2020 SPOTLIGHT PRESENTATIONS
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Spotlight Presentations are open to the public. Preregistration is strongly recommended.
Festival registrants and the public may pay fee at the door.
Festival registrants and the public may pay fee at the door.
Purpose Driven Birding: For Mind, Body, and the Birds
Presented by Holly Merker, Sponsored by ID Boot Camps
Date: Friday, May 8
Time: 2:30-3:30 PM
Location Maumee Bay Lodge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Recommended
"Birding, and nature-exposure, offer immeasurable benefits to our bodies and minds. In this presentation, we'll explore the science behind these benefits, and why connecting with birds can enhance your daily personal wellbeing and health, while contributing to stewardship."
Holly Merker uses birds and nature as vehicles towards wellbeing for people of all ages in her work as an environmental educator. On a personal level, Holly is an 18-year cancer survivor, and credits birding as a powerful medicine in her full recovery.
Date: Friday, May 8
Time: 2:30-3:30 PM
Location Maumee Bay Lodge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Recommended
"Birding, and nature-exposure, offer immeasurable benefits to our bodies and minds. In this presentation, we'll explore the science behind these benefits, and why connecting with birds can enhance your daily personal wellbeing and health, while contributing to stewardship."
Holly Merker uses birds and nature as vehicles towards wellbeing for people of all ages in her work as an environmental educator. On a personal level, Holly is an 18-year cancer survivor, and credits birding as a powerful medicine in her full recovery.
The Beauty of Banding Data: It Gets Better with Age
Presented by Annie Lindsay with Powdermill Nature Reserve, Carnegie Museum of Natural History
Date: Saturday, May 9
Time: 2:30-3:30 PM
Location: Maumee Bay Lodge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Recommended
Each spring and fall, billions of migratory songbirds make the journey between their breeding grounds and where they’ll spend the winter. Although birds have been migrating for many millennia, they are now facing increased threats from humans, including invasive species, habitat loss, and a steadily warming global climate. When an animal’s ability to forage or breed is disrupted (either positively or negatively), the consequences carry over into subsequent seasons and can affect an individual’s survival. These threats can have significant effects on a species’ population.
Annie will share her research about how songbirds populations, behavior, and morphology are changing over time, and what has remained the same. She will discuss what factors might be affecting birds and how birds might be coping with or adapting to these changes. Annie's research is based on data collected at Black Swamp Bird Observatory which has been banding birds during migration in northwest Ohio since 1992 and Powdermill Nature Reserve which has run a year-round banding station in southwest Pennsylvania since 1961. These represent two of the most complete, meticulous, and precise datasets in North America, and their value for studying songbird populations is priceless.
Date: Saturday, May 9
Time: 2:30-3:30 PM
Location: Maumee Bay Lodge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Recommended
Each spring and fall, billions of migratory songbirds make the journey between their breeding grounds and where they’ll spend the winter. Although birds have been migrating for many millennia, they are now facing increased threats from humans, including invasive species, habitat loss, and a steadily warming global climate. When an animal’s ability to forage or breed is disrupted (either positively or negatively), the consequences carry over into subsequent seasons and can affect an individual’s survival. These threats can have significant effects on a species’ population.
Annie will share her research about how songbirds populations, behavior, and morphology are changing over time, and what has remained the same. She will discuss what factors might be affecting birds and how birds might be coping with or adapting to these changes. Annie's research is based on data collected at Black Swamp Bird Observatory which has been banding birds during migration in northwest Ohio since 1992 and Powdermill Nature Reserve which has run a year-round banding station in southwest Pennsylvania since 1961. These represent two of the most complete, meticulous, and precise datasets in North America, and their value for studying songbird populations is priceless.
NW Ohio Birding Hotspots
Presented by Rob Ripma, Biggest Week In American Birding Field Trip Coordinator
Date: Sunday, May 10
Time: 2:30-3:30 PM
Location: Maumee Bay Lodge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Recommended
Join Biggest Week field trip coordinator Rob Ripma to learn all about the best birding hotspots at the Biggest Week in American Birding. From Point Mouillee in southeast Michigan to Pipe Creek in Sandusky and everywhere in between, Rob will show you the spots you should be sure to visit during your time at the festival.
Date: Sunday, May 10
Time: 2:30-3:30 PM
Location: Maumee Bay Lodge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Recommended
Join Biggest Week field trip coordinator Rob Ripma to learn all about the best birding hotspots at the Biggest Week in American Birding. From Point Mouillee in southeast Michigan to Pipe Creek in Sandusky and everywhere in between, Rob will show you the spots you should be sure to visit during your time at the festival.
