An article in this month's Smithsonian Magazine focuses on the important role chimneys play in Vaux's Swifts journeys during migration. Audubon California's very own Jeff Chapman, Center Director at Debs Park, is mentioned for his work with bringing the Vaux's Swifts experience to East Los Angeles children and families.

Local Audubon chapters and school officials organized into a group called Vaux’s Happening to begin fund-raising for a hazard assessment and retrofit. They also held their first public event, a Swift’s Night Out. Audubon volunteers showed people what a swift’s wing looks like. Schwitters (a former science teacher) gave a presentation inside the school auditorium, and near the end of it someone threw open the door at the back of the auditorium and cried, “The swifts are here!” Outside, people gasped and squealed at the bird acrobatics, and cheered as they finally began circling the chimney, and then funneled in . . . An article about it ended up in the Los Angeles Times, and Jeff Chapman of the Audubon Society in Los Angeles has gone on to organize events for public school kids to come out and see the Chester Williams Vaux’s.

Read more: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/The-Disappearing-Habitats-of-the-Vauxs-Swifts.html#ixzz1e5xTIe8k