Education

 

Monthly Programs

Our monthly programs include guest speakers, unusual bird sightings, refreshments, and conversation. Visitors are always welcome. Meetings are held at 7 pm on the first Thursday of every month (except July and August when we take a summer break) in the Camellia Room at The Gardens at Heather Farm, 1540 Marchbanks Drive, Walnut Creek.

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Education Committee

Our Education Committee organizes birding classes for members and the public, conducts birding presentations for area youth and teachers through in-school and after-school programs, educates the public at tabling events and via informational kiosks and birding brochures at Heather Farm Park in Walnut Creek, and collaborates with area conservation groups to provide birding expertise for partnership hikes and Bioblitz events.

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Birding Classes

Our Education Committee organizes classes for chapter members and the public to improve birding skills and enhance bird-watching experiences. Knowledgeable instructors provide engaging classroom lectures and guide class field trips to gain practical experience. Past classes have included Birding By Ear, Avian Treasure Hunt (migrants), Beginning Birding, Raptor ID, and Gull ID.

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Outreach Activities

Volunteers representing our chapter reach out to the public at tabling events at area festivals, science fairs, and community events.

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Youth Education

Our Education committee works with youth and teachers through in-school and after-school programs. In addition, “No Child Left Inside” introduces Antioch students to the joys of birding through in-class and field trip experiences.

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Education Resources

Learn about local and area classes and activities that may be of interest to members. Also, find links here to online classes and other educational resources related to birding.

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Upcoming Education Events

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June 2021

Monthly Program: June 2021

June 3, 2021 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Zoom CA United States

Photo by Lauren Schmaltz Birding Info: Krista Vossekuil and Rosalie Howarth will show us the winning photos from the Second Annual MDAS Photo Contest. See the top five finalists in each of eight categories, and learn what the judges had to say about the top pictures. Admire the work of some of our chapter's finest photographers in this special slideshow presentation. Main Program: Why Save Parrots? with Lauren Schmaltz The World Parrot Trust (WPT) is an international leader in science-based, results-oriented parrot…

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September 2021

Monthly Program: September 2021

September 2, 2021 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Zoom CA United States

Main Program: Birds (and Other Wildlife) of Zambia Jerry Britten, MDAS President Zambia may not be one of the first countries in Africa one thinks of as a safari destination, but perhaps this lends to its appeal. Zambia in fact is a politically stable country about the size of Texas, with many parks and safari areas teeming with diverse wildlife in a variety of subtropical habitats, offering a true wilderness experience far from crowds. Jerry Britten, currently MDAS President and Christmas Bird…

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October 2021

Monthly Program: October 2021

October 7, 2021 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Zoom CA United States

Main Program: Twenty Seasons of Nest Box Monitoring Lee Pauser As a volunteer, Lee Pauser has been building, installing, and monitoring nest boxes (a nest box is an artificial cavity) for twenty nesting seasons. The presentation includes photos and videos of the eighteen species of cavity nesting birds that have graced his nest boxes. His effort have resulted in 16,858 birds fledging of which 6,670 are Western Bluebirds. Lee is a member of the California Bluebird Recovery Program (CBRP), Santa…

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First Annual Berkeley Bird Festival

October 17, 2021 @ 8:00 am - 6:00 pm
Berkeley Bird Festival Berkeley, CA United States
Free

On Sunday, October 17, Bay Area residents are invited to enjoy the first annual Berkeley Bird Festival, a free community event organized by Golden Gate Audubon and the California Institute for Community Art and Nature (California I CAN). The event will offer guided birding field trips throughout the city, bird chalk art on the UC campus and downtown, family-friendly arts & craft activities including Origami bird folding instruction, bird-related information and action tables, and a very special virtual and in-person…

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November 2021

Monthly Program: November 2021

November 4, 2021 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Zoom CA United States

Birding Info: Cabin Lake Bird Blinds Photos Jerry Britten, MDAS President MDAS President Jerry Britten will share some photos he has taken at the Cabin Lake Bird Blinds in Central Oregon. Main Program: Owls Through the Ages Karla Bloem, Executive Director of the International Owl Center Owls are omens of death. Owls are creator beings. Owl eggs can cure serious diseases. These are all views that are currently held in different cultures on different continents. Why is it important to understand these different…

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December 2021

Monthly Program: December 2021

December 2, 2021 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Zoom CA United States

