Newsletter
Members' newsletter - The Song Sparrow
The Song Sparrow is a newsletter published several times each year for members of Bird Protection Quebec. It is published in the form of an enriched and searchable electronic (PDF format) document that you can download from the website. This electronic means of delivery ensures that we have more dollars to spend on birds than on printing and mailing - plus members get an enriched newsletter with colour photographs, active links, sound and video files and more besides. The Song Sparrow is recognised as a step above most "birding club" newsletters.
An email announcing the availability of each new issue is sent out to all members. This includes a table of contents to ensure that everyone is aware of time-sensitive announcements contained within the issue, and a photograph of the front page, inviting you to download the file.
The latest edition is only available to members only and will not have a link on this website until it has been superceded, but previous editions may be viewed from the links on this page - useful if you have lost your printed copy and want to check something out.
The latest newsletter here is the last-but-one. Current newsletters are only available to members -
- February 2012 (vol 54-4)
- December 2011 (vol 54-3)
- October 2011 (vol 54-2)
- August 2011 (vol 54-1)
- April 2011 (vol 53-5)
- February 2011 (vol 53-4)
- December 2010 (vol 53-3)
- October 2010 (vol 53-2)
- August 2010 (vol 53-1)
- April 2010 (vol 52-5)
- February 2010 (vol 52_4)
- December 2009 (vol 52-3)
- October 2009 (vol 52-2)
- August 2009 (vol 52-1)
- April 2009 (vol 51-5)
- February 2009 (vol 51-4 ... the first fully electronic edition)
- December 2008 (vol 51-3)
- October 2008 (vol 51-2
- August 2008 (vol 51-1)
- February 2008 with various extras making a big file ... for a stripped down version click here
- December 2007 with a wide format centre-spread available in a different layout here
- October 2007
- August 2007
- April 2007
- February 2007
- November 2006
- October 2006
- August 2006
- April 2006
- March 2006
- February 2006
Why did we move away from printing?
After very carefully considering the arguments for and against going electronic and ceasing routine production of printed copies we bit the bullet. Colour is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of the benefits of switching. The costs of website and electronic distribution are very small and already budgeted for, so moving the Song Sparrow to electronic publication effectively liberates a minimum of $5000 for other projects each year. Over the first five years this would give BPQ an additional $35000 for conservation and research projects, something that would be most welcome. Thinking of it in terms of trees, during the typical year we would have printed 48000 pages for the Song Sparrow newsletter alone. When we have the option of eliminating this amount of paper, as an organization whose mission dictates that we must protect birds and their habitats in Quebec, how can we not?
Newsletters from other clubs
As a service to our members, when we are sent copies of newsletters from other clubs we will post links to them here. At the moment we have available the following: