Thursday, June 13, 2024
7:00pm - 9:00pm
Speaker: Nils Warnock
Register HERE for this Speaker Series

Topic: Nils will talk about the status and trends of our North America shorebirds, with a focus on Pacific Flyway birds, particularly those that occur in Marin County. He will first discuss how shorebirds around the world and in the USA are doing and then talk about the results of a 30+ year winter shorebird monitoring program that Audubon Canyon Ranch has been conducting at Tomales Bay since 1989. Overall, numbers of wintering shorebirds on Tomales Bay have declined by over 65% over the past decades with Dunlin and Western Sandpipers among the biggest losers. Of the 14 taxa that ACR analyzed, 3 increased over the past 30 years, 1 stayed stable, and 11 species declined. Nils will discuss potential reasons why our shorebird populations have declined and what we might do about it.

Thursday, September 12th
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Speaker: Daniel Edelstein
More information will be announced closer to the event

Thursday, October 10th
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Speaker: Scott Harris (Author & Photographer)
More information will be be announced closer to the event

Thursday, November 14, 2024 7:00PM - 9:00PM Speaker: Josiah Clark Register HERE for this Speaker Series Topic: Josiah will speak to us about the upcoming Christmas Bird Count (CBC), the annual early-winter bird census conducted in December.  Josiah will be discussing counting strategies and best practices for counting birds and covering areas on the count, including the virtues of the count circle, methods for preventing undercounting, tips on note taking and how good CBC coverage and data collecting habits set the stage for increasing numbers of detections and the accuracy of counts.  He will also discuss strategies for promoting the CBC and attracting younger birders. Speaker Bio: Josiah Clark grew up steeped in the natural history of the Bay Area, where he has been birding for more than 20 years. Some of his defining birding experiences include observation and mist-netting on Southeast Farallon Island; extensive travel, study, and tour-leading in Latin America; and a 24-hour birding and bicycling marathon in Marin County during which he spotted 158 species. Josiah runs Habitat Potential, dedicated to interpreting, preserving, and creating productive wildlife habitats in the Bay Area human landscape.   Next Speaker - Thursday, December 12, 2024 Colombia: South America’s Birding Mecca Speaker: Benny Jacobs-Schwartz

Thursday, December 12, 2024 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm Speaker; Benny Jacobs-Schwartz Register HERE for this Speaker Series Topic: Get ready for a dive into South America’s birdiest country! Together we’ll explore Colombia’s unique ecology, breathtaking scenery, and unparalleled avian diversity! Colombia holds the record with nearly 2,000 bird species and an impressive 80 endemics! During our time together, we’ll discuss what has given rise to such incredible diversity. Topics include the country’s five regions, how the Andes Mountain Range formed into three distinct cordilleras, the importance of the mighty Rio Magdalena, and national conservation successes. From sloth-eating Harpy Eagles to shy antpittas, and menageries of colorful tanagers and hummingbirds, Colombia’s astonishing diversity will leave you wanting more! Speaker Bio: Benny Isaac Jacobs-Schwartz owns and operates a bird-guiding business and lifestyle brand called BIRDS by BIJS (pronounced Bee-jus). With a background in biology, ecology, and outdoor education, Benny has worked for over 13 years as a naturalist guide, expedition trip leader, and international bird guide. Benny offers guided birding outings in Southern California and small-group birding tours to his favorite tropical locales like Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Colombia. Benny is a passionate educator and photographer, specializing in birds! Benny is active on social media where he creates fun, educational videos and posts to inspire others about the natural world with the goal of getting folks to put down their phones and pick up their Binos. Next Speaker: Migratory Shorebirds Thursday, January 9, 2025 Speaker: Matt Reiter (Point Blue)

Thursday, January 9, 2025 7:00 - 9:00 PM Speaker: Matthew Reiter - Point Blue Conservation Science Register HERE for this Speaker Series Topic: Shorebirds are some of the most migratory species on the planet. However, their populations in the Western Hemisphere have been declining over the past 40 years. To better understand what is driving changes in shorebird populations and to turn data into knowledge and then conservation action, in 2011 Point Blue and partners launched a coordinated research, monitoring and conservation network for shorebirds in the Pacific Americas Flyway. The Migratory Shorebird Project is now a network of over 50 partners in 13 countries from Canada to Chile working together to study shorebirds and shorebird habitats and to implement conservation actions at scales that are relevant for these long-distance travelers. Speaker Bio: As a Research Director and quantitative ecologist with Point Blue Conservation Science, Dr. Matt Reiter’s work focuses on the ecology and conservation of migratory waterbirds and their wetland habitats in order to understand the impacts of threats such as habitat loss and climate change across broad migratory landscapes. Matt received an M.S. (2006) and Ph.D. (2009) in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Minnesota and has been at Point Blue since 2009. Next Speaker: Thursday, February 13, 2025 Bay Area Wildlife: An Irreverent Guide Speaker: Jeff Miller