Lartoonist’s take

The Feb. 18 monthly Zoom program meeting for the Redbud Audubon Society will feature Karla Bloem, Founder and Executive Director of the International Owl Center. Bloem will also have a live Great Horned Owl to accentuate her program.

A real-life soap opera has played itself out over the past 15 years between over 25 captive and wild Great Horned Owls that have formed the basis of an in-depth vocal study on the species. Viewers will experience owl dating, divorce, territorial defense, and more as they learn about owl’s wide variety of vocalizations, and what they mean. Ruby the Great Horned Owl will make a live appearance in this one-of-a-kind entertaining and educational program.

Karla Bloem acquired Alice the Great Horned Owl to use in educational programs in 1998 and began studying Great Horned Owl vocalizations in 2004. Karla is now the world authority on their vocalizations and has given presentations in The Netherlands, Germany, Argentina, Italy, Portugal, and South Africa. Alice’s popularity led Karla to create the International Festival of Owls, the first full-weekend, allowl event in North America that has served as the inspiration for similar festivals in Italy, Nepal, and India. Karla and Alice testified before the Minnesota House and Senate environment committees to successfully gain protection for Great Horned Owls in 2005. She has assisted several authors and filmmakers and has appeared on Animal Planet and the CBC Network’s “The Secret Life of Owls.”

For all Redbud Audubon’s Zoom programs, participants are asked to register so the host can send you the link for the meeting. To register for the program, go to www.redbudaudubon.org., click on the current newsletter and use the link in the newsletter to connect to the registration form. After the form is completed and submitted, the meeting host will send you the link to the meeting. “This is a very simple and easy process, so please join us!” Redbud Audubon president, Roberta Lyons, urged.