He called for a "Norwegian ornithological central station" to be located in Stavanger, in a May 1920 article in the Stavangeren newspaper.
[1] In June 1920, Schaaning got in contact with six people willing to form an interim board of a Norwegian Ornithological Society.
Together Schaaning and this group campaigned in newspapers nationwide, calling for benefactors to help found an ornithological academic journal.
It was decided that the board membership should reflect Norway's five regions (East, South, West, Central and North).
L. Schaaning (South), Askell Røskeland (West), Hjalmar Broch (East), Håkon Lie (Central) and Herm.