Speaker Series, past and present
Past and currently scheduled Speaker Series events are listed here by date in ascending order (i.e., latest first).
Restoring the Farallon National Wildlife Refuge
Speaker: Melissa Pitkin
Host: Helen Lindqvist (415) 789-0703
Start Date: Mar 08, 2012
Start Time: 7:30 PM
End Time: [not specified]
Birds : The Most Amazing Animals on Earth
Speaker: Joe Mueller
Host: Helen Lindqvist (415) 789-0703
Start Date: Feb 09, 2012
Start Time: 7:30 PM
End Time: [not specified]
Description: Birds are exceptional in so many ways, their intelligence, migration, color, behavior and senses. Being able to see a mouse a mile away, migrating 40,000 miles in a year, remembering thousands of hiding places and many other feats, sets birds apart from all other living beings. Join Joe for an evening of biological investigation of the most amazing animals on Earth. Warning: you might find yourself embarrassed to be a mammal! Joe Mueller directs the Natural History Program at College of Marin. He has taught there for over 20 years. His subjects of particular interest include ornithology, ecology, marine biology and environmental science. Several MAS members have taken Joe's classes or been on field trips that he has led. Others know him as being the featured speaker at An Evening with Owls, the annual fundraiser of the Hungry Owl Project at WildCare. Prepare to learn and be entertained by this excellent teacher. Come early for cookies and conversation. (Photo by Richard Pavek)
The Brazilian Pantanal: Birds and Jaguars in the World's Largest Wetland
Speaker: Paul Donahue
Host: Helen Lindqvist (415) 789-0703
Start Date: Jan 12, 2012
Start Time: 7:30 PM
End Time: [not specified]
Description: The Pantanal of southwestern Brazil is the world's largest wetland, a vast mosaic of rivers, creeks, marshes, swamps, lagoons, tall riparian forest, lower dry forest, and savanna. The area extends into extreme eastern Bolivia and extreme northern Paraguay, but the majority lies in the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul. This much water attracts abundant wildlife, and the Pantanal is home to large numbers of wading birds and other fish-eating birds, and holds the world's densest population of jaguars, the largest cat in the Americas. Paul Donahue, a naturalist, bird artist, photographer, environmentalist, and tree climber, has been working in South America since 1972. Most of his time has been spent in the rainforests of the western Amazon Basin, particularly eastern Peru, where he has done extensive bird survey work and tape recording of bird vocalizations. Paul and his wife, Teresa Wood, have constructed two canopy walkways and dozens of canopy observation platforms to view and study the wildlife of that stratum of the rainforest. Lately, he has been researching jaguars and Zigzag Herons in the Pantanal and photographing the abundant bird and mammal life.
Birds and Natural History of Coastal Baja California
Speaker: David Wimpfheimer
Host: Helen Lindqvist (415) 789-0703
Start Date: Dec 08, 2011
Start Time: 7:30 PM
End Time: 9:30 PM
Description: The geologically isolated 800 mile-long Baja peninsula has allowed several bird and many plant species to evolve. This presentation will focus on the seabirds, shorebirds and other species that nest or winter along the rich estuaries and islands that are found both in the Sea of Cortez and the ocean side of Baja California. A rich upwelling zone here provides food for one of the most diverse gatherings of fish and marine mammals on the planet. The sight of thousands of dolphins below the vermilion canyons that tumble down to the gulf, along with images of boobies, tropicbirds, albatross, and Blue, Fin, Sperm and Gray Whales have enthralled naturalist David Wimpfheimer on over twenty journeys to this magical place. Cardon and other desert plants, birds and reptiles will also be a focus of this presentation. David Wimpfheimer is a professional naturalist and guide has taught classes and led birding excursions for many organizations for over twenty-five years. Come at 7:15 PM to socialize and have refreshments before the program.
Natural History of Hummingbirds
Speaker: Meryl Sundove
Host: Helen Lindqvist (415) 789-0703
Start Date: Nov 10, 2011
Start Time: 7:30 PM
End Time: 9:30 PM
Description: Hummingbirds have many awe-inspiring qualities packed into their tiny bodies making them appealing and special. They are at the functional limits on miniaturization of body parts like brain and bone. Hummingbirds are also at the smallest size physiologically possible for warm-blooded animals like birds. They have the largest heart size of any bird in ratio to body weight and are found only in the Americas.
Meryl will weave stories with the help of slides, to tell about unique features and adaptations of hummingbirds. She will discuss which hummingbird species are found in Marin County and how to attract them to your garden!
Meryl Sundove is a teacher/naturalist who worked for National Audubon Society at the Richardson Bay Audubon Center as education coordinator for 22 years. She is a popular field trip leader and teacher of the Marin Audubon Society annual Spring Birds and Their Songs class, and has been the Audubon naturalist on many National Audubon Society nature travel adventures world-wide. She is currently a faculty member of S.T.R.A.W. (Students and Teachers Restoring A Watershed), an environmental conservation education program, which is part of PRBO Conservation Science.
Come at 7:15 PM to socialize and have refreshments before the program. Photo by Richard Pavek.
My Carbon-free BIG YEAR of Birding
Speaker: Keith Hansen
Host: Helen Lindqvist (415) 789-0703
Start Date: Oct 13, 2011
Start Time: 7:30 PM
End Time: 9:30 PM
Description: Join Keith for a 'wild ride' as he lays out for you his carbon-free Big Year in 2010 in Marin County. From Jan 1st to December 31st Keith saw 237 species of birds without the use of fossil fuels! On foot or on bike, Keith traveled West Marin filming video of nearly all the bird species that he discovered in this wild adventure of a Birding Big Year. The 'rule' was simple: anything you can see without using a car.
Keith Hansen was born into a family of artists and naturalists. He began illustrating in 12th grade and never looked back (unless there was a bird behind him) and has been drawing birds ever since, producing images for various Audubon groups, and creating the artwork for 12 books. Currently Keith is illustrating a Guide to the Sierra Nevada, written by Edward Beedy and Ed Pendolfino. This book will depict the 320 species of birds that occur annually in the Sierra. Keith's workspace, the Wildlife Gallery is located behind the Bolinas Museum and is open to the public. Come at 7:15 PM to socialize and have refreshments before the presentation.
Feathers in Focus
Speaker: Richard Pavek
Host: Helen Lindqvist (415) 789-0703
Start Date: Sep 08, 2011
Start Time: 7:30 PM
End Time: 9:30 PM
Description: Many MAS members receive Richard's bird images in his weekly e-mail list of beautiful, funny or unusual birds. Others have seen his monthly column, The Bird Side of Marin, in the Whistlestop Express, which is folded inside the Pacific Sun, the last Thursday of each month. Still others see his images published in the WildCare newsletter. What you may not know is that Richard is becoming recognized around the world as an expert in BIF photography, Birds In Flight. In this presentation, Richard will show many of his favorite BIF photographs from Marin habitats and from trips to other countries and relate some of his more memorable experiences in taking them. Richard Pavek began his photographic journey over fifty years ago when he bought his first 35 mm camera, an Argus C-3. Soon he was doing fashion, advertising and travel photography - but no birds!
Following a period of his life when he focused on other work, he re-entered photography about the time good digital cameras became available. Shortly after, he discovered birds. Now birds are about all he photographs! Come at 7:15 PM to socialize and have refreshments before the program.
Birds of the Mariana Islands : America's Forgotten Avifauna
Speaker: Jaan Lepson
Host: Helen Lindqvist (415) 789-0703
Start Date: Jun 02, 2011
Start Time: 7:30 PM
End Time: 9:30 PM
Description: The Mariana Islands are part of Micronesia, a region in the western Pacific Ocean comprised of several groups of small scattered islands and being outside of the ABA limits, only dedicated birders or biologists find their way to these tropical outposts. Many of the birds are endemic but some have become rare and/or endangered. Jaan's talk will concentrate on an expedition last year to the uninhabited islands of Alamagan and Pagan of the CNMI where he surveyed endangered Micronesian Megapodes and Nightingale Reed-Warblers and where he discovered that the best-laid plans can be thwarted by an ill-timed volcanic eruption! Jaan Lepson grew up in Hawai'i, where he developed an abiding love of island birds and this translated into his studying an endangered Honeycreeper for his PhD in Zoology from the University of Hawai'i. His current research projects at U.C. Berkeley include using old museum specimens to track the spread of alien disease in Hawaiian land birds and spectroscopy of astrophysical plasmas. He has been fortunate to participate in surveys of endangered birds in the CNMI since 1994. Come join Jaan on a vicarious trip to see the wildlife of these far-off islands. Arrive at 7:15 pm to socialize and have refreshments before the program. After this, the Speaker Series will resume in the Fall after a Summer break.
Life in the Slow Lane: Breeding strategies of New Zealand passerines
Speaker: Jim Cunningham
Host: Helen Lindqvist (415) 789-0703
Start Date: May 05, 2011
Start Time: 7:15 PM
End Time: [not specified]
Description: The Kiwi of New Zealand is well known for laying exceptionally large eggs and breeding slowly. However this pattern seems to be common among many of New Zealand's passerines as well. In this talk Jim will cover what he and others have discovered about the "slow lane" breeding of New Zealand's song birds and offer an explanation for this pattern. This strategy of NZ birds will be compared with what is known about the breeding strategies of Australian passerines.
Jim Cunningham received his Ph.D in Zoology from the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. For the last 20 years Jim has been teaching in the Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at Dominican University of California, San Rafael. There he teaches Comparative Anatomy, Developmental Biology and a course for non-biology majors entitled "Birds and the Environment."
Birds of Costa Rica
Speaker: Bob Stewart
Host: Helen Lindqvist (415) 789-0703
Start Date: Apr 07, 2011
Start Time: 7:15 PM
End Time: [not specified]
Description: Costa Rica, located between Nicaragua and Panama in Central America, is home to 850 species of birds as well as an amazing diversity of other life. The convergence of the Cocos and Caribbean plates 50 million years ago created islands which eventually formed a land bridge between North and South America allowing birds and mammals to emigrate (cats, tapirs, deer, foxes from the north; monkeys anteaters, porcupines, agoutis , sloths, armadillos from the south. Many tropical groups of birds inhabit the diverse habitats including Manakins, Puffbirds, Barbets, Woodcreepers, Ovenbirds, Antbirds, Motmots and Toucans. However the most numerous species seen on a visit are flycatchers, hummingbirds and tanagers. Tanagers are brightly colored and many species are seen at one time because of a flocking phenomenon occurring in the tropics.
The flock can consist of a core of 5-10 different species, but up to 80 species can join the group. These flocks have territories so when they contact another flock a lot of singing goes on. Bob will report on his 4th trip to Costa Rica (Feb 1-19 2011). Amongst the birds will be a smattering of butterflies, reptiles and amphibians.
Owls of Marin
Speaker: Joe Mueller
Host: Helen Lindqvist (415) 789-0703
Start Date: Mar 03, 2011
Start Time: 7:15 PM
End Time: [not specified]
Description: Join College of Marin Biologist Joe Mueller for an in-depth look into the ecology, natural history and diversity of owls that live in Marin County. As we delve into their lives we'll pay special attention to how we, as bird enthusiasts, can experience the lives of owls around us. The sounds they make, the habitats they live in and the time of year they're active will help us understand owls in such a way that we can visit their world.
Joe Mueller has been teaching biology at the College of Marin for 20 years, where he developed and directs the Natural History Program. Joe is the recipient of the 2008 Terwilliger Environmental Award.
Co-existing With Coyotes, America's Native 'Song Dog'
Speaker: Camilla H. Fox
Host: Helen Lindqvist (415) 789-0703
Start Date: Feb 03, 2011
Start Time: 7:30 PM
End Time: [not specified]
Description: Learn about the remarkable adaptability and resiliency of Canis latrans. The coyote is a survivor through amazing resourcefulness and keen intelligence and should engender our understanding and respect as an essential part of the ecosystem. Camilla's presentation will cover coyote biology and ecology in urban and rural areas, coyote-human coexistence, conflict management and the value of community-based conservation approaches.
Also to be shown is the informative award-winning documentary American Coyote ~ Still Wild at Heart. This short film is a virtual case study of the coyote's natural range expansion continent-wide, from Northern California to New York City's Central Park and points in between.
Camilla Fox is a wildlife consultant, a leader in her field, with expertise in native carnivore conservation and human-wildlife conflict mitigation and the mission of promoting educated coexistence between people and coyotes.
Link: http://www.projectcoyote.org/index.html
A Birder's Year: Point Reyes, California & Beyond
Speaker: David Wimpfheimer
Host: Helen Lindqvist (415) 789-0703
Start Date: Jan 06, 2011
Start Time: 7:30 PM
End Time: 9:30 PM
Description: Point Reyes and other regions of California contain a multitude of wonderful sites in which to enjoy birds and other wildlife. David Wimpfheimer is a naturalist who teaches a variety of birding classes locally and leads natural history tours in many regions. In this retrospective he will share images of coastal, mountain, desert and other habitats that he visits in different seasons. David will provide insights into migration, breeding activity and which areas to visit to fully appreciate California's amazing biodiversity. From his more adventurous travels, he will also show us hummingbirds in Arizona, puffins in Alaska and penguins in Antarctica. David Wimpfheimer is a biologist, professional naturalist and guide with a passion for birds and the natural history of California. For over twenty-five years he has taught classes and led birding excursions for Point Reyes Field Seminars, Elderhostel, Oceanic Society, California Academy of Sciences, Wild Wings and other groups in many parts of California and other regions. His seasoned focus and knowledge is always enjoyable. Let David guide you with a beautiful visual presentation of his own photography.
Come at 7:15 pm to socialize and have some refreshments before the program.
Isla Partida Norte: Encounters with the Mexican Fishing Bat
Speaker: Tom Stewart
Host: Helen Lindqvist (415) 789-0703
Start Date: Dec 02, 2010
End Date: Dec 03, 2010
Start Time: 7:15 PM
End Time: [not specified]
Description: In May of 2009, and again in July 2010, Tom Stewart spent 5 days on Isla Partida Norte, a desert island in the Sea of Cortez. He was there with a research group, collecting data on the endangered Mexican fishing bat, Myotis vivesi, and the least storm petrel. In 2002, Tom started banding birds with the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory, at the Coyote Creek Field Station. He will describe his journey from a bird banding station in California to the bats of this Baja island, along with some of the wildlife he encountered, including a brief visit to the breeding colony of 95% of the world's Heermann's gulls.
Come at 7:15 to have some refreshments and socialize before the program.
The Secret Lives of Songbirds: Risks of nest predation in our changing environment
Speaker: Kathi Borgmann
Host: Helen Lindqvist (415) 789-0703
Start Date: Nov 04, 2010
Start Time: 7:15 PM
End Time: 9:30 PM
Description: Many bird populations across North America have declined in recent years and researchers have been busy trying to determine why. The breeding season is an especially important time for songbirds because this is when individuals have an opportunity to raise young. However, producing and successfully raising young can be quite difficult for songbirds and thus has a big effect on the songbird population. Join Kathi to take a step inside the secret lives of birds and look at how changes in vegetation and predator behavior affect the risk of nest predation.
Kathi who is an avid bird watcher and nature enthusiast, recently completed her Ph.D. at the University of Arizona where she studied the effects of seasonal changes in plant growth (phenology), food availability, predator behavior, and temperature on the ability of forest songbirds to successfully raise their offspring. She also studied the response of birds and mammals to habitat restoration in montane meadows and riparian areas around Lake Tahoe, CA. Kathi now holds the position of restoration ecologist at Richardson Bay Audubon Center and is excited to be working in marine ecosystems.
Come at 7:15 pm to socialize and have some refreshments before the program!
Bird Photos Through Your Scope
Speaker: Len Blumin
Host: Helen Lindqvist, helen_lindqvist@yahoo.com, Tel: 415-789-0703
Start Date: Oct 07, 2010
End Date: Dec 31, 1969
Start Time: 7:30 PM
End Time: 5:00 PM
Description: This program will introduce Digiscoping; taking photos with a conventional spotting scope and simple digital camera. Len will demonstrate the technique, discuss the technical aspects of photographing birds in their natural environments and show photos.
Please note our earlier time this year. Come at 7:15 to socialize and for refreshments, the talk will begin at 7:30.
