‘The Wonders of Woodland Warblers’

COURTESY
SPRINGFIELD, Vt. — Bridget Butler will present the OLLI-Osher Lifelong Learning Institute program on Tuesday, May 7. ‘The Wonders of Woodland Warblers’ will be presented at 2 p.m. at the Nolin Murray Center next to St. Mary’s Catholic Church on Pleasant Street in Springfield, Vermont.

Who are the wood warblers and why do birders lose their minds over them each spring? Discover that these small songbirds are not only incredibly colorful with necklaces and eye-rings, but beautiful songsters as well. And, they’re maddening! They’re quick, sometimes elusive and everyone’s in a rush to get a glimpse of a little warbler eye-candy before all the trees leaf out for the summer. There’s a lot to be on the lookout for! Join the ‘Bird Diva’ to learn more about the 41 documented species of warblers in Vermont, how to find them and get tips on how to look and listen for these winged jewels.

Bridget Butler, AKA the ‘Bird Diva,’ has been working in conservation and environmental education for more than 20 years throughout New England. Her business, Bird Diva Consulting, has her traveling across Vermont delivering presentations, leading bird walks, and surveying birds for landowners. Bridget has worked for the Audubon Society in Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts and helped to create Audubon Vermont’s Forest Bird Initiative. You may have heard her on Vermont Public Radio’s spring and fall bird shows on Vermont Edition. As the ‘Bird Diva,’ she feels it’s important that birders use their passion for birds to make a difference by helping to protect habitat for birds and other wildlife. Bridget lives in St. Albans with her husband and three young children whom she’s grooming to be the next stewards of this wild world we live in!

This program is co-sponsored by the Ascutney Mountain Audubon Society who will also be providing a free ‘Warbler Walk’ with Bridget following the program. The walk will be in Paradise Park in Windsor. Either meet at McDonald’s in Springfield at 5:30 p.m. to car pool, or meet at the Paradise Park across from the Price Chopper on Route 5 in Windsor at 6:15 p.m.

This is the final program of the OLLI Spring semester. Many interesting programs are planned for the Fall semester which begins on September 3. Watch for brochures in your local libraries, town offices and businesses in August or view the complete Springfield and state-wide program list on the internet at www.learn.uvm.edu/olli Choose State-wide programs from the menu, and then click on Springfield.