Detroit Audubon is excited to be offering webinars on a variety of topics with our many partners this year!
Please join us for one of these virtual presentations soon!
Past Webinars
2022 Update for Black Tern Conservation at St. Clair Flats
Date: Thursday, December 15
Time: 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Presenter: Ava Landgraf, Detroit Audubon Research Coordinator
The largest Black Tern breeding colony in Michigan resides in St. Clair Flats. Studies have shown that many smaller breeding colonies are disappearing, making the St. Clair Flats colony especially valuable. Black Terns spend half their life flying over the ocean off the coast of Central and South America, and half breeding in U.S. and Canadian Marshes. The birds create their nests on mats of vegetation floating in the water. Despite their charm and unique lifestyle, the birds are not well understood and their populations are decreasing.
Due to the urgent need for action, the Black Tern is receiving increasing attention from federal and state agencies. Only with continued research can we determine the causes of Black Tern population decline in Michigan and across North America. Detroit Audubon has partnered with Audubon Great Lakes and National Audubon to monitor the St. Clair Flats Black Tern colony since 2013. Hear more about this exciting and necessary program from Detroit Audubon Research Coordinator, Ava Landgraf, who monitors and bands the Black Terns on St. Clair Flats.
To view a recording of this webinar, please visit here!
Birds on the Brain: Exploring the Cognitive Neuroscience of Birding
Date: Tuesday, November 22
Time: 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Presenter: Erik Wing, PhD, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Rotman Research Institute at University of Toronto/Baycrest Hospital in Toronto
“Bird with spots,” “woodpecker,” “female Northern Flicker.” What we perceive is shaped by our accumulated experience. In this talk, I will explore changes in the mind and brain associated with bird knowledge. Recent research provides clues about honing identification skills and about neuroplasticity associated with new learning and expert recognition. I will also discuss the potential cognitive benefits of birding and curiosity about the natural world more broadly.
Our current online studies are geared towards relatively experienced birders able to identify most species in the Great Lakes region across the year. Expertise in difficult groups like gulls, shorebirds, hybrids and fall warblers is not required. To participate, or for more details, please email birdstudy@research.baycrest.org. Thanks to everyone for supporting our ongoing work.
To view a recording of this webinar, please visit here!
Providing a Winter Weather Habitat for Birds
Date: Tuesday, October 25
Time: 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Presenter: Wild Birds Unlimited
Are you thinking of the birds as winter approaches? If you have fed the birds and want to learn some new ideas, or you are anticipating starting with the hobby of bird feeding this winter, this program is for you. Join Wild Birds Unlimited to learn about what birds need to survive our cold winter months and how you can help.
Rosann Kovalcik, Owner of Wild Birds Unlimited in Grosse Pointe Woods, will educate you on how to provide shelter for birds during inclement weather, what foods are best for their survival in the winter months and why water is an important feature to offer in your yard.
To view a recording of this webinar, please visit here!
How to Start Birding: Part 2- Equipment & Know How’s
Date: Thursday, September 29
Time: 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Presenter: Detroit Audubon & Belle Isle Nature Center
Are you interested in birding and getting out into nature more often? Are you unsure about what’s helpful to know to better prepare for outdoor excursions? Maybe you just want to learn about the best places to go birding in the Southeast Michigan area where you can borrow binoculars. Join us for an interactive discussion on how to start birding, what equipment we recommend and various tips of the trade to help you get started.
To view a recording of this webinar, please visit here!
Autumn Skies – Hawk Migration at Lake Erie Metropark
Date: Thursday, August 11
Time: 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Presenter: Paul Cypher
The autumn skies over Lake Erie Metropark are full of migrant birds of prey. Join Paul Cypher, an interpreter at Lake Erie Metropark for a quick “who, what, when, where, why, how” introduction to this magnificent spectacle. Paul Cypher has been an interpreter at Lake Erie Metropark since 1994. He saw his first Broad-winged Hawk kettle in 1993 and his life has never been the same…..
To view a recording of this webinar, please visit here!
The Great Lakes Way
Date: Tuesday, July 19
Time: 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Presenter: Dr. John Hartig
The Great Lakes Way is an interconnected network of more than 160 miles of land trails and 156 miles of water trails that stretch from southern Lake Huron to western Lake Erie. The goal of the trail system is to connect residents and visitors with world-class freshwater, wildlife, and affordable recreation activities including fishing, birding, paddling, wildlife photography, and more. It will also help catalyze economic development, increase property values, support healthy living, promote conservation and environmental education, and celebrate historical and cultural assets — making southeast Michigan the number one freshwater recreation destination in the United States. More information is available at greatlakesway.org.