Birding Info: Pine Canyon's Peregrines Peregrine Team Members of the Peregrine Team will share a video synopsis of the Pine Canyon peregrines' historic and memorable year, taken directly from the notes and photography of the Peregrine Team. Main Program: From Mono Lake to Mar Chiquita: A Future for Phalaropes and Saline Lakes Ryan Carle, Science Manager, Oikonos Ecosystem Knowledge Wilson's and red-necked Phalaropes are tiny but charismatic shorebirds that rely on saline lakes like Mono Lake and Owens Lake as…

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January 2022

Monthly Program: January 2022

January 6, 2022 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Zoom CA United States

Birding Info: Highlights Of The 2021 Christmas Bird Counts Jerry Britten Mt. Diablo Audubon Society President Jerry Britten will report highlights of the 2021 Christmas Bird Counts. Main Program: Audible Mount Diablo Joan Hamilton, founder and owner, Audio Guides to the Outdoors Joan Hamilton is a writer, editor, and multimedia producer. She is founder and owner of Audio Guides to the Outdoors, which has created multimedia guides for Save Mount Diablo, Mount Diablo Interpretive Association, Midpeninsula Open Space District, Save…

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February 2022

Monthly Program: February 2022

February 3, 2022 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Zoom CA United States

Birding Info: Mt. Diablo Audubon Society draft Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging statement Mt. Diablo Audubon board members Juan Pablo Galván Martínez, Ariana Rickard, and Krista Vossekuil will present a draft Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Statement for the chapter. Main Program: Mount Diablo—an Island in Suburbia  Michael Marchiano, Naturalist Michael will provide an overview of plant and animal life on Mount Diablo, including trees, shrubs, wildflowers, insects, spiders, reptiles, birds, and mammals. This short natural history presentation will also…

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March 2022

Monthly Program: March 2022

March 3, 2022 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Zoom CA United States

Birding Info: The Mt. Diablo Audubon board will provide an overview of the chapter's activities, projects, and programs. Main Program: SF Baykeeper and the State of the Bay Sejal Choksi-Chugh Sejal Choksi-Chugh, Executive Director of San Francisco Baykeeper, will discuss the state of the Bay and the major issues Baykeeper is tackling. San Francisco Baykeeper has defended the Bay since 1989 by patrolling on the water, investigating pollution, holding polluters accountable, and strengthening the laws that protect the Bay and…

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April 2022

Monthly Program: April 2022

April 7, 2022 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Zoom CA United States

Main Program: Cooperation and conflict in the communal world of the Acorn Woodpecker Walt Koenig Acorn Woodpecker, best known for their unique habit of storing acorns by the thousands in special structures known as “granaries”, exhibit one of the most complex social systems of any bird. Family groups of this species, sometimes numbering a dozen or more birds, contain multiple breeders of both sexes, a rare phenomenon called “polygynandry”, along with young from prior years that serve as “helpers-at-the-nest”. Based…

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May 2022

Monthly Program: May 2022

May 5, 2022 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Zoom CA United States

Main Program: Soundscapes to Landscapes Dr. Leo Salas and David Leland The earth’s biodiversity and associated ecosystem services are in a severe state of decline due to human pressure, however, our knowledge of these changes and impacts is often incomplete and limited to few and small areas. Join us to learn how Soundscapes to Landscapes is using a combination of multiple technologies and the power of citizen/community scientists to fill this data gap – starting with a focus on Sonoma…

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June 2022

Monthly Program: June 2022

June 2, 2022 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
The Camellia Room at The Gardens at Heather Farm, 1540 Marchbanks Drive, Walnut Creek, 1540 Marchbanks Drive
Walnut Creek, CA 94598 United States

Birding Information: Local Birds from MDAS Photo Contests Krista Vossekuil, MDAS Education Chair Krista Vossekuil will share some of the photos from the MDAS Photo Contests! Check out all the amazing entries and enjoy pictures of some of our incredible local birds. Bullock's Orioles, Morgan Territory, photo by Jerry Britten Main Program: Emperors of the Ice: Ecology and physiology of an iconic Antarctic predator, the emperor penguin Dr. Gitte McDonald Emperor penguins are the largest species of marine bird, and perhaps…

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September 2022

Monthly Program: September 2022

September 1, 2022 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Lakeside Room of the Heather Farm Community Center at Heather Farm, 301 N. San Carlos Drive
Walnut Creek, CA 94598 United States
+ Google Map

