Birders attend 2021 convention from the ‘safety of their nests’

Birders can safely engage with their peers from across the state at the 2021 Arkansas Audubon Society spring convention, which will meet virtually Saturday, May 8, via the Zoom videoconferencing application.

The convention will feature independent birding field trips and special presentations. Additionally, participants may win small prizes for notable bird observations and will have opportunities to engage with other wildlife enthusiasts.

Attendees will need to register ahead of time to receive a link to the Zoom meetings; registration information will be available at http://www.arbirds.org.

Saturday morning will begin with independent birding field trips. “We encourage you to bird your favorite local spots wherever you live in the state! Birding can begin as early as sunrise, but we ask that birders complete their outings by 2 p.m. to return home for the afternoon symposium in time,” a news release said.

A few small prizes will be awarded to birders who observed the most species, most individuals, and the “best” bird.

The afternoon presentations will occur from 4-5:30 p.m. These will include a seminar on the status of bobwhite quail in Arkansas by Marcus Asher from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, as well as student research presentations.

At 7 p.m. Saturday will be “101 Ways to Help Birds” by guest speaker Laura Erickson, who was the 2014 recipient of the American Birding Association’s Roger Tory Peterson Award. She is also an author, photographer, educator, blogger, and wildlife rehabilitator. After this keynote presentation, birders will have time to share bird observations from this event and the prior week’s CAW event; more information will be available on the website.

Registration is now open online through the end of the day Friday, May 7. Participation in the meeting is free of charge and open to members and nonmembers alike, but registration is required. More information and a complete meeting agenda are available at http://www. arbirds.org.

Email AAS Vice President Megan Foll at auntm13@gmail. com for more information about the conference, or visit AAS on Facebook at http:// www.facebook.com/ArkansasAudubonSociety, Twitter, @ ArAudubon, and Instagram, @ araudubonsociety.