Birds bring us happiness in so many waysespecially in trying times. Nowhere has this been more evident than at our local nature centers and sanctuaries, where the fields and trails have overflowed with visitors since March.
While most of our buildings remain closed (trails are open!), our center staff continue to give us everything theyve gotthrough virtual programming, groundskeeping, you name it.
Thank you for joining our Giving Tuesday 2020 Virtual Extravaganza in honor of the staff and caretakers of these incredibly important places. Links to donate are:
- Bent of the River 勛圖窪蹋 Center (Southbury, CT):
- Constitution Marsh 勛圖窪蹋 Center (Garrison, NY):
- Greenwich 勛圖窪蹋 Center (Greenwich, CT):
- Montezuma 勛圖窪蹋 Center (Savannah, NY):
- Sharon 勛圖窪蹋 Center (Sharon, CT):
- Theodore Roosevelt 勛圖窪蹋 Center (Oyster Bay, NY):
Funds raised during Giving Tuesday will help ensure that when the time comes, we can open our doors to the public and welcome back our flock.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Swoop in or out as suits your schedule!
If you have trouble joining a particular event, please email us and we will try to help! Please note, a Facebook account is not needed in order to tune in to these events.
9:30AM (30 min.)
MIGRATION MANIA
With Alyssa Johnson, in support of the Montezuma 勛圖窪蹋 Center.
The Montezuma Wetlands Complex lies within the heart of New Yorks Finger Lakes region. Covering 50,000 acres, the complex includes a host of diverse habitats important to many migratory and resident wildlife species, including one of the largest migratory concentrations of waterfowl in the Northeast. Nearly 1,000,000 of more than 25 different waterfowl species pass through the Complex during migration, including hundreds of thousands of Snow Geese, hundreds of Tundra and Trumpeter Swans, and thousands of both dabbling and diving ducks.
10:00AM (30 min.)
FANTASTIC FACTS ABOUT FEEDING
With Ryan MacLean, in support of the Greenwich 勛圖窪蹋 Center.
Curious about how to attract and support a wide variety of birds this fall and winter? Join Bird Education Specialist Ryan MacLean for helpful tips and guidance with birdfeeders. We'll show you our feeder setup at the Greenwich 勛圖窪蹋 Center and we will also provide opportunity for Q&A.
10:30AM (30 min)
RAPTOR MEET AND GREET #1
With Bethany Sheffer, in support of the Sharon 勛圖窪蹋 Center.
Meet one of our resident educational birds of prey in this interactive Meet and Greet! Hear this bird's personal story, learn the natural history of its species and what the Sharon 勛圖窪蹋 Center does to save wildlife through our Wildlife Rehabilitation program. Bring your questions to be answered during the Q&A session!
11:00AM (15 min)
MAGNIFICENT MARSH BIRDS
With Benjamin Maher of 勛圖窪蹋 New York, in support of any center!
Salt marsh sites across Connecticut and New York are showing signs of disruption. Squeezed by development (ie. roads, golf courses, private property) on one end, and a more frequently flooded low marsh on the other, this dynamic and important ecosystem is literally being erased along with the wildlife that depends on it. Join Ben to learn about our salt marsh-nesting birds and the habitats they depend on.
11:15AM (15 min)
HAWK WATCH LIVE!
With Ryan MacLean, in support of the Greenwich 勛圖窪蹋 Center.
We're nearing the end of the 2020 Quaker Ridge Hawk Watch Season, and we're excited to share what we've been observing this year! We'll share some highlights from this season in addition to what we find during this live session from our hawk watch lawn.
11:30AM (30 min)
KIDS LEAD CONSERVATION
With Kathryn DAmico and Julie Nelsen, in support of the Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary and 勛圖窪蹋 Center.
At the nations first songbird sanctuary, students are empowered to dream up and take the lead on implementing incredible environmental projects. Join us to learn about our popular For the Birds! and Teen Conservation Ambassadors Club programs. Whether building nest boxes for screech owls or designing native plant gardens, these kids are creating a better world for birds and people! .
12:00-1PM
BREAK FOR LUNCH!
1:00PM (30 min)
RAPTOR MEET AND GREET #2
With Sunny Kellner, in support of the Sharon 勛圖窪蹋 Center.
Meet one of our resident educational birds of prey in this interactive Meet and Greet! Hear this bird's personal story, learn the natural history of its species and what the Sharon 勛圖窪蹋 Center does to save wildlife through our Wildlife Rehabilitation program. Bring your questions to be answered during the Q&A session!
1:30-2:30 (1 hour)
BIRD BANDING BONANZA
With Corrie Folsom-OKeefe, in support of any center!
Bird banding is a powerful conservation tool that enables scientists (and community scientists!) to track the movements and patterns of individual birds. What we discover can help us understand the health of a population, and the habitat they need. During this afternoons presentation, Master Bander Corrie Folsom-O'Keefe will talk about the steps involved in banding songbirds (identification, aging, and sexing) and what we have learned from the banding effort at Bent of the River 勛圖窪蹋 Center. This volunteer dependent banding station operates from May-June and September-October, and has been in operation since 2013.
2:30PM (15 min)
LISTENING FOR WINTER FINCHES
With Ken Elkins, in support of any center!
When you hear reports of irruptions of Pine Siskins, Common Redpolls, Evening Grosbeaks, and other winter finches, do you wonder: How are people finding these birds? Many of us are lucky enough to have them visit our feeders, but many more reports from the field are from birders who HEAR the birds before they SEE them. Join us to meet these species and learn some of the calls youre likely to hear this time of year.
2:45PM (15 min)
STEP INSIDE A MODEL FOREST
With Zack Boerman, in support of any center!
The forest habitat sites at the Rheinstrom Hill 勛圖窪蹋 Center and Sanctuary provide quality bird habitat and model sustainable forest management. Join Forest Program Associate Zack Boerman for a closer look at how were addressing regeneration challenges, from invasive species to overabundant deer, in support of a full suite of forest-depending birds.
3PM (30 min)
BALD EAGLE HACKING
With Chris Lajewski, in support of the Montezuma 勛圖窪蹋 Center and the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps
Bald Eagles are a daily sight for us at the Montezuma 勛圖窪蹋 Center and Onondaga Lake but it wasn't always this way. Join us to learn how we almost lost our national bird and why the Montezuma Wetlands Complex played a key role in bringing the Bald Eagle back from the brink of extinction.
3:30PM (15 min) + 3:45PM (15 min)
BIRD FEEDER ZEN, FOLLOWED BY NAME THAT TUNE!
With Ken Elkins, in support of the Bent of the River 勛圖窪蹋 Center.
After enjoying 15 minutes of zen , join us to learn about the songs and sounds you hear around your bird feeder! In this interactive program, well see how many of our backyard birds you can recognize by their common and not-so-common sounds. With our remaining time, youll get the chance to test Kens skills as you describe the mystery sounds in your backyard that youd like identified.
4PM (15 min)
BIRD ART DEMO
With Christina Baal, in support of the Greenwich 勛圖窪蹋 Center.
Join 2020 Quaker Ridge Hawk Watch Intern and professional artist Christina Baal for a fun bird art demonstration! Christina will be using ink and watercolors, so feel free to create along with her or just enjoy viewing the program.
4:15-5PM (45 min)
BIRDY OFFICE HOURS: ASK US (ALMOST) ANYTHING
The Professors are in, and our doors are open for office hours. Bring your birdiest questions, like Whos at my feeder? or Why are some birds blue and others red? and our panel of staff experts will do our best to answer! Help us close out Giving Tuesday with this whirlwind event in support of a center of your choosing.