SENECA ROCKS AUDUBON SOCIETY
Programs
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.
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The programs are free and open to the public.
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"Celebrity Shorebirds: Piping Plovers and Common Terns at Presque Isle"
with Mary Birdsong
6:30 pm, March 12, 2025
(via live Zoom at the Clarion Free Library)
After a 60-year absence, Piping Plovers are now once again calling Gull Point at Presque Isle State Park their summer home. Nesting there since 2017, they have contributed to the endangered Great Lakes population in a meaningful way and afforded us the opportunity to learn more about these charismatic shorebirds. They have also provided moments of deep sadness as well as sublime joy.
Birdsong will provide an overview of the Great Lakes population and touch on highlights from the last seven years of monitoring.
She will also talk about Common Terns, who have also attempted to nest at Gull Point and were finally successful in 2024, and the creation and programs of Erie Bird Observatory.
Mary Birdsong is co-founder and Lead Shorebird Monitor for Erie Bird Observatory. She has been monitoring shorebirds, particularly Piping Plovers since 2013. She is also a freelance writer and artist. She shares her home with her husband Mike Plyler and two gray tabby cats, and is the proud Busia to three granddaughters and one grandson.
This program is free to the public at the Clarion Free Library's lower conference room.
Piping Plover at Presque Isle by Mary Birdsong.
"Jambo Tanzania!"
with Dr. Scott Stoleson (in person)
6:30 pm, April 9, 2025; Clarion Free Library
Enjoy a photo tour of Scott Stoleson's safari to northern Tanzania last September. Scott will show landscapes and wildlife (especially birds) from Tarangire, Lake Manyara, and Serengeti National Parks as well as the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Lions and Zebras and Hornbills, oh my!
​ He recently retired as a Research Ecologist from the U.S. Forest Service’s Northern Research Station in Warren, PA; he also is a Research Adjunct Professor at West Virginia University and Research Associate of the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Jamestown, NY.
His research focused on the ecology and conservation of Pennsylvania’s forest birds. Previously Scott studied avian ecology in the western USA and Central and South America. He has authored over 80 peer-reviewed scientific papers and book chapters.
Scott received a B.S. from Dartmouth College, and a Master of Environmental Studies and Ph.D. from Yale University.
He currently serves on the Governing Council of the Association of Field Ornithologists, the Pennsylvania Ornithological Records Committee, the PA Biological Survey’s Ornithological Technical Committee and Mycological Technical Committee, and as Regional Coordinator of the 3rd PA Bird Atlas for northwestern PA.
His retirement will focus on travel and gardening.
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This program is free to the public at the Clarion Free Library's lower conference room.
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Scott Stoleson, his 90-year old mother, and a group of Maasai tribesman in the Ngorongoro Crater.
" Costa Rica, a Birder's Paradise"
with Margaret and Roger Higbee (in person)
6:30 pm, May 14, 2025; Clarion Free Library
Five Todd Bird Club members – Carol Guba, Gloria Lamer, Linda Wagner, and Roger and Margaret Higbee - traveled for ten days with Hillstar Nature to Costa Rica in March 2024. Some of the birds of Costa Rica that will be presented range from the Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrant to the Jabiru and the Fiery- throated Hummingbird to the Great Potoo, as well as one of the most sought after species, the Resplendent Quetzel. The habitats covered ranged from the Caribbean lowland rain forest to the cloud forests of the Talamanca Mountains and all habitats inbetween. Over 340 species were seen during the trip.
Roger and Margaret have been birding and photographing birds for over 50 years. They are the county coordinators for Indiana County for the Pennsylvania Bird Atlas project, conduct or help with 10 Winter Raptor Survey routes, coordinate the Indiana Christmas Bird Count, and conduct five Breeding Bird Survey routes. They have birded in every state and most of the provinces of Canada.
This program is free to the public at the Clarion Free Library's lower conference room.
Roger and Margaret Higbee (in back) with fellow birders in Costa Rica. Photograph courtesy of Roger Higbee.
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Yellow-throated Toucan, courtesy of Roger Higbee.
"Why Are Tree Swallows Stressed?
with Dr. Jennifer Houtz (in person)
6:30 pm, June 11, 2025; Clarion Free Library
A bird's ability to cope with and recover from ecological stressors such as extreme temperatures can influence its survival. Wild birds can respond to stressful events by upregulating hormone levels. Our speaker Dr. Jenn Houtz will share results from her doctorate work on Tree Swallow stress physiology and general tips for attracting cavity nesting birds to your backyard.
Dr. Jenn Houtz is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at Allegheny College. She received her Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Cornell University, where she studied the gut microbiome and stress physiology in Tree Swallows. She received her B.S. in Animal Behavior from Millersville University, where she studied the social behavior of Wire-tailed Manakins in the Ecuadorian Amazon.
As a first-generation student, Dr. Houtz is also passionate about mentoring undergraduate researchers, teaching, and science outreach.
This program is free to the public at the Clarion Free Library"s lower conference room.
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