Using Citizen Science to Inform Blanding’s Turtle Conservation Efforts
Presented by Matt Cross and Terry Breymaier
Sponsored by The Toledo Zoo & Aquarium
Date: Monday, May 11
Time: 2:30-3:30 PM
Location: Maumee Bay Lodge
Fee: $10
Reservation Required: Recommended
Blanding’s Turtles (Emydoidea blandingii) are threatened or endangered throughout most of their range, and have experienced widespread declines in Ohio. A critical step in determining appropriate conservation actions for this species is assessing the status of remnant populations. The long-term surveys required to adequately document population trends are lacking as they are generally labor-intensive and time-consuming. We used four years of citizen science-collected data and free pattern-recognition software to conduct a mark-recapture study on female Blanding’s Turtles in a northwest Ohio wetland. Over a five year period, citizen scientists gathered 115 images of 51 individual female Blanding’s Turtles, documented nesting activity, and observed hatchlings emerging from nests. Our preliminary population estimates suggest the citizen scientists in our study encountered 85% of the adult female Blanding’s Turtles in this population at least once. Deriving preliminary population estimates from photographic recapture data is an example of how the efforts of citizen scientists can benefit ongoing research projects and conservation efforts. To learn more about the Toledo Zoo’s conservation work, click HERE.
Sponsored by The Toledo Zoo & Aquarium
Date: Monday, May 11
Time: 2:30-3:30 PM
Location: Maumee Bay Lodge
Fee: $10
Reservation Required: Recommended
Blanding’s Turtles (Emydoidea blandingii) are threatened or endangered throughout most of their range, and have experienced widespread declines in Ohio. A critical step in determining appropriate conservation actions for this species is assessing the status of remnant populations. The long-term surveys required to adequately document population trends are lacking as they are generally labor-intensive and time-consuming. We used four years of citizen science-collected data and free pattern-recognition software to conduct a mark-recapture study on female Blanding’s Turtles in a northwest Ohio wetland. Over a five year period, citizen scientists gathered 115 images of 51 individual female Blanding’s Turtles, documented nesting activity, and observed hatchlings emerging from nests. Our preliminary population estimates suggest the citizen scientists in our study encountered 85% of the adult female Blanding’s Turtles in this population at least once. Deriving preliminary population estimates from photographic recapture data is an example of how the efforts of citizen scientists can benefit ongoing research projects and conservation efforts. To learn more about the Toledo Zoo’s conservation work, click HERE.
Wind Energy & Birds:
What Do We Really Know? The Insufficiencies of Pre and Post-Construction Monitoring
Presented by Mark Shieldcastle of Black Swamp Bird Observatory
Date: Tuesday, May 12
Time: 2:30-3:30 PM
Location: Maumee Bay Lodge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Recommended
What are the trade-offs of green energy? What does the science say? Climate change is a reality and a major contributor to this change is how humans satisfy their day-to-day energy needs. There is a cost to all decisions, even those that appear to be smart choices. In this presentation, BSBO Research Director, Mark Shieldcastle, will look at the studies that form the backbone of assumptions being made to calculate risks to our feathered friends in one of their most vital habitats – the air column. He will also explore if there is adequate information given to make intelligent decisions on the future of birds; what are the shortfalls and how can they be made better for supporting conclusions?
Date: Tuesday, May 12
Time: 2:30-3:30 PM
Location: Maumee Bay Lodge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Recommended
What are the trade-offs of green energy? What does the science say? Climate change is a reality and a major contributor to this change is how humans satisfy their day-to-day energy needs. There is a cost to all decisions, even those that appear to be smart choices. In this presentation, BSBO Research Director, Mark Shieldcastle, will look at the studies that form the backbone of assumptions being made to calculate risks to our feathered friends in one of their most vital habitats – the air column. He will also explore if there is adequate information given to make intelligent decisions on the future of birds; what are the shortfalls and how can they be made better for supporting conclusions?
Neotropic Waves of Spring Migration
Presented by Ashli Gorbet of Black Swamp Bird Observatory
Date: Wednesday, May 13
Time: 2:30-3:30 PM
Location: Maumee Bay Lodge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Recommended
Ashli Gorbet is the Banding Projects Manager at Black Swamp Bird Observatory, and has spent an enviable number of hours immersed in spring songbird migration along Ohio's north coast. In their presentation, Ashli will delve into the science that makes bird migration so intriguing, and explore the seemingly magical way that these feathered marvels move through our universe.
BSBO's research team pioneered the “wave theory” that has become a way of thinking among birders visiting Ohio’s north coast. The three “waves” of Neotropic migrants will be brought to life through vibrant imagery, and the timing of their passage through this area mapped out with surprising precision. If you have a nemesis, or just one species that is special to you, come find out when and where it’s best to look for “your” bird.
