FEB 8     

THE BIRDS OF FLORIDA

Brian F. Jorg, Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden 

There is no better time of year to take a virtual birding expedition to Florida than February. Join Brian Jorg, a renowned naturalist and photographer, on a visual journey to the warm climes of the Sunshine State, as we bird from John Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge on the Gulf side to the Anhinga Trail in the Everglades National Park. We will visit the Venice Rookery during the nesting season and go on to Merritt Island after a controlled burn for the Florida Scrub Jay. Join us as we explore the state of Florida in our armchair birding tour.

Brian F. Jorg is the Manager of Horticulture at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. Brian’s responsibilities include managing the Native Plant Program. Prior to joining the Zoo, Brian was a horticulturist at Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum for 15 years. Brian appears regularly on both TV and radio as a regional horticulture expert. Brian’s passion is outdoor photography and his photographs have been published in various books, magazines, field guides, calendars, etc. Brian travels extensively, often more than 20,000 miles a year, on photographic trips to such destinations as Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Alaska, and the Yucatan. Brian has also led trips to Kenya and the Peruvian rainforest. 

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MAR 15

BUT I THOUGHT I WAS A TEACHER! LESSONS LEARNED FROM A CHILDREN’S GARDEN

 Meet at 218 Pearson Hall, Miami University

Mary L. Keppler, Department of Botany, Miami University 

Gardening is the perfect tool to teach students about plant- animal relationships, and instill a sense of conservation for future generations.  After a summer teaching six through twelve year olds in a children’s garden in Oxford, Ohio I have found that I learned just as much as my students did.  I will share my experiences in the field of botanical education and how my notions of leadership were reformed into an open conversation with the students themselves.

Mary Lee Keppler earned her bachelor’s degree from Miami University in 2005 and is currently a master’s degree student studying botanical education.  She has completed two internship experiences involving the development of standards based curricula at children’s gardens in both Oxford and Cincinnati, Ohio and is the instructor for field botany, an entry-level plant identification course for undergraduates.  She intends to pursue a career as an education coordinator at a botanical garden or similar institution upon reception of her master’s degree in May 2010.

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 APR 12

           MOHICAN – A BACKYARD JOURNEY NORTH AND SOUTH

Steve McKee, Director, Gorman Nature Center

The forests of Mohican harbor a wealth of plants and animals. Because of its diverse and unusual habitats, Mohican serves as a crossroad for flora and fauna from north and south. Mohican can be the Canadian north woods, dry Appalachian oak forests and rich central-Ohio forest all rolled into one fantastic park. This program will focus on the stunning and surprising natural history of our Mohican backyard and the citizen-led efforts to protect it. Mohican has been in the center of two interesting and controversial conservation issues involving the Division of Forestry and Columbia Gas.

Steve McKee has been director of the Gorman Nature Center and the Richland County Park District since 1978. He grew up in Mansfield, graduated from Miami University with a master's degree in botany, ran an environmental education school in the mountains of Kentucky, is married and has two sons. He is enthusiastic about native plants and birds and is currently working on surveys of Richland County wild plants and the plants and breeding birds of Mohican Forest.
 

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 APR 19

HERE THEY COME LET’S HAVE SOME FUN

Dave Russell, Department of Zoology, Miami University

   Meet in 218 Pearson Hall, Miami University 

A wave of neo-tropical migrants is descending upon Oxford and the surrounding area. They began arriving just a few weeks ago and now they are beginning to fill the forest and fields with the melodious songs of spring. Your eyes may not deceive you but your ears are another question. It isn’t easy! Join Dave Russell for an evening of fun with a refresher course designed to hone your identification skills.

Dave Russell teaches introductory and advanced ornithology courses. Dave is a certified bird bander and trainer. Through the Avian Research and Education Institute, whose mission is “to protect and conserve avian populations through research, education, and advocacy” many area residents and students have learned about birds and the thrill of bird banding by visiting Dave’s banding stations. Bird banding is a powerful took with which to teach conservation lessons and become an advocate for the birds.

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MAY 10

PARAGUAY:  FROM IGUAZU FALLS TO THE CHACO

- INSIGHTS INTO IT’S FLORA, FAUNA, AND CULTURE. 

Neil and Heidi Poppendeck

Paraguay, a landlocked country in South America, is home to 5.2 million people, over 700 species of birds, 167 species of mammals, 157 species of reptiles, 82 species of amphibians, an unknown number of insects and plants, and 200 Peace Corp volunteers.  Join us as we explore the fauna, flora, and culture of Paraguay as seen from both a tourist and Peace Corp Volunteer perspective.  This presentation will extend from the mighty World Heritage Site Iguaza Falls, through the Pantanal in Neembucu to the “Green Hell” of the western Gran Chaco.  

Neil Poppendeck, a long time member of AMV and currently on the AMV Board of Directors, visited Paraguay twice in the past year.  His daughter, Heidi, is a Peace Corp Volunteer in Paraguay and the two of them had the opportunity to travel with a guide and ornithologist from the research group Fauna Paraguay.  In the area of the western Gran Chaco, Heidi and Neil were the only Americans to visit that area in 2008.  Heidi should be back in the US in May 2009, and between the two of them, a very unique program should be presented. Authentic Paraguayan food will be available for tasting after the presentation.