Seminars
Digiscoping
Friday 1:30 – 3:45
Fee: $5
Presenter: Stephen Ingraham of Zeiss Optics and Clay Taylor of Swarovski
Most birders have dreamed of being able to take a photo of what they see through their binoculars or scope. Now, with the advent of digital cameras and appropriate adaptors, it is finally possible, without investing in the heavy and expensive equipment professional bird photographers use. Come to this informal workshop to find out what digiscoping is all about; get questions answered by the experts in optics, and pick up tips and tricks. Then take to the field for a little practice.
Steve Ingraham is the Birding and Nature Watching Specialist for Carl Zeiss Sports Optics. He is well known from his years as the editor of the Tools of Trade section in Birding Magazine, his frequent articles in Wildbird, Birder's World, and Birdwatch (UK), his appearances at ABA conventions and birding events around the country...and as the founder and editor of Better View Desired and betterviewdesired.com on the world wide web.
Clay Taylor is a Naturalist Market Manager for Swarovski Optik N.A. He was the founder of the Rochester (NY) Hawk Banding Project and founding President of the Connecticut Butterfly Association. Clay has also served as President of the Mattabeseck Audubon Society in Middletown, Connecticut, and was a member of the Connecticut Rare Records Committee, Connecticut Ornithological Society.
Georgia's Shorebirds: Identification and Conservation
Friday, 1:30 - 3:45 pm
Presenter: Clay George
Limit 30 people
Fee: $5
Wildlife biologist Clay George will give an introduction to the shorebirds that frequent the Georgia coast. After a classroom session, join Clay in the field to search out some of these long-distance flyers.
A native of North Carolina, Clay George earned a BA in Biology and English from UNC Chapel Hill in 1997 and a MS in Wildlife Ecology at UGA in 2002. His master's thesis focused on the reproductive ecology of American oystercatchers breeding along the Georgia coast. A biologist for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources ( DNR), Clay works in DNR's Brunswick office where he is the state marine mammal biologist.
Identifying
Fall Warblers
Friday, 1:30 - 3:00 p.m.
Presenter
Giff Beaton
Limit: 60 people
Fee: $5
Learn how to identify warblers in the fall, and by the time
we are done, you will no longer think of them as "confusing" fall warblers!
Author of Birding Georgia, Giff Beaton
is a photographer and lecturer. He has led bird tours and
conducted bird identification seminars throughout the South
for more than 10 years.
Gulls
and Terns: An Identification Workshop
Friday, 1:30 - 3:45 pm
Presenter: Lydia Thompson
Limit 30 people
Fee: $5
Stop the fear! Stamp out the confusion. Yes, terns and gulls are a challenge but not impossible to identify. Join expert birder and bird artist Lydia Thompson for an in-depth look at the gulls and terns that can be found on the beach at Jekyll Island. Start in the classroom and then move to the beach to practice your skills in the field.
Whether Lydia Thompson is talking about, banding, or drawing birds, her major focus is to intertwine her bird studies and her art. After graduating from Mississippi State University, she worked in advertising. Realizing that advertising was not for her, she took a year to travel and learn about birds and drawing. Since that time she has traveled throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico, finally settling in the Golden Isles of coastal Georgia. Here, she continues with her studies of birds and the art of intaglio print. She is a popular columnist for the JekyllGolden Islander, and preservation and conservation of birds and their habitats are her major concerns. She has a new web site
Little Brown Jobbies - Getting Acquainted with GA’s Sparrows
Friday: 1:30 – 3:45 pm
Presenter: Diana Churchill
Limit: 30 people
Fee: $5
“Don’t ask me what it is....All those little brown birds look alike!” If you have ever been befuddled by sparrows, this is your chance to dispel some of the confusion. Diana Churchill will give some pointers on what to look for when watching sparrows.
Diana Churchill grew up in coastal Georgia and developed a love for its unique habitats and bird life. She spent 17 years living in New England where she was active with the Brookline Bird Club. Returning to Georgia more than five years ago, she has led field trips for Ogeechee Audubon and Wilderness Southeast, works at Wild Birds Unlimited in Savannah, and writes a bi-weekly column about birds for the Savannah Morning News.
Explore the Living Beach
Friday: 4:00 PM – 5:45 PM
Presenter: Georgia Graves
Limit: 30 people
Fee:
FREE
To shorebirds the beach is a feeding ground, a place to rest, and for a few, a place to raise their chicks. It is teeming with life in places one may never think to look, so join this class and learn how birds go about utilizing the beach. Probe the sands as the birds do, take a close look at what at they’re feeding on, and create your own shorebird nest.
Georgia Graves is an award-winning environmental educator. Growing up on the Georgia coast inspired her love of the sea. That, coupled with her love of animals as well as her drive to protect and ensure longevity of their habitats, was inspirational in defining her goal as an educator, which is to instill the desire in each of her students to preserve all habitats on our planet for both wildlife and humans. Today, Georgia is a sought-after, independent marine science educator/consultant. She is a familiar sight in the field, surrounded by children and adults as they eagerly uncover the mysteries of the ocean and estuaries, whether hidden in the water, under the grains of sand, or within the mucky mud that so many critters call home. She works with a variety of groups, including schools, nature centers, tourism groups and elderhostels.
Landscaping with Native Plants
Saturday, 2:00 - 3:15 pm
Presenter: David Moulder
Limit: 50
You don’t need exotics for a beautiful garden. Discover how Georgia’s native plants can provide color, variety, and beauty, as well as habitat and food for our local wildlife.
