2026 Field-based Workshops
We're working to finalize additional workshops that you wont want to miss! Dates and times will be updated here once finalized.
Digiscoping
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Presented by Jeff Bouton
Date: Saturday, May 9 and Saturday, May 16 Time: 8:00 - 10:30 a.m. Location: Howard Marsh Metropark - East Unit Parking Lot Fee: $30 Registration Required: Yes Capacity: 12 Do you struggle with digiscoping? Jeff Bouton, with Kowa Sporting Optics has been digiscoping for decades and has published numerous images in various birding publications and set a world record, digiscoping 1,050 bird species in a single year! Over the past 2 decades of digiscoping Jeff has made every mistake you can and has learned from each and wants to share what he’s learned with you. Spotting scope photography offers equivalent focal lengths reaching over 5,000 mm lens which is advantageous and challenging at the same time. Join this event and learn to take better images with your smartphone through a spotting scope. Whether you are looking for high-quality publishable images or just want to get better documentation of your daily sightings, Jeff will share key field craft techniques to avoid digiscoping pitfalls. |
Beginning Birding in the Field
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Presented by Cassidy Ficker
Date: Tuesday, May 12 Time: TBD Location: TBD Fee: $30 Registration Required: Yes Capacity: 12 From terminology and identification to practically using binoculars, getting into birding can be overwhelming! Join Cassidy Ficker on this introductory birding excursion to learn the basics of getting started birding. We will cover baselines for beginning to learn identification, getting used to binoculars, and other tips and tricks for planning your birding day. About Cassidy
Cassidy Ficker is a senior veterinary student at the Ohio State University, planning to specialize in companion animals and wildlife when she becomes a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 2026. She completed her undergrad at OSU in the spring of 2022 with a major in Animal Sciences and minor in Wildlife Sciences. She has been a birder since third grade, growing up in the Miami Valley Christian Academy Bird Club and Ohio Young Birders Club. One of her favorite aspects of birding is connecting with others as we all celebrate a common love for birds, and she has been honored to have ample opportunities to do this both as the former president of the Ornithology Club at Ohio State and a guide at the Biggest Week in American Birding festival for the past few years. The Biggest Week area is particularly special to her as she serves as an eBird reviewer for the counties. |
Birding By Ear
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Presented by Alison Kondler
Date: Saturday, May 16 Time: TBD Location: TBD Fee: $30 Registration Required: Yes Capacity: 12 In this unique listening-focused workshop, you will discover new ways to remember bird sounds, exploring mnemonic visualizations, short stories, sound comparisons, and light comedy that help each call stick in memory. This approach expands your thought processes and trains your brain to listen to bird sounds differently, even if the bird behind the sound isn’t identified. Enjoy a relaxed and inviting setting that sparks creativity and fun. Guided by Alison Kondler, content creator and bird sound specialist known for her ability to imitate bird calls. About Alison
Alison is an Audubon Master Birder, bird guide, and content creator known online as @birding_by_ear. She teaches bird sound identification through mnemonics, shows how to build backyard bird habitats, and inspires others through storytelling and humor to experience the peace that birdwatching can bring. Her work has reached millions across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, and she recently gave a TEDx talk titled How to Speak Bird, presented in Nice, France, now on the TEDx YouTube channel. |