
1978-1979
January 1, 1978
Trifold brochure created.
1979-1980
January 1, 1979
“Attracting Birds in the Maryland Piedmont” published. + First HCBC seed sale. + Annual bus trips with Howard County Department of Recreation & Parks (HCDR&P) initiated. + First annual list: bird species seen in Howard County in 1979 + First comprehensive list of birds ever seen in Howard County.
1980-1981
January 1, 1980
Columbia Waterfowl Committee merges with HCBC.
1981-1982
January 1, 1981
HCBC donates $3500 to Nassawango Creek Sanctuary as a Tenth Anniversary event. + First HCBC display at Howard County Fair.
1982-1983
January 1, 1982
First Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Maryland and the District of Columbia begun. Autumn Wildflower Survey begun.
1983-1984
January 1, 1983
Reception and dinner honoring Chandler Robbins’ second edition of “Birds of North America.”
1984-1985
January 1, 1984
“Preliminary Checklist of Birds of Howard County, 1956-1984” published.
1985-1986
January 1, 1985
First annual Howard County Mid-winter Count.
1987-1988
January 1, 1987
HCBC Board of Directors adopted five-year goals.
1988-1989
January 1, 1989
Membership surpassed 300 for first time.
1990-1991
January 1, 1990
Trifold displays created.
1992-1993
January 1, 1992
Twentieth Anniversary celebration . + “The Butterflies of Howard County, Maryland: A Biological Summary and Checklist” published.
1993-1994
January 1, 1993
“Checklist of the Birds of Howard County, 1956-1993” published. + New Member Packet created. + First seasonal summary of bird records in newsletter.
1994-1995
January 1, 1995
First Annual Fall Count.
1995-1996
January 1, 1995
“Birding Howard County, Maryland” published. + “The Electronic Goldfinch” website and message board established.
1996-1997
January 1, 1996
HCBC newsletter renamed “The Goldfinch.” + Odonate survey begun.
1997-1998
January 1, 1997
Twenty-fifth Anniversary celebration. + Howard County Rare Bird Alerts sent by email as well as by telephone.
1998-1999
January 1, 1998
First unofficial Big Day field trip.
2000-2001
January 1, 2000
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) transferred mounted bird and nest collection to HCDR&P. + John C. Clegg Memorial Meadow dedicated.
2001-2002
January 1, 2001
Marjorie Mountjoy bequest received. + Second Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Maryland and the District of Columbia begun.
2003-2004
January 1, 2003
First Sparrow Big Day.
2004-2005
January 1, 2004
Final year of HCBC display at the Howard County Fair.
2005-2006
January 1, 2005
Special sale of Pennington-donated suet and feeders at a meeting. + Four bird and dragonfly informational signs designed for Meadowbrook Park. + Annual seed sale moved to The Wildlife Authority. + Bird Photo Gallery created for website as the first of seven photo galleries. + First of 12 annual Howard County Odonate Counts co-sponsored with HCDR&P.
2007-2008
January 1, 2007
HCBC and the Howard County Conservancy began offering occasional joint programs.
2009-2010
January 1, 2009
Maryland Amphibian and Reptile Atlas (“Herp” Atlas) begun. + HCBC Facebook account established.
2011-2012
January 1, 2011
Meetings moved to Robinson Nature Center (RNC). + “The Goldfinch” available in electronic as well as print form.
2012-2013
January 1, 2012
Multi-year butterfly survey project begun.
2013-2014
January 1, 2013
First official Howard County Big Day.
2014-2015
January 1, 2014
Emy’s Meadow created.
2015-2016
January 1, 2015
Initial planning with Howard County Conservancy for Skywatch site at Mount Pleasant.
2016-2017
January 1, 2016
HCBC leases 11+ acres along Underwood Road to preserve Dickcissel habitat; same site also leased in 2018. + Martha Chestem bequest received.
2017-2018
January 1, 2017
Dedication of Chandler S. Robbins Skywatch at Mount Pleasant. + First color printing of “The Goldfinch.”
2018-2019
January 1, 2018
Overhaul of the HCBC website; content management system changed to WordPress.
2019-2020
January 1, 2019
MOU formally transferred mounted bird and nest collection to RNC. + Pandemic cancelled March and subsequent in-person meetings, also the annual potluck and the Beyond Birding Basics class. + Fiftieth Anniversary committee established. + Since HCBC’s founding, donations to habitat preservation and conservation causes have exceeded $100,000 + Breeding Bird Atlas 3 (BBA3) began January 1, 2020
2020-2021
January 1, 2020
Waterford Flats at Sharp’s at Waterford Farm opened. + Official Big Day team sets county record of 129 species.
2021-2022
January 1, 2021
Tee-shirt design contest for Fiftieth Anniversary design. + Purple Martin tower and gourds erected at Mount Pleasant, Howard County Conservancy. + Fiftieth Anniversary celebration began on January 1, 2022.
2022-2023
January 1, 2022
50th Anniversary events, October 30, 2022. Field trip in a.m. + Displays and program , Gudelsky Environmental Education Center, Howard County Conservancy in afternoon.