provided to The Santiva Chronicle

The Sanibel-Captiva Audubon Society is excited to announce the organization’s upcoming 2022 Lecture Series starting at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 6 at the Sanibel Community House, 2173 Periwinkle Way. San-Cap Audubon will host a wonderful array of presenters ranging from local biologists, conservations and photographers to a New York Time’s best-selling author.
The first week’s presentation will kick off with Florida Gulf Coast University professor and host of WGCU’s radio show “With the Wild Things”, Dr. Jerry Jackson. Dr. Jackson will focus on Heron & Egret diets, feeding habits and their unique adaptations to consume their daily meals.
“We are very excited for our upcoming lecture series. We are excited not only for our diversity of topics and presenters, but we are simply excited to see familiar faces, in person, that we haven’t seen since 2019,” exclaimed Phyllis Gresham, San-Cap Audubon’s board President. “We are also excited to announce that the board members decided to bring in renown author and naturalist Scott Weidensaul,” elated Gresham.

Scott Weidensaul’s presentation will revolve around his new book, “A World on the Wing” which dives into the science and wonder of bird migration. “We are truly eager to see and hear from all of our presenters and hope the community will be as well,” mentioned Gresham. The lineup for San-Cap Audubon’s lecture series is as follows:
Jan. 6, 2022 – “Heron Foraging Behavior” – Herons & Egrets are part of one family, yet dine differently. Dr. Jerry Jackson, of FGCU and host of WGCU’s radio show, “With the Wild Things” will focus on the Heron & Egret family’s diets, feeding habitats, and unique adaptations to consume their daily meals.
Jan. 13, 2022 – “History of Shorebird Conservation on Sanibel and Captiva” – Local shorebird biologist, Audrey Albrecht, will divulge the history of the Islands’ shorebird conservations partnerships and celebrate the 20-year anniversary of the Snowy Plover Project.
Jan. 20, 2022 – “Swallow-tailed Kite and Snail Kite Conservation – Contrasting ecology, identical threats” – Dr. Ken Meyer, founder of Avian Research Conservation Institute (ARCI), will summarize what ARCI’s research has taught us about the conservation ecology of Swallow-tailed Kites and Snail Kites, including how our actions – and inactions – cloud their futures. Most importantly, however, we will see how informed management and skillful conservation planning can capitalize on these birds’ natural resilience to build sustainable populations.
Jan. 27, 2022 – “Adrift in a Sea of Red: Brevetoxicosis in Seabirds” – Local Red Tide blooms have devastating effects on a myriad of local fauna. But, through tragedy comes innovation. CROW’s Dr. Heather Barron will discuss Red Tide’s effects on local bird species and CROW’s newly developed treatment modalities.
Feb. 3, 2022 – “Birding the Sky Islands of Southeast Arizona” – Join Peter Hawrylyshyn as he takes you on a photographic journey to one of the nation’s legendary birding hot spots. Using his superb photographs, the talk will focus on the unique biomes and climate of the region, the impact of global warming, the logistics of planning a trip and where/when to find many of the specialty species.
Feb. 10, 2022 – “Wetlands, Water and Wood Storks” – Join Dr. Shawn Clem as she discusses what Audubon scientists are uncovering about recent hydrological change in Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary’s wetlands and a possible correlation with declining Wood Stork nesting.
Feb. 17, 2022 – “A World on the Wing” – The San-Cap Audubon Society is proud to present New York Times bestselling author, Scott Weidensaul. Mr. Weidensaul’s extensive fieldwork and passion for ornithology has helped him unveil the science and wonder of bird migration.
Feb. 24, 2022 – “Rookery Monitoring and other Resource Management within the SWFL Aquatic Preserves” – It ‘takes a village’ to monitor and manage Rookery Islands in our area. Birds utilize Rookery Islands from Estero all the way up to Charlotte Harbor. Enjoy a 2-for-1 presentation including Abrianna Sadler from Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission and Arielle Taylor-Manges from Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection as they shine a light on the area’s local “Wading and Diving Bird Rookery Monitoring Program.”
Sanibel-Captiva Audubon Society will host their lectures every Thursday evening at the Community House, 2173 Periwinkle Way. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., lectures start at 7 p.m. A suggested $10 donation per person is always appreciated.
In order to offset the spread of COVID-19, masks are expected and social distancing is encouraged during lectures to provide our audience with the safest environment possible. San-Cap Audubon board members thank you for your cooperation.
San-Cap Audubon also hosts Bird Walks every Saturday starting Jan. 1 at 9 a.m. A schedule for bird walks, lectures and more information about the Sanibel-Captiva Audubon Society can be found at their website www.san-capaudubon.org.
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