The natural resources along the Lake Huron to Lake Erie corridor provide residents and visitors with unique opportunities for close-to-home outdoor recreation and nature appreciation. Together with regional partners, the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan is helping create an interconnected set of greenways and water trails stretching from Port Huron to Toledo called The Great Lakes Way. The goal is to ensure each of us — people of all ages, abilities, backgrounds, ethnicities, and interests — feels welcome and benefits from these unique freshwater resources.
SPEAKER BACKGROUND AND BIO:
John Hartig Biography
Dr. John Hartig chairs the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan’s Great Lakes Way Advisory Committee and serves as a Visiting Scholar at the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research at the University of Windsor. The focus of his Fulbright is multi-disciplinary research on cleanup of the Great Lakes. During 2017-2018, Dr. Hartig was a Fulbright Scholar at the Balsillie School of International Affairs in Waterloo, Ontario. For 14 years he served as Refuge Manager for the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. John also serves on the Board of Directors of the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
Interactive maps showing the trails and points of interest along them: https://maps.semcog.org/GreatLakesWay/
A 4-page brochure can be found here.
To view a recording of this webinar, please visit here!
How to Start Birding: Help!- I’ve Never Done This Before
Date: Thursday, June 23
Time: 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Presenters: Detroit Audubon & Belle Isle Nature Center
Are you interested in birding and getting out into nature more often? Are you unsure about what’s helpful to know to better prepare for outdoor excursions? Maybe you just want to learn about the best places to go birding in the Southeast Michigan area where you can borrow binoculars. Join us for an interactive discussion on how to start birding along with various tips of the trade to help you get started.
To view a recording of this webinar, please visit here!
Trees Are For The Birds
Date: Tuesday, May 10
Time: 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Presenter: Keith Salowich, City of Novi
Have you ever wondered what trees and shrubs are best for our local bird species? It’s clear that birds rely on trees and shrubs to survive. They don’t just perch on electrical lines, after all! The growth of woody plants creates nesting habitat, foraging materials, and serves as the bedrock upon which many food webs are constructed. Though, not all trees and shrubs provide the same benefits. City of Novi Forester Keith Salowich will try to convince viewers of this webinar to appreciate native woody plants almost as much as our feathered friends do.
To view a recording of this webinar, please visit here!
Night Can Be Deadly For Birds
Date: Thursday, April 21
Time: 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Presenters: Sally Oey & Detroit Audubon
Did you know that night can be deadly for birds? Birds migrate over long distances, often at night. With the proliferation of artificial lights, these long journeys have become perilous. The Dark-Sky movement aims to limit light pollution to reduce bird death and the demise of the nocturnal ecosystem. Join Detroit Audubon and Sally Oey for a presentation on how light pollution can be hazardous to birds during migration and at all times of the year.
To view a recording of this webinar, please visit here!
Bird Collisions & Bird Safe Windows
Date: Tuesday, March 2
Time: 9:00 am to 10:00 am
Presenters: Detroit Zoological Society, River Raisin Institute & Detroit Audubon
Have you ever heard a loud thump when sitting at home and wondered what that was? Join us for a simple presentation by Bonnie Van Dam & Stephen Vrla on why birds fly into windows and what you can do to help. During the presentation, we start presenting a pre-recorded video of birds flying for the kids to enjoy, then talk about why windows are bad for birds and how you can help birds in your area.
To view a recording of this webinar, please visit here!
How to Help Urban Birds
Date: Tuesday, February 22nd
Time: 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Presenters: Michelle Serreyn & Detroit Audubon
Have you ever wondered how you can help birds in your backyard or neighborhood? Do you wish you could see more birds without having to go to a local park? You can! Join us for our ‘How to Help Urban Birds Webinar’ on February 22 at 6:30pm. We will cover common urban birds and things you could do to help local urban birds such as installing rain gardens, planting native plants, habitat restoration and installing bird safe window decals.
How to Create a Bird Friendly Space PDF
Bird Friendly Native Plants PDF
To view a recording of this webinar, please visit here!
Christmas Bird Count
Date: Tuesday, January 13th
Time: 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Presenter: Tim Nowicki
Have you heard about the Christmas Bird Count but you are still confused about what it is and how to get involved? Join our webinar about the national history of the Christmas Bird Count, our local counts in Southeast Michigan, and why this yearly count is so important. The Christmas Bird Count began in 1900 and has grown to an international community science tradition. Each count is performed in a “count circle” with a diameter of 15 miles. Count organizers (such as Detroit Audubon and other Audubon chapters) direct groups of volunteers to survey sections of their circle and send the data to National Audubon for their extensive database.
To view a recording of this webinar, please visit here!