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We are still finalizing the 2020 schedule, more keynote information will be coming soon!
2020 KEYNOTE PRESENTATIONS
The Road Less Traveled with Kaylee McCaskey
Date: Friday, May 8
Time: 4 PM
Where: Maumee Bay Lodge
Fee: $15
Registration required
Nothing is inconsequential in this world, for better or for worse. Life is a series of choices- and we have to choose to defend the Earth.
Drawing on both her personal experiences and the wisdom of well-known writers and conservationists, Kaylee delivers a heartfelt message designed to inspire nature lovers of all ages.
Kaylee's keynote talk was first presented at the 2019 Ohio Young Birders Conference. It was so moving, so inspiring, and so motivating that we wanted to give Biggest Week participants the opportunity to experience it as well.
Kaylee McCaskey is a 17-year-old conservationist from the far northwest corner of Ohio. A nature lover from birth, she began officially birding in 4th grade. At the present time, she has enjoyed birding in 48 states and 5 countries. Though her personal life list is currently somewhere around 400 species, she is more concerned with spending intimate moments observing birds rather than adding to her list. Kaylee is a member of the Ohio Young Birders Club, Black Swamp Bird Observatory, Toledo Naturalists Association, American Birding Association, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, National Audubon Society, and Ohio Ornithological Society. Recent accomplishments include receiving a silver medal for the ABA Young Birder of the Year Contest writing module in 2017, and being one of 16 teens worldwide chosen to attend the 2019 Cornell Young Birders Event. Her current goals for the future include completing the Cornell Lab’s online “Advanced Bird Biology” course, finishing her educational children’s book featuring Sandhill Cranes, attending the ABA teen trip to Costa Rica, and majoring in conservation biology/environmental science.
Time: 4 PM
Where: Maumee Bay Lodge
Fee: $15
Registration required
Nothing is inconsequential in this world, for better or for worse. Life is a series of choices- and we have to choose to defend the Earth.
Drawing on both her personal experiences and the wisdom of well-known writers and conservationists, Kaylee delivers a heartfelt message designed to inspire nature lovers of all ages.
Kaylee's keynote talk was first presented at the 2019 Ohio Young Birders Conference. It was so moving, so inspiring, and so motivating that we wanted to give Biggest Week participants the opportunity to experience it as well.
Kaylee McCaskey is a 17-year-old conservationist from the far northwest corner of Ohio. A nature lover from birth, she began officially birding in 4th grade. At the present time, she has enjoyed birding in 48 states and 5 countries. Though her personal life list is currently somewhere around 400 species, she is more concerned with spending intimate moments observing birds rather than adding to her list. Kaylee is a member of the Ohio Young Birders Club, Black Swamp Bird Observatory, Toledo Naturalists Association, American Birding Association, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, National Audubon Society, and Ohio Ornithological Society. Recent accomplishments include receiving a silver medal for the ABA Young Birder of the Year Contest writing module in 2017, and being one of 16 teens worldwide chosen to attend the 2019 Cornell Young Birders Event. Her current goals for the future include completing the Cornell Lab’s online “Advanced Bird Biology” course, finishing her educational children’s book featuring Sandhill Cranes, attending the ABA teen trip to Costa Rica, and majoring in conservation biology/environmental science.
Why We Need Birds with Kenn Kaufman
Date: Saturday, May 9
Time: 4 PM
Where: Maumee Bay Lodge
Fee: $15
Registration required
What is it about bird watching that is so appealing? Or, to put it another way, why do we really NEED birds? In this wide-ranging program, Kenn Kaufman calls on a host of his unusual birding pals – bikers, spies, musicians, monks, gourmet chefs, polar explorers, and more – to help him look at this question (and at the birds themselves) from new angles. We may not get to the actual answer to the question, but the search for answers will lead us through some detours involving deadly chickadees, tasty hornworms, idiotic courtship rituals, and more. Most of all, Kenn hopes to highlight the magic and mystery that birds can bring to our lives.
Time: 4 PM
Where: Maumee Bay Lodge
Fee: $15
Registration required
What is it about bird watching that is so appealing? Or, to put it another way, why do we really NEED birds? In this wide-ranging program, Kenn Kaufman calls on a host of his unusual birding pals – bikers, spies, musicians, monks, gourmet chefs, polar explorers, and more – to help him look at this question (and at the birds themselves) from new angles. We may not get to the actual answer to the question, but the search for answers will lead us through some detours involving deadly chickadees, tasty hornworms, idiotic courtship rituals, and more. Most of all, Kenn hopes to highlight the magic and mystery that birds can bring to our lives.
