FRIDAY, MAY 19th

1:00 PM - 1:30 PM
“Digiscoping”
Speaker: Dan Jackson, President - Coulee Region Audubon Society
This seminar will provide an introduction to the new world of digiscoping. Digiscoping, using a digital camera to take pictures through spotting scopes and binoculars, is rapidly growing activity. The session will include a discussion and demonstration of digiscoping equipment, suggestions for selecting equipment, tips for taking better pictures, and a slide show of digiscoped images taken throughout the Midwest.

2:00 PM - 2:30 PM
“Specialty Feeders”
Speaker: Gaylord & Karen Perry, Wild Birds Unlimited
The owners of Wild Birds Unlimited, based in Onalaska, WI, will be presenting a seminar on "Speciality Feeders" for your backyard birds. They will be displaying and demonstrating several feeders to entice bluebirds, orioles, hummingbirds, titmice, woodpeckers, chickadees and more. Join them for this informative seminar and see which new birds you can invite to your backyard feeding stations.

3:00 PM - 3:45 PM
"A Bird's Eye View – Welcoming Neotropical Travelers Home"
Speaker: Marlene Ehresman
Many species of birds, including Neotropical migrants, are facing threats with nearly every wing beat. As a project of the Blufflands Alliance, a coalition of land trusts from MN, IL, WI and IA, the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation embarked on a research project to find out more about the species of Neotropical migratory birds that use the Upper Mississippi River blufflands ecosystem, why they are important to all of us, and what we can do about some of the most important problems, including habitat destruction and landscape fragmentation. The research culminated in the publication of A Bird’s Eye View, so popular it has recently been updated and reprinted. This PowerPoint presentation will share some of the information we learned about the habitat needs of some of these marvelous long-distance migrants.
The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation is a nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to protecting Iowa's land, water and wildlife. INHF has protected nearly 80,000 acres of land in Iowa and celebrated its 25th anniversary last year. Marlene Ehresman is the Foundation’s Program and Planning Associate and is an Iowa State University graduate in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology.

 

SATURDAY, MAY 20th

1:00 PM - 1:30 PM
"Crane Count"
Speaker: Jennie Sauer, U.S.G.S
Have you ever wondered why people get the urge to get up at 5:30 am on a chilly, April morning to look and listen for cranes? I'll answer that question and along the way we will learn about the history of the count, the life history of these interesting birds, and their status and distribution in the midwest. Hopefully, at the end of this talk, you will get the urge to join the count!

2:00 PM - 2:30 PM
“Conservation through Birding: The Jocotoco Birdathon”
Speaker: Craig Thompson, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Birding is an activity entirely dependent on conservation of habitat. The potential for birders to be a positive force for conservation is enormous. The Jocotoco Birdathon is a great example of a partnership between conservation organizations, professional bird tour operators and birders to help protect critical bird habitat in Ecuador. This seminar will provide an overview of a unique birdathon designed to enable birders to help protect some of the world's rarest birds while enjoying some of the world's best birding.

3:00 PM - 3:45 PM
“Owls in Need are Friends Indeed”
Speaker: Karla Kinstler, Houston Nature Center
Several owl species are in trouble due to loss of habitat. Get to know these owls a little better and find out what you can do to help them. Meet the ever-popular Alice the Great Horned Owl and hear her unusual family story. Then let your fingers do the walking as you experience owls first hand by touching real wings, feet, heads, and tails. Karla Kinstler can often be found in her pajamas at 2 AM, hanging out of her bedroom window in January, tape recorder in hand. She went over the deep end with owls after acquiring Alice the Great Horned Owl to use in educational programs at the Houston Nature Center, where she is the Director/Naturalist. She plays the role of Alice’s mate (Alice thinks she’s a human), has a personal website about owls, coordinates an annual Festival of Owls in Houston, and is doing a vocal study on Great Horned Owls (hence the bedroom window thing to record the wild neighbor owls.)

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