Speakers

Audubon California – Tricolored Blackbird

Samantha Arthur

Berkeley
Thursday, January 17
6:30 p.m. refreshments,
7p.m. program

The Tricolored Blackbird is a colonial breeder that is nearly endemic to California. Historically, these birds bred on wetlands in the Central Valley. As a result of the loss of 90 percent of the wetlands, Tricolors increasingly nest in agricultural fields. When nesting and farmers’ harvest schedules conflict high proportions of the Tricolor population are put at risk. Tricolored Blackbirds were listed as a threatened species under the California Endangered Species Act in April 2018 due to sharp, ongoing population declines. In this presentation Conservation Project Director, Samantha Arthur, will discuss Audubon California’s multi-pronged approach to save the Tricolored Blackbird. This approach includes creating new wetland habitat, working with dairy farmers to delay harvest until after chicks have fledged from nests, and advocating for protections under the state and federal Endangered Species Acts.

Samantha Arthur is a Conservation Project Director for Audubon California, focusing on improving wetlands management for the benefit of bird species in the Central Valley. She also manages Audubon California’s campaign to save the Tricolored Blackbird.

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Habitat Potential Birding Tactics

Josiah Clark
San Francisco: Thursday, November 15
6:30 p.m. refreshments, 7 pm program

When it comes to making every moment count in birding, how one looks is at least as important as where one looks. Drawing on strategies developed for birding Big Days and Christmas Bird Counts, this presentation aims to reveal tactics that will help birders and naturalists improve their methods of coverage and ultimately find more species. We will explore the anatomy of a route, comparing and contrasting different birding methods and styles including skimming vs. digging, and how to allocate time in various habitats when trying to maximize ones species count.

International Bird Rescue: When Waterbirds are in Crisis

JD Bergeron Berkeley: Thursday, October 18 6:30 p.m. refreshments, 7 p.m. program International Bird Rescue (IBR) has become a global leader in responding to man-made disasters affecting wildlife, including oil spills. To date, their response teams have led wildlife rescue efforts in more than 225 spills across six continents. Bird-Rescue’s mission is to inspire people to act toward balance with the natural world by rescuing waterbirds in crisis. IBR runs two world-class wildlife centers in California where their team cares for an average of 4,500 animals each year, including pelicans, herons, shorebirds, and other aquatic species. Avian patients are brought in for many reasons, and may be emaciated, dehydrated, ill, injured, and/or orphaned when they arrive. International Bird Rescue believes that ‘every bird matters’ and rehabilitation is geared to ensure as many birds as possible can be returned to the wild with a viable second chance to survive. JD brings to his leadership a birder’s passion, a childlike delight in Nature, and a deep commitment to solving world challenges in unconventional ways. He has more than 20 years of experience in not-for-profit leadership, international development, and organizational change. JD is also the Co-Founder of Chooda, which puts on Bike Zambia, a weeklong bicycle ride that raises funds and awareness for HIV/AIDS prevention and economic empowerment for girls and women in Zambia.

Birding the United States by bicycle: An 18,000-mile American Odyssey

Dorian Anderson San Francisco: Thursday, September 20 6:30 p.m. refreshments, 7 p.m. program

On January 1st, 2014 Dorian Anderson departed a complexly frozen Massachusetts on his bicycle to undertake one of the most ambitious birding projects in history: the first North American bicycle Big Year. In the next 365 days, he cycled 18,000 miles through 28 states, raised $49,000 for bird conservation, and found 618 bird species, all without using a drop of petroleum. From New England to Florida, from Texas to the Pacific Northwest, and from Colorado to California, Dorian experienced the United States in the most memorable and unique manner imaginable. His story of birding, biking, adventure, and self-discovery should not be missed.

A lifelong birder, Dorian completed his B.S. in Molecular Biology at Stanford University and his Ph.D. in Developmental Genetics at New York University before accepting a postdoctoral position in Molecular Neuroscience at Massachusetts General Hospital, a positioned he resigned to undertake his bicycle Big Year project. He is an accomplished bird photographer and is currently working as a travel writer and bird guide while he finishes a book about his adventure. He and his wife, Sonia, live in San Mateo.