Programs

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Nature programs are presented in the Clarion Free Library on the second Wednesday of the months, September through December, and March through June. Programs begin at 6:30 p.m. after a few announcements.

The programs are free and open to the public. Please observe any current CDC precautions for Covid.

Falconry: An Intangible Cultural Heritage

with Dr. Kurt Regester

September 13, 2023

Dr. Kurt Regester is Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at PennWest Clarion. He's been teaching there for 16 years.

He is one of only a few licensed falconers in Pennsylvania.

A native of Lancaster, he currently resides on a farm near Emlenton, purchased in part to have the space for pursuing his long term goal of becoming a falconer.

Before obtaining his PhD, Kurt worked as an environmental educator at a number of zoos and museums, including the Nashville Zoo, where he was the Curator of Education.

Currently he teaches courses in wildlife management, animal behavior, and animal ecology. He's published research on amphibian ecology and serves as the Associate Editor for the journal "Herpetological Conservation and Biology."

Kurt will describe his journey in becoming a falconer, as well as the history and cultural significance of falconry; the birds commonly used for hunting; and the process of trapping and training the bird.

Eavesdropping on Birds:
Conserving Bird Populations
with the Help of
Autonomous Sound Recording
with Tessa Rhinehart
October 11, 2023

Tessa Rhinehart is a PhD student at the University of Pittsburgh. She works with others in the Kitzes lab to develop automated methods to survey birds in places where humans cannot be. It is hoped that these methods can help to fill in the gaps of knowledge so that conservation decisions can be based on more complete information.

Tessa will describe autonomous acoustic recorders and the technology that can identify the recorded bird songs.

According to her website, she's passionate about birding, science communication, and developing open source tools for birders and biologists.

For a sneak preview and more information about Tessa, check her website.

Jeop-Birdy
with Dr. Scott Stoleson
November 1, 2023

What is the fastest bird in the world? What birds make up the family Momotidae? How well do you know your bird trivia? Care to put it to the test? Come join us to play Jeop-Birdy! on Wed. November 1. Based on the popular TV show and hosted by ornithologist Scott Stoleson, attendees will form two teams to compete for fabulous cash and prizes! Well, no actual cash or prizes, but certainly major bragging rights.
Dr. Scott Stoleson is a longtime friend of Seneca Rocks Audubon and has made many presentations to our group over the years. His talks are always informative, entertaining, and educational, no matter what your birding skill level.
Scott is the Research Wildlife Biologist with the U.S. Forest Service's Northern Research Station in Warren, PA, and a Research Associate of the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Jamestown, NY.
He has his PhD in Wildlife Ecology from Yale University.
He has published over 70 scientific papers and book chapters on avian biology and conservation based on research in Pennsylvania, the western U.S., and Latin America. He has led natural history tours to the Caribbean and Latin America.

Seneca Rocks Audubon
Member Night
December 13, 2023

Join us for a relaxing evening of show-and-tell type sharing by SRAS members and friends. Those attending are welcome to share photos, stories, memorable bird sightings, travel experiences, projects, poetry, and anything else bird or nature-related. You're also welcome to simply come and listen to others as they share.

It's an informal, friendly get together. We'll have light refreshments to make it more festive.

We'll also briefly discuss the upcoming Christmas Bird Count on Dec. 23. It's not too late to get a seat for one of the driving routes, to get tally sheets and directions for counting birds at your backyard feeders, or even sign up to count birds while hiking in the circle area.