Birding Information: Eagle Scout Nest Box Projects Georgette Howington, Nest box monitor for the California Bluebird Recovery Program Georgette Howington will introduce several Eagle Scouts who completed Nest Box and other projects to help birds and wildlife in our community. Be inspired by their hard work and ingenuity! Main Program: A Gallop Through the Galapagos Wayne Narr The Galapagos Islands sit in isolation more than 1000 km west of northern South America. This small, remote archipelago has had a strong…

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October 2022

Monthly Program: October 2022

October 6, 2022 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Zoom CA United States + Google Map

Birding Information: MDAS President Jerry Britten will present highlights of his summer Alaskan birding trip to the High Arctic Tundra and the Anchorage area. Main Program: Gardening for Birds with California Native Plants Eddie Bartley and Noreen Weeden You can have a beautiful native plant garden that attracts amazing birds, butterflies and other wildlife. Learn about the benefits of local, native plants and some of the wonderful birds that are drawn to this place and to these plants. We will…

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November 2022

Monthly Program: November 2022

November 3, 2022 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Zoom CA United States + Google Map

Birding Information: Mt. Diablo Audubon Society is way ahead of a lot of other bird conservation groups. We help birds where they live year round, not just where we see them around Diablo. Many of California’s birds are migratory, and spend half the year south of the border. We financially support conservation groups in Latin America where birds winter, but also where the species and habitats are much more numerous and diverse than around here. Juan Pablo Galván Martínez, our Conservation…

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December 2022

Monthly Program: December 2022

December 1, 2022 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
McHale Room of the Pleasant Hill Community Center, 320 Civic Drive
Pleasant Hill, 94523 United States
+ Google Map

Birding Information: The Race to Bring Northern White Rhinos Back from the Brink of Extinction Jill Hedgecock Northern white rhinos were deemed functionally extinct in March 2018 after the death of Sudan, the last male rhino. Currently, only two females remain on the planet. Jill Hedgecock will describe science’s innovative solution to hopefully save the species. Jill Hedgecock has long-standing roots with MDAS, serving as the International Conservation Coordinator in the early 1990s. She has a master’s degree in Environmental…

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A Day with Richard Crossley

December 4, 2022
Wild Birds Unlimited, Pleasant Hill, 692 Contra Costa Blvd
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523 United States
+ Google Map

A DAY WITH RICHARD CROSSLEY Wild Birds Unlimited of Pleasant Hill is pleased to present, A Day with Richard Crossley on Sunday, December 4, 2022. Please join us at the store for either a “Learning to Look – A Field Exercise” and/or the “Past, Present and Future” talk and book signing. Richard Crossley is an internationally acclaimed birder, photographer and award-winning author of “The Crossley ID Guide” series. THESE ARE FREE EVENTS BUT RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED. Please email the store…

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January 2023

Monthly Program: January 2023

January 5 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Zoom CA United States + Google Map

Birding Information: Highlights Of The 2022 Christmas Bird Counts  Jerry Britten, MDAS President Mt. Diablo Audubon Society President Jerry Britten will report highlights of the 2022 Christmas Bird Counts. Main Program: Highlights of a Career in Journalism Joan Morris Joan Morris will talk about the highs, lows, and crazy assignments she had during her 44-year career as a newspaper reporter and columnist — assignments that included a double homicide on her first day on the job, a mass shooting in Concord…

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February 2023

Monthly Program: February 2023

February 2 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Zoom CA United States + Google Map

A 27 Year Wildflower Journey: The Making of Beauty and the Beast: California Wildflowers and Climate Change Rob Badger and Nita Winter Rob Badger and Nita Winter take you behind the scenes on their 27-year journey photographing wildflowers throughout California and the West. It began in 1992 when they discovered and fell in love with California's spectacular wildflower blooms in the Mojave Desert's Antelope Valley California Poppy Preserve. Photographing these beautiful landscapes and individual flowers evolved into their documentary art…

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March 2023

Monthly Program: March 2023

March 2 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
McHale Room of the Pleasant Hill Community Center, 320 Civic Drive
Pleasant Hill, 94523 United States
+ Google Map

Native Bird Connections Jenny Papka The birds and people of Native Bird Connections offer experiences that go beyond the ordinary. From school programs tailored to the national standards to presentations for seniors, scouts and special interest groups, they strive to immerse the audience in an intimate view of a wild bird's behavior, life choices and needs. Regardless of age, participants find themselves personally connecting with a living being through empathy and awe, emerging inspired. Native Bird Connections are privileged to…

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