David Moulder came early to his love of plants and trees. His father worked for the U.S. Forest Service for 30 years, during which time a young David spent a lot of time following him around in the field. He is currently the county extension agent for Bryan County, Georgia, and has been instrumental in organizing the state’s first Master Naturalist Program, now in its fourth year.
Southern Birds in Native American Culture
Saturday, 2:00 - 3:15 p.m.
Presenter: Sheila Willis
Discover the many ways Native Americans made Southern birds an
important part of their lives and culture through a talk, story-telling, and a touch-table display. Topics will include: daily life, religious beliefs, myths, legends, and superstitions.
Sheila Willis, of Waycross, Georgia, is the founder of Native American-Naturalist Talks & Tours, holds a B.S. in Biology and has over 30 years experience as a park ranger-naturalist in all types of parks and refuges around the country. Of Cherokee descent, Sheila has also served as a lecturer and field trip leader on nature and Native American culture for multiple educational facilities in the South. She has worked as a biologist for various agencies and conducted private bird and botanical tours. Sheila has held leadership positions in many conservation, cultural, and tourism organizations and is the long-time director of the Christmas Bird Counts for the Okefenokee Swamp and Cumberland Island areas. An avid photographer and writer, she has contributed to, and been featured in, a variety of print, radio, and television publications and programs.
Pelagic Birding
Saturday, 3:30 - 4:45 pm
Presenter: Russ Wigh
Learn about the seabirds of Georgia, their habitat, and the fascinating adaptations they have made to live at sea.
***sponsored by The Landings Birding Hotline***
Russ Wigh has been birding in Georgia for 25 years with a particular interest in seabirds. He does bird photography and compiles the species for an annual Checklist of Birds of Skidaway Island, Georgia, where he currently lives with his wife of 38 years. In addition to leading pelagic seabird trips to the Gulf Stream, he also does seabird surveys for Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary. Russ is currently working on a birder's guide to the Low Country of South Carolina and Georgia. He has written species accounts for the yet to be published Breeding Bird Atlas of Georgia and has contributed several articles to the Georgia Ornithological Society publication, The Oriole.
Getting into Birds
Presenter: Tim White
Limit: 50
Fifteen year-old Tim White got hooked on birds at an early age. In this
seminar, Tim will share some of the basics about birds, as well as what makes birdwatching such a captivating past-time. A great program for both kids and adults.
Challenges of Shorebird Identification
Presenter: Steve Calver
Limit: 50
Shorebird identification presents its own unique challenges. Steve
Calver offers this seminar to focus on thorny problems such as telling
those peeps apart, or deciding whether it’s a long-billed or short-
billed dowitcher.
An avid birder since age 10, Steve Calver is a biologist for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Savannah, where he conducts bird surveys and tours of the Savannah Harbor dredged material disposal areas. He received his bachelor's degree from Duke University and his master's from University of Georgia. Steve is a long-time volunteer for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, having conducted breeding bird point counts and Manomet shorebird surveys. He is an active contributor to American Birds and is the compiler for the Harris Neck and Savannah Christmas Bird Counts.
Birding by Ear
Saturday, 3:30 - 4:45 p.m.
Presenter: Georgann Schmalz, President of Birding Adventures
Discover the techniques of learning the songs of birds in the field.
Learn to recognize the components of bird songs and sharpen your
listening skills.
Owner of Birding Adventures, Inc., Georgann Schmalz holds an ornithology degree from Clemson University and worked for 28 years at the Fernbank Science Center in DeKalb County, GA. She is currently President of the Atlanta Audubon Society and a member of the Georgia Ornithological Society. Georgann has conducted bird identification workshops for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Georgia Forest Service, Georgia Pacific and International Paper. She began and operated a MAPS banding station at Fernbank Forest, conducted Wildlife Habitat Workshops for the staff and students at DeKalb County schools, and is a certified instructor-trainer of Project Learning Tree and Project Wet. Having conducted birding trips throughout the United States, Central and South America and Africa, Georgann consults on various environmental education projects, including a joint program between Ecuador and Georgia. She has written for Fernbank Quarterly and TheOriole, the journal of the Georgia Ornithological Society. Georgann also serves on both the technical and advisory committees for the Important Bird Areas of Georgia.
Creating a Backyard Habitat for Birds
Presenters: The Staff of Wild Birds Unlimited Savannah
Limit: 50
Learn how to make your yard a welcoming place for birds. The staff of
WBU will share their knowledge on how to attract a wide variety of
birds to your yard.
Ecology
of a Barrier Island
Presenter: Taylor
Schoettle
Limit 30 people
Learn the anatomy and changes of Georgia’s barrier islands and inlets
due to tides, waves, wind and storms through aerial photographs. These
islands have classic features that result from the prevailing low wave
energy and large tidal range. Jekyll, which is not typical, is
compared to the more typical St. Simons – Sea Island complex.
Taylor Schoettle has written A Guide to a Georgia Barrier Island, A Naturalist’s Guide to St. Simons Island and, most recently, A Naturalist’s Guide to the Okefenokee Swamp. During his 12 years as a marine education specialist with the University of Georgia, he offered a wide range of coastal education programs throughout the Southeast, established three environmental education centers along the coast of Georgia, and published videos, field guides and a variety of education materials. Now retired, he gives slide presentations and conducts field trips of the barrier islands and to the Okefenokee Swamp.
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