Hope is the Thing with Feathers with Jason Ward
Date: Sunday, May 10
Time: 4 PM
Where: Maumee Bay Lodge
Fee: $15
Registration required
Jason Ward reflects on his unorthodox journey towards becoming a birder. From growing up in the projects in the South Bronx, NYC, to living in homeless shelters, to becoming the host of his very own show: “Birds of North America”. Jason also takes time to shed light on the bright, colorful future birding has.
Time: 4 PM
Where: Maumee Bay Lodge
Fee: $15
Registration required
Jason Ward reflects on his unorthodox journey towards becoming a birder. From growing up in the projects in the South Bronx, NYC, to living in homeless shelters, to becoming the host of his very own show: “Birds of North America”. Jason also takes time to shed light on the bright, colorful future birding has.
Listening in Nature: Learning to Observe by Ear with Lisa Rainsong
Date: Monday, May 11
Time: 4 PM
Where: Maumee Bay Lodge
Fee: $15
Registration required
Have you ever gone birding without your binoculars? Probably not by choice. But many inhabitants of the natural world depend on what they hear. As we learn to listen more closely, we expand our understanding of what is being communicated all around us.
A bird may have several different songs, but when and why does he decide to change what he’s singing? Frog watch surveys, which are done by ear, provide essential conservation information. Can the details of those calls also indicate specific interactions? And what can the songs of crickets and katydids tell us about insect populations, climate change, and range expansion? The surprises at Magee Marsh aren’t exclusively birds! Learning their songs is only the beginning. It’s fascinating to listen in (not just to) nature, and that engagement deepens our commitment to protecting all of Earth’s first.
Time: 4 PM
Where: Maumee Bay Lodge
Fee: $15
Registration required
Have you ever gone birding without your binoculars? Probably not by choice. But many inhabitants of the natural world depend on what they hear. As we learn to listen more closely, we expand our understanding of what is being communicated all around us.
A bird may have several different songs, but when and why does he decide to change what he’s singing? Frog watch surveys, which are done by ear, provide essential conservation information. Can the details of those calls also indicate specific interactions? And what can the songs of crickets and katydids tell us about insect populations, climate change, and range expansion? The surprises at Magee Marsh aren’t exclusively birds! Learning their songs is only the beginning. It’s fascinating to listen in (not just to) nature, and that engagement deepens our commitment to protecting all of Earth’s first.
Birding and Bugwatching in the Age of Animal Decline with Eric Eaton
Date: Tuesday, May 12
Time: 4 PM
Where: Maumee Bay Lodge
Fee: $15
Registration required
Never has there been a greater need for more information concerning the status of all animal species, where they occur, and in what degree of abundance. Coincidentally, never has there been greater opportunity for participation in the endeavor to collect that data. Citizen science projects allow us to contribute vital observations that stand to illuminate the biology and natural history of species we know little about, report the spread of invasive species, and even document species new to science. This chance for discovery is greatest in the disciplines of invertebrate zoology, especially arthropods, but extends to all of the animal kingdom. Science has become something you can do, in a social context, for the first time in history. This presentation is aimed at empowering you to become involved, and expanding the sphere of hope for our planet and all organisms that live on it.
Time: 4 PM
Where: Maumee Bay Lodge
Fee: $15
Registration required
Never has there been a greater need for more information concerning the status of all animal species, where they occur, and in what degree of abundance. Coincidentally, never has there been greater opportunity for participation in the endeavor to collect that data. Citizen science projects allow us to contribute vital observations that stand to illuminate the biology and natural history of species we know little about, report the spread of invasive species, and even document species new to science. This chance for discovery is greatest in the disciplines of invertebrate zoology, especially arthropods, but extends to all of the animal kingdom. Science has become something you can do, in a social context, for the first time in history. This presentation is aimed at empowering you to become involved, and expanding the sphere of hope for our planet and all organisms that live on it.
Warblers like you’ve never heard them before with Donald Kroodsma
Date: Wednesday, May 13
Time: 4 PM
Where: Maumee Bay Lodge
Fee: $15
Registration required
Once you are attuned, every singing bird becomes interesting. That’s every individual, whether flycatcher, vireo, chickadee, wren, thrush (no such thing as “just a robin”), sparrow, blackbird, grosbeak, or… especially warblers. Among the dozen or so warbler genera are, of course, all those good lookers, and such a fine variety of singers. One sings through the night. Another sings a simple, repeated song by day but an ecstatic, airborne ramble by night. Especially intriguing are the species in three genera, including the abundant Setophaga, that use different songs in different contexts; one song (or set of songs) is used in aggressive situations (and in the dawn chorus), another song (or set) especially throughout the day by unpaired males seeking a mate. And there’s the mysterious, rapid cultural change of learned songs throughout the breeding range. And the case of unused songs, blurted out every once in a while. Warblers rock!
