HR0304 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0304 LRB101 12067 ALS 59530 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Colin Dobson on the publication of A Guide to Finding Birds Along the Illinois River Flyway, an informative book to teach anyone the basics of birdwatching in the Midwest; and

WHEREAS, Colin Dobson started birding at the age of seven; over the past decade, he has logged thousands of hours in the field; and

WHEREAS, Colin Dobson is widely known throughout the region as being one of the most prolific birdwatchers in Illinois; he has recorded 365 species in the State and over 330 in the Illinois River Flyway region; his notes are considered to be some of the most comprehensive records of the region over the past decade; he can now identify 100 percent of the bird calls along the Illinois River region; and

WHEREAS, Colin Dobson enjoys birdwatching because "all it takes is being curious about your surroundings"; there are between 150 and 200 bird species that can be spotted along the Illinois River region from easily accessible locations, which makes it an ideal place for someone to start birdwatching; and

WHEREAS, Colin Dobson and co-author Joseph Steensma, a professor of practice at Washington University in St. Louis who has been birding around the Illinois River Corridor for the last 20 years, met on a birdwatching trip; they worked together on the book throughout spring 2018; the guide was completed in November and released on December 26, 2018; the guide helps readers to hone their curiosity and notice birds that others might not readily recognize; according to Joseph Steensma, "Colin is a real genius; he's a real naturalist," and the two enjoyed working together; and

WHEREAS, Colin Dobson is the son of Kenny and Dena and the brother of Addie; he is a senior at Routt Catholic High School, where he is an avid golfer and has advanced to the state golf tournament twice; he will graduate in 2019 and plans to attend the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Colin Dobson on the publication of A Guide to Finding Birds Along the Illinois River Flyway and wish him success in his future endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Colin Dobson as an expression of our esteem and respect.