Boston Flora

Tag: Bird Conservation

  • Thursday, November 11, 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm – Ecosystem Management: How Plant Diversity Influences Bird Conservation, Online

    Plant diversity across the landscape affects bird conservation and management in all ecosystems and regions. Join Natasza Fontaine and the Mt. Cuba Center as she discusses the interaction of native plants and birds in the largest U.S. National Forest in the state of Florida, the Apalachicola National Forest. There are numerous natural community types throughout the National Forest with mesic flatwoods covering over 200, 000 acres. This talk will describe some of the unique plants and processes found in this beautiful mosaic landscape, and then focus on the relationship between vegetation structure, plant species composition, and avian diversity during fall, winter, and spring.

    This program takes place online Thursday, November 11. $19. Register at www.mtcubacenter.org.

    About the Instructor:
    Natasza Fontaine has volunteered at several conservation organizations, including NYC Audubon, and worked in the Herbarium department at the New York Botanical Garden. Her love of plants has always been deeply intertwined with her love of birds. This passion inspired her current thesis work at Florida State University on understanding the relationship between plant diversity and avian habitat associations. In addition, Natasza has a passion for behavioral bioacoustics and how bioacoustics are used to monitor biodiversity.

  • Saturday, March 8, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm – Extinction is Forever: What Have We Learned?

    Using the passenger pigeon as an iconic example of what can happen to a super-abundant species in a relatively short span of time, the 22nd annual Mass Audubon Birders Meeting on Saturday, March 8, from 9 – 3, will focus on the extinction phenomenon from a variety of perspectives. Since 1992, birders from around New England have come together every March to attend Mass Audubon’s Annual Birders Meeting. With the help of supportive sponsors, they have successfully brought together engaging speakers from around the country, been joined by top-notch vendors, and drawn enthusiastic participants to these day-long events.

    The meeting will take place at Bentley University in Waltham, and is co-hosted by Mass Audubon, the Museum of Comparative Zoology, and the Harvard Museum of Natural History. Featured speakers are:

    Patrick Comins, Audubon Connecticut – Weather: Its Significance to Birds and Birders

    Keynote Joel Greenberg, Research Associate of both the Chicago Academy of Sciences, Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum and the Field Museum – A Feathered River Across the Sky: The Passenger Pigeon’s Flight to Extinction

    Matthew Kamm, Ph.D. candidate at Tufts University – Legacy of the Heath Hen

    John Kricher, Professor of Biology at Wheaton College, Norton, Massachusetts – Bird Conservation: Ultimately it’s Personal

    Michael Reed, Professor of Biology at Tufts University – Causes and Consequences of Avian Extinctions

    There will also be a silent auction, proceeds of which will provide financial support to the Bird Conservation programs at Mass Audubon. Register ($60 sponsor members, $65 public) at https://secure2.convio.net/mas/site/Ecommerce;jsessionid=2941D35BFE22BC33B67791314E6F05F1.app271b?store_id=1761.

    http://www.massaudubon.org/var/ezdemo_site/storage/images/media/departments/bird-conservation/images/birders-meeting-logo/168249-2-eng-US/birders-meeting-logo_highlighted.png

  • Saturday, March 19, 9:30 am – 12:30 pm – Gardening for the Birds

    Join Stephen Kress, author of The Audubon Society Guide to Attracting Birds and Vice President for Bird Conservation for the National Audubon Society, for a lively presentation on desirable gardening practices-from a bird’s viewpoint.  An expert in seabird conservation, Kress successfully led Audubon’s Project Puffin in Maine. He is also an associate at the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology where he teaches a Field Ornithology course. He will explain bird-plant interactions and suggest landscaping options for creating enticing and safe habitats. He’ll provide solutions for reducing bird encounters with windows and cats, as well as some tactics for preventing the spread of avian diseases. He will also share tips for learning to recognize common backyard birds by sight and song. His book will be available for purchase and signing. $40 for ELA, WCFH members, Audubon Society members and Arnold Arboretum members, $48 for non-members. Registrations are limited – call 617-436-5838, or email ela.info@comcast.net. This Saturday, March 19 event is offered in collaboration with the Arnold Arboretum, Boston Nature Center, Grow Native Massachusetts/Cambridge, and Wellesley College Friends of Horticulture, and will take place from 9:30 am – 12:30 pm in the Hunnewell Building of the Arnold Arboretum, 125 The Arborway, Boston.