You Won't Want To Miss This! 
                                                    Jackie Hugo, MACAW Board Member

The Madison Area Cagebird Association of Wisconsin (M.A.C.A.W.) proudly presents our 20th Anniversary Pet Bird Seminar. Speakers include Joanne Paul-Murphy, DVM, Jean A. Paré, DVM, Peter Sakas, DVM, and Rob Porter, DVM -- some of the best professionals in their fields. The topics that will be discussed include the West Niles Virus, the emerging Exotic New Castles Disease, Avian Pain Relief,  Household Hazards, and The Avian Respiratory System. All very important topics regarding our companion parrots health and well being. Very valuable up-to-the-minute information brought together for this one time event for you by M.A.C.A.W. It promises to be a very educational and entertaining afternoon. At the end of the seminar there will be a Veterinarian panel question and answer session. Here you will be able to ask the doctors what their thoughts are on a particular question you might have. This alone can be worth more than the informative seminar's price of just $25 per person. 

This special anniversary seminar is being held on May 3rd at the Dane County Humane Society's meeting room. It will start at 12:00pm and go to 6:30pm with breaks between speakers. Space is limited to the room's capacity, so please make sure to send in your registrations ASAP. To be fair to everyone who may wish to attend, reservations will be taken on a first come, first serve basis and at this price and with these speakers we ask that you buy your tickets now to guarantee your seat.

Our silent auction will offer a great variety of items to bid on at the seminar. Please be sure to visit the auction and make a bid on something that you would like. Bring a few extra dollars so you can take advantage of all the different auctions that may interest you. One way our club raises the much-needed funds that we in turn donate to worthy causes, comes from money raised through these auctions. Your participation helps our club do this as well as being able to bring you these worthy educational seminars at such good prices. We hope that you will join us on May 3rd for this special educational event. Please see the registration form for more details, or call me at (608) 825-1023 after 5:30 p.m. Thank you.

                                                    The Kakapo: A Parrot Like No Other 
                                                    Paula Fitzsimmons, Education Director

A bird that cannot fly, weighs up to eight pounds and is nocturnal. What I have just described is a parrot -- the Kakapo, a parrot endemic to New Zealand. The Kakapo is a unique parrot, bearing little resemblance to any other psittacine. But it does have one thing in common with many other parrot species -- the threat of extinction. With only 62 individuals left, the Kakapo faces an uncertain future. 

If you are fascinated by this bird and want to learn more, why not join us in March to learn about Naya Brangenberg's experiences working with the Kakapo? Naya, a third-year veterinary student at the
UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, has first-hand knowledge of the Kakapo. She spent time in 
New Zealand, working up-close with the Kakapo, testing it for deadly strains of salmonella. 

Naya's experience is not limited to her work with the Kakapo. Her impressive resume includes veterinary technician experience at Paxutent Wildlife Research Center, where she worked with Whooping
and Sandhill Cranes, and American Kestrels. She has also worked in Puerto Rico on the Parrot Breeding 
Project, for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service doing population surveys on Forrester Island -- as well as for a 
host of other conservation programs. 

I want to point out that Naya approached me about speaking for our group. She is very enthused about sharing her knowledge with us. If you would like to learn more about the Kakapo before the March meeting, the Kakapo Recovery Programme has extensive information online at http://www.kakaporecovery.org.nz/index1.html.

                                                            M.A.C.A.W. Education Calendar 
                                                    Paula Fitzsimmons, MACAW Education Director

March 9th - Naya Brangengberg. Please see article for more information. 
April 13th - Externship recipients Allison Shreve and Maria Verbrugge, students at the UW-Madison 
                   Veterinary Medical School. Topic: Egg Binding. 
May 3rd (Sat.) - Our avian education seminar and auction at DCHS. 
June 8th - Presenter or field trip

Each month the schedule is as follows:
- Board meeting starts at 1:00. All MACAW members are welcome to attend board meetings.
- Hospitality break is at 2:00 pm.
- Speaker is at 2:30 pm.
- M.A.C.A.W. meetings are held the second Sunday of the month (excluding June, July, & August).

Meeting Location:
Midvale Community Lutheran Church
4329 Tokay Blvd., Madison, WI
Rooms 221-223 (second floor)
The meeting location is accessible by the Madison Metro bus system as well as handicapped accessible.

