GBLC Presents Birds of the Berkshires:
On Saturday, June 22, 2024 from 1:00-2:30 PM Great Barrington Land Conservancy invites you to its annual meeting at Saint James Place on Main Street, Great Barrington to learn more about native and migratory bird species from two local experts Chip Blake and Ben Nickley. Our brief annual meeting will include a vote on GBLC’s new board of directors, an overview of our 2023 efforts, and goals for 2024. This will be an opportunity to meet GBLC program leaders and learn more about how you can get involved in stewardship and conservation.
Each year our fields, forests, lakes and rivers provide the habitat needed for an amazing number of nesting and migratory bird species. A broad range of species is an indicator of our ability to provide healthy and diverse habitats.
Please register for this free program HERE. All are welcome.
Resources for beginning birders and opportunities to participate in a newly developing program for Bobolink Monitoring at the McAllister Wildlife Refuge will be provided.
Program Agenda:
1:00 - 1:20 Welcome and Annual Meeting business
1:20 - 1:45 Chip Blake, The Birds of Berkshire County
1:45 - 2:10 Ben Nickley, Berkshire Bird Observatory
2:10 - 2:30 Questions
Chip Blake is a freelance editor and writing instructor. Earlier he served for 25 years as the editor of Orion magazine. Chip has lived in Berkshire County for almost three decades, exploring every corner of it as a naturalist and birdwatcher. He is the president of the Hoffmann Bird Club and the author of The Birds of Berkshire County: An Annotated Checklist, to be published later this year by the Nuttall Ornithological Club.
Ben Nickley is a scientist with a passion for birds and the ecosystems they are an integral part of. He has a MS in biology, is the author of several peer-reviewed articles, and has travelled across North America to study birds for several nonprofit organizations. Helping others connect with the natural world through birds is his forte and his mission. Ben founded Berkshire Bird Observatory in 2023 and serves as its Executive Director. Ben feels privileged to have landed in the Berkshires and could not think of a better place to do the work he loves.
Cedar Waxwing photo credit: Sharon Siter
