Green is the color of the rainforest, but along with the verdant lushness, all the hues of the spectrum are represented in the flora and fauna of tropical woodlands.  Bartramian President Jeffrey Hall will share images and stories of birds and other animals both familiar and exotic, vegetation in amazing profusion, and ancient civilizations that made Central America their home.  

Tessa Rhinehart is a PhD candidate at the University of Pittsburgh.  She is developing innovative methods to assess bird populations in areas where humans cannot readily survey, over a longer timeframe that is normally possible.  This information will greatly expand our knowledge of bird populations and allow conservation decisions to be made using more complete information.

Tessa will describe autonomous acoustic recorders that detect a wealth of bird sounds, along with the technology that allows researchers to identify those sounds.  She will discuss how this new mass of data will help efforts to protect birds and bird habitat.

An avid birder, Tessa’s interests also include science communications and developing open source tools for birders and biologists.

At our annual Awards Night on May 13, we will honor institutions, organizations, and individuals for their contributions to conservation. Students from Slippery Rock University and Westminster College will receive scholarships to assist in their study of wildlife and conservation issues. Landowners who have enrolled their property in Bartramian Audubon Society's "Wildlife Sanctuary" or "Bird and Butterfly Sanctuary" programs this year will be recognized and receive the signs that designate their participation.