Time: 4 PM
Where: Maumee Bay Lodge
Fee: $15
Registration required
Once you are attuned, every singing bird becomes interesting. That’s every individual, whether flycatcher, vireo, chickadee, wren, thrush (no such thing as “just a robin”), sparrow, blackbird, grosbeak, or… especially warblers. Among the dozen or so warbler genera are, of course, all those good lookers, and such a fine variety of singers. One sings through the night. Another sings a simple, repeated song by day but an ecstatic, airborne ramble by night. Especially intriguing are the species in three genera, including the abundant Setophaga, that use different songs in different contexts; one song (or set of songs) is used in aggressive situations (and in the dawn chorus), another song (or set) especially throughout the day by unpaired males seeking a mate. And there’s the mysterious, rapid cultural change of learned songs throughout the breeding range. And the case of unused songs, blurted out every once in a while. Warblers rock!
Divas in the treetops: When and why do female birds sing? with Lauryn Benedict
Date: Thursday, May 14
Time: 4 PM
Where: Maumee Bay Lodge
Fee: $15
Registration required
Do female birds sing? They certainly do. Female bird song is more common and widespread than is generally appreciated. This presentation will offer an overview of the diversity of female songs, including many from North America and a few used in spectacular partner duets. It will discuss what can be learned from studying the songs of female birds, and explain how citizen scientists can help advance the field by looking for singing females in their own backyards.
To learn more about Lauryn’s research, please visit The Benedict Lab web page.
Time: 4 PM
Where: Maumee Bay Lodge
Fee: $15
Registration required
Do female birds sing? They certainly do. Female bird song is more common and widespread than is generally appreciated. This presentation will offer an overview of the diversity of female songs, including many from North America and a few used in spectacular partner duets. It will discuss what can be learned from studying the songs of female birds, and explain how citizen scientists can help advance the field by looking for singing females in their own backyards.
To learn more about Lauryn’s research, please visit The Benedict Lab web page.
The Trumpet in the Orchestra of Evolution:
The Story of the Sandhill Crane in North America with Anne Lacy
Sponsored by the International Crane Foundation
Date: Friday, May 15
Time: 4 PM
Where: Maumee Bay Lodge
Fee: $15
Registration required
Sandhill cranes are the most numerous of the world’s fifteen crane species. They inhabit many varied places in North America – and Asia! – in both migratory and non-migratory populations. Join us for a talk that will follow this conservation success story from tropical forests to arctic tundra, and the places they go in-between. Can we replicate this success with the rarest of crane species? Also, learn how we are bringing the iconic Whooping Crane back from the brink of extinction to again inhabit the varied wetlands of North America.
To learn more about International Crane Foundation, please visit their website savingcranes.org/.
Date: Friday, May 15
Time: 4 PM
Where: Maumee Bay Lodge
Fee: $15
Registration required
Sandhill cranes are the most numerous of the world’s fifteen crane species. They inhabit many varied places in North America – and Asia! – in both migratory and non-migratory populations. Join us for a talk that will follow this conservation success story from tropical forests to arctic tundra, and the places they go in-between. Can we replicate this success with the rarest of crane species? Also, learn how we are bringing the iconic Whooping Crane back from the brink of extinction to again inhabit the varied wetlands of North America.
To learn more about International Crane Foundation, please visit their website savingcranes.org/.
From Ohio Young Birders Club to International Birding Guide with Ethan Kistler
Sponsored by WINGS Birding Tours
Date: Saturday, May 16
Time: 4 PM
Where: Maumee Bay Lodge
Fee: $15
Registration required
Back in 2006, Ethan Kistler and several other young birders met in the garage of the Black Swamp Bird Observatory and helped establish the Ohio Young Birders Club – the first statewide youth birding organization. Fourteen years later, Ethan finds himself traveling the world in search of birds as a professional birding guide for WINGS Worldwide Birding Tours. Come follow his journey from the early days of the OYBC and how that has helped him pursue a career in birding.
A book signing will follow this keynote presentation.
Date: Saturday, May 16
Time: 4 PM
Where: Maumee Bay Lodge
Fee: $15
Registration required
Back in 2006, Ethan Kistler and several other young birders met in the garage of the Black Swamp Bird Observatory and helped establish the Ohio Young Birders Club – the first statewide youth birding organization. Fourteen years later, Ethan finds himself traveling the world in search of birds as a professional birding guide for WINGS Worldwide Birding Tours. Come follow his journey from the early days of the OYBC and how that has helped him pursue a career in birding.
A book signing will follow this keynote presentation.