The Speaker Series will resume in September
Start Date: Jun 28, 2010
End Date: Sep 01, 2010
Start Time: [not specified]
End Time: [not specified]
Impressions of the Galapagos
Speaker: Jack Barclay
Host: Marin Audubon Society
Start Date: Jun 04, 2010
Start Time: 8:00 PM
End Time: [not specified]
Description: Jack is a wildlife biologist with much experience in the effort to save endangered and special-status species. Perhaps that is why he was so impressed by all he saw in the Galapagos Islands, where everything is so special: the extraordinary tameness of the wildlife, the competition for resources causing specialization and speciation, the islands' geologic formation and the weather, and how these factors affect the wildlife. His daily travel log will inform you as to how to get around, where to go, and what to see, if you were to go there. You will want to go.
The Natural Wonders of the Range of Light
Speaker: John Muir Laws
Start Date: May 07, 2010
Start Time: 8:00 PM
End Time: [not specified]
Description: Jack Laws has sketched, colored,
researched and described, every
living plant, animal, bird, fish and
fungus in the Sierra Nevadas.
Well, maybe not quite all, but
many of them, for his Sierra
Nevada guide book. He can tell
you stories about them and
show you beautiful pictures. His
abilities have gotten him a job
with the California Academy of
Sciences. Come, see and hear.
Bird Songing: The Ecology of Birds' Songs & ID'ing Them By Ear
Speaker: Daniel Edelstein
Start Date: Apr 02, 2010
Start Time: 8:00 PM
End Time: [not specified]
Description: Why do birds sing? How? When?
Why does "pishing" work like a magnet to coax birds closer into view?
Daniel Edelstein will answer these questions, talk about the ecology of singing birds and teach you how "song memory phrases" and "mnemonic" phrases" can help identify bird songs in the field.
This shortened presentation of Daniel's popular "Bird Songing" program will have you singing its praises! An experienced birder for 30 years, he teaches at Oakland's Merritt College and does environmental consulting. A former MAS board member, see his 200+ "song memory phrases" and "10 Top Tips For Improving Your Birding By Ear" at: http://www.warblerwatch.com and his even more popular wood-warbler blog: http://warblerwatch.blogspot.com
Take Refuge in our Wildlife Refuges With Giselle Block
Host: Marin Audubon Society
Start Date: Mar 05, 2010
Start Time: 8:00 PM
End Time: [not specified]
Description: The San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex consists of seven National Wildlife Refuges, located from the shores of San Pablo Bay south to Monterey Bay. They include tidal marsh, islands, sand dunes and other unique environments that support a rich array of wildlife. All of these refuges support endangered species populations or significant migratory and breeding bird populations. Join Giselle Block, a biologist within the SF Bay Complex, as she takes you on a tour of these seven refuges and then zooms in on the environments and
wildlife of two nearby sites -- the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge and Marin Islands National Wildlife Refuge.
Wildlife Photography with Suzi Eszterhas
Host: Marin Audubon Society
Start Date: Feb 05, 2010
Start Time: 8:00 PM
End Time: [not specified]
Description: Suzi is an extraordinary photographer who shares her skill with the world. Her photos are published in books and magazines, even the covers of TIME and AFRICA. She also leads instructional photography tours with names like: Wildlife India, Botswana Predators and Madagascar Lemurs and Reptiles. She is also a Fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers. You can see her marvelous work for free, by coming on February 5.
Amazing Tales of Migrating Shorebirds with Bob Lewis
Host: Marin Audubon Society
Start Date: Jan 08, 2010
Start Time: 8:00 PM
End Time: [not specified]
Description: The Bay Area is a critical habitat for many migrating shorebirds.
Bob's talk will look at some amazing shorebird migrations and how and why they do it. He'll speak on how scientists study the migration phenomena, how it fits into the shorebird's annual breeding cycle, and what this behavior looks like worldwide.
Since 1993, Bob has taught adult birding classes at Albany Adult School and the Oakland Museum. Although retired from the Golden Gate Audubon (GGAS) Board of Directors, he remains on its education committee. A co-compiler with Dave Quady of the Oakland Christmas Bird
Count, he is President of the Farallon Islands Foundation. His life list: more than 3,700 (out of the approximately 9,750 birds worldwide).
Create Some Magic: Build a Pond for Birds, Dragonflies and other Wildlife with Kathy Biggs
Start Date: Dec 04, 2009
Start Time: 8:00 PM
End Time: [not specified]
Description: Build a pond to create a habitat to attract wildlife to your property and learn how wildlife ponds and ponds for exotic Koi and/or tropical plants differ.