Date: Wednesday, May 13
Time: 2:30-3:30 PM
Location: Maumee Bay Lodge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Recommended
Ashli Gorbet is the Banding Projects Manager at Black Swamp Bird Observatory, and has spent an enviable number of hours immersed in spring songbird migration along Ohio's north coast. In their presentation, Ashli will delve into the science that makes bird migration so intriguing, and explore the seemingly magical way that these feathered marvels move through our universe.
BSBO's research team pioneered the “wave theory” that has become a way of thinking among birders visiting Ohio’s north coast. The three “waves” of Neotropic migrants will be brought to life through vibrant imagery, and the timing of their passage through this area mapped out with surprising precision. If you have a nemesis, or just one species that is special to you, come find out when and where it’s best to look for “your” bird.
The National Aviary: Saving Birds & Protecting Habitats
Presented by Robert Mulvihill
Date: Thursday, May 14
Time: 2:30-3:30 PM
Location: Maumee Bay Lodge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Recommended
The National Aviary, located in Pittsburgh, PA, is America’s only independent indoor nonprofit zoo dedicated exclusively to birds. The National Aviary’s diverse collection includes more than 550 birds representing over 150 species from around the world, many of them threatened or endangered in the wild. The National Aviary’s large walk-through indoor habitats create myriad opportunities for unique, up-close interactions between visitors and free-flying birds, including many species rarely found in zoos.
Behind the scenes, the National Aviary is a leader in conservation breeding for species like the Guam Rail, which was recently reintroduced to the wild for the first time in over 30 years. National Aviary staff work around the world conducting conservation fieldwork and research. National Aviary Ornithologist, Robert Mulvihill, will introduce you to the diversity of birds that call the National Aviary home, and talk about the organization’s work every day to inspire respect for nature through an appreciation of birds, and to save birds and protect their habitats.
Date: Thursday, May 14
Time: 2:30-3:30 PM
Location: Maumee Bay Lodge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Recommended
The National Aviary, located in Pittsburgh, PA, is America’s only independent indoor nonprofit zoo dedicated exclusively to birds. The National Aviary’s diverse collection includes more than 550 birds representing over 150 species from around the world, many of them threatened or endangered in the wild. The National Aviary’s large walk-through indoor habitats create myriad opportunities for unique, up-close interactions between visitors and free-flying birds, including many species rarely found in zoos.
Behind the scenes, the National Aviary is a leader in conservation breeding for species like the Guam Rail, which was recently reintroduced to the wild for the first time in over 30 years. National Aviary staff work around the world conducting conservation fieldwork and research. National Aviary Ornithologist, Robert Mulvihill, will introduce you to the diversity of birds that call the National Aviary home, and talk about the organization’s work every day to inspire respect for nature through an appreciation of birds, and to save birds and protect their habitats.
Spark Birds!: What's YOUR Birding Story?
Presented by Jeffrey Gordon
Date: Friday, May 15
Time: 2:30-3:30 PM
Location: Maumee Bay Lodge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Recommended
Join American Birding Association President Jeffrey Gordon and friends as we tell some great stories...stories about the birds and people and places that have changed our lives! Audience members will be invited to share some stories of their own!
Date: Friday, May 15
Time: 2:30-3:30 PM
Location: Maumee Bay Lodge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Recommended
Join American Birding Association President Jeffrey Gordon and friends as we tell some great stories...stories about the birds and people and places that have changed our lives! Audience members will be invited to share some stories of their own!
A Big Year of Birding on a Budget
Presented by Christian Hagenlocher
Date: Saturday, May 16
Time: 2:30-3:30 PM
Location: Maumee Bay Lodge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Recommended
Follow Christian Hagenlocher’s approach to Big Year birding as he takes you through how he did a record-breaking continental Big Year on a budget, living out of his Subaru Outback, and cutting corners to save money to find birds in the remotest corners of North America. This journey spans from the remote island of Attu, Alaska to Florida’s Dry Tortugas, sharing his encounters with birds and interviews with birders, in an effort to Engage, Preserve, Inspire, and Connect people. A teacher by profession, Christian will share this amazing journey through photos, videos, maps, and interviews, teaching you something new about the amazing continent we share with an incredibly diverse cast of feathered friends.
Date: Saturday, May 16
Time: 2:30-3:30 PM
Location: Maumee Bay Lodge
Fee: $10
Registration Required: Recommended
Follow Christian Hagenlocher’s approach to Big Year birding as he takes you through how he did a record-breaking continental Big Year on a budget, living out of his Subaru Outback, and cutting corners to save money to find birds in the remotest corners of North America. This journey spans from the remote island of Attu, Alaska to Florida’s Dry Tortugas, sharing his encounters with birds and interviews with birders, in an effort to Engage, Preserve, Inspire, and Connect people. A teacher by profession, Christian will share this amazing journey through photos, videos, maps, and interviews, teaching you something new about the amazing continent we share with an incredibly diverse cast of feathered friends.