                                                                    Foster Homes Needed 
                                                        Paula Fitzsimmons, Education Director

NetPets.Org is now using all of its resources in the cooperative formation of a Nation Wide network of INDIVIDUAL FOSTER HOMES who will be  able to care for the Dogs and Birds of all those in the military and all other personnel that will be going  overseas during these trying times. Your support will assure that these beloved pets will be nurtured and  cared for, for as long as needed. To offer to foster a dog or bird please send your Name, the Name of your  Rescue Organization, Your Location, and your Phone Number to info@netpets.org.

Reminders ...

- MADCAT Pet Supplies offers MACAW members 10% off all bird supply purchases.
- Sandi offers free cage cleaning service to MACAW members (donations appreciated).
- The next Busy Bird Toy Bird Fair will be Sunday March 2nd at the VFW.
- May 3rd MACAW hosts the 2003 Pet Bird Seminar at the Humane Society.
- Article to appear in the Capital Times on our bird club.

Refinement
She was not quite what you would call refined. 
She was not quite what you would call unrefined. 
She was the kind of person that keeps a parrot. 
- Mark Twain

                                            Dane County Humane Society Corner - Adoptable Adorables
                                                            Sandi Meinholz, MACAW Board Member

As of this writing, the shelter has four doves available for adoption. Please contact Jane Hanson 
with questions about bird adoptions at 608-838-0413, extension 101.

                                                            Fine Feathered Friends Update 
                                                      Sandi Meinholz, MACAW Board Member

Fine Feathered Friends Sanctuary, Inc. has 26 Zebra Finches (including 2 silver females) and 7 
parakeets (5 males and 2 females) available for adoption. For more info on these wonderful birds contact 
Sandi Meinholz at 274-2615 or smeinie@charter.net.

                                                                        In Season... 
                                                Carol Giffin, MACAW Board Member

February and March is the time to prune your fruit trees. If you haven't used pesticides on your tree this past year the pruned branches make perfect perches and chew toys. Just cut branches into 2 to 3 inch pieces then drill a hole and wall you have free beads to string into toys. Another idea is to put a larger branch into a flower pot filled with sand and it instantly becomes a play stand.

                                                                2003 Busy Bird Fairs 
                                                              (First Sunday in month)

April 6, May 4, June 1, July 6, Oct 5, Nov 2, Dec 7 

VFW Hall , 301 Cottage Grove Rd. , Madison, WI 
10 am -3 pm, $2.00 Admission
Sheila at 608-362-4696 / email BusyBirdToys@aol.com

http://www.birdhobbyist.com/busybirdtoys/htm/show_madison.htm 
Stop by the MACAW table and say hello to Kathy and other members staffing the table!

                                                                    Advertisement

Feathered Fid's Bird Boarding
Jackie Hugo
Reasonable Rates
Health Exams Required
Including Blood Work
M.A.C.A.W. Members 10% Discount
(608) 825-1023 / (608) 358-8576

                                                                    Membership
                                                Sue Brunsell, Membership Director

Time to Renew?
The mailing label on your newsletter will have 2/02 on it if you joined in February 2002. If it says 2/02 or earlier, please renew your membership with a $15 check to MACAW. Mail to MACAW, c/o Sue Brunsell, Membership Director, 2240 Keyes Ave., Madison, WI 53711.

                                                                        M.A.C.A.W.
                                                Madison Area Cagebird Association of Wisconsin
                                                             http://macaw.axisdata.com

President: Steve Fitzsimmons
e-mail: stevenf@charter.net

Vice President: Lois Morehouse
e-mail: birdmoor@chorus.net

Secretary: Ruth Gundlach 
e-mail: ruth.gundlach@dot.state.wi.us

Treasurer: Pam McCloud-Smith 
e-mail: scottpam@itis.com

Education Director: Paula Fitzsimmons
e-mail: paulaf@charter.net

Membership Directors: 
Sue Brunsell 
e-mail: sbrunsell@aol.com

Pam Hosler 
e-mail: phosler@charter.net

Librarian: Kathy Thimling 
e-mail: orcidbrd@chorus.net

Newsletter: Christene Crubaugh 
e-mail: xtene@gdinet.com

Website: Ed Almasy
e-mail: almasy@axisdata.com

M.A.C.A.W. membership still just $15.00 for a one-year family membership!