Hello again, fellow birders – Green Mountain Audubon Society is offering a New Birder series: 4 Thursday evening webinars, each starting at 6:30 and lasting about 45 minutes, plus time for questions. Please pass this on to anyone you think might be interested! If they contact me, I can send ZOOM links before the dates.

Maeve Kim, Jericho Center

January 21 – Why Are So Many People Watching Birds These Days? Stress-reduction! Lower blood pressure! Improved attention and focus! Forest therapy! There are more and more reasons why so many people young and old are taking to the fields, woods and beaches to watch birds. In this class, learn about some of the basics of birdwatching: how to get started, what equipment you might need, and what the benefits might be to you.

February 4 - Gear Talk: Tools and Equipment to Get Started with Birding – Learn about how to choose and use binoculars and how to choose a birding field guide (in book form or as an app). We’ll also talk about several other resources to help you learn bird song, as well as other resources that can connect you with a world-wide community of citizen scientists.

March 11 - Coming Soon to a Neighborhood Near You! They’re on their way, all those beautiful migratory birds that deserted us here in cold Vermont last fall. Meet and greet many of the beauties that will be showing up in your yards and neighborhoods soon.

April 8 - Cheeps, Chirps, Hoots and Whistles: How and Why Birds Make Noise - Ever wonder how birds make all their various noises? Or why? Let’s spend time with bird song, bird calls, bird chips, and a whole lot of sounds that don’t fit any category. We’ll also talk about how we humans can get better at recognizing, identifying and learning bird sounds.