Date: Friday, September 7, 2007 8pm
Speaker: Bill and Brian Robinson of Wildlife Lectures

Professional educators Bill and Brian Robinson will entertain and educate us with healthy, captive-bred animals including a hawk, an owl, a falcon, a vulture, an alligator, a snapping turtle, and some lizards and snakes. There will be demonstrations of flight and feeding. Audience participation is encouraged. Absolute safety - for both the animals and the humans - is assured. Join us - and bring a guest - for this first meeting at our new venue, the Rockland Country Day School in Congers.

Date: Friday, October 5, 2007 8pm
Speaker: Rich Cech

We all know that butterflies are insects covered with scales and are mostly flying about during the day, unlike their pals in the order Lepidoptera, the moths. We know that they have various stages in their lives, starting with the egg. But what do butterflies do all day? Rich Cech will tell us. He is one of the most renowned butterfly experts in the Northeast and he will explain - with beautiful illustrations - how swallowtails, hairstreaks, skippers, and others survive in an ever-changing eastern United States.
 

Global Warming: Science, Impact and Mitigation

Date: Friday, November 2, 2007 8pm
Speaker:  Dr. Michael Previdi, Lamont-Dougherty

Dr. Previdi's talk will focus on the subject of global warming and will consist of three parts: scientific basis, impacts and mitigation.  He will review the current state of scientific understanding of the problem, including how increasing concentrations of atmospheric greenhouse gases are linked to increasing global temperatures.  Recent observational evidence for global warming will be presented and attempts to attribute this warming to human activity will be discussed.  Dr. Previdi will then show projections of future climate change and assess some of the uncertainties in these projections.  The second component of the presentation will address impacts of global warming, including physical impacts such as sea level rise, as well as impacts on natural ecosystems.  Lastly, he will discuss some of the solutions that have been proposed to combat global warming.  These include carbon cap-and-trade programs, which set to assign an economic value to carbon emissions, and various “geoengineering” solutions, such as carbon sequestration (or storage) in the ocean.

From Black Gold to Black Oystercatcher:

Challenges and Opportunities in Alaska

Date: Friday, December 7, 2007 8pm
Speaker: Taldi Walter, Alaska Field Coordinator, National Audubon Society

Alaska is the largest of our states, encompassing more than 600,000 sq. miles of rugged mountains, grinding glaciers, endless tundra, diverse temperate rainforest, and winding coast lines. From the Spectacled Eider and Yellow-billed Loon found in America’s Arctic to the Black Oystercatcher and the Kittlitz’s Murrelet found on the southern coastline, Alaska’s birdlife diversity is astounding.  Alaska also has an abundance of other iconic wildlife species including grizzlies, caribou, Bald Eagles, humpback whales and wolves, many of which are endangered elsewhere. The current administration and some members of congress have advocated vastly accelerating the extraction of oil, gas, and mineral deposits in this important ecological area. Audubon seeks a balance between resource extraction and protecting internationally critical habitat.

Taldi Walter joined the National Audubon Society’s Public Policy Office in Washington DC as the Alaska Outreach Coordinator, after the completion of her Masters degree in Biology.  Taldi’s research took her to Brazil were she studied the exotic invasive plant species, Lonicera japonica.  During her first year with National Audubon Taldi traveled throughout the country taking Audubon members on a virtual tour to some of Alaska’s most stunning natural treasures through her multimedia presentation focused on top Alaska conservation issues. Taldi will present an informative slideshow showcasing some of the important natural areas and brilliant birds found in wild Alaska. The presentation will explore some of Alaska’s natural treasures set aside decades ago for the benefit of wildlife and the American public. She will highlight the imminent and compelling challenges and opportunities facing the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Tongass National Forest, Chugach National Forest, and National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska.

Date: Friday, January 4, 2008 8pm
Speaker: Dr. Robert DeCandido

Date: Friday, February 1, 2008 8pm
Speaker: Eric Lind, Constitution Marsh Audubon Center

Date: Friday, March 7, 2008 8pm
Speaker: Mike Morgan, Audubon New York

Date: Friday, April 4, 2008 8pm
Speaker: Dr. Alan Wells

From the rugged coastline of the Bay Region to the parched Colorado Desert, sample California’s flora and fauna. We’ll explore a number of unique habitats. While we’ll concentrate on the avian fauna, we’ll also touch on a wide diversity of plants and animals. Come and learn California’s secret wildlife spots from the natives!  

Alan and Della Wells, both originally from California, now reside in Tomkins Cove, NY. They are active members of Rockland Audubon Society; Della as President and Alan as Webmaster. Some of Alan’s photographs can be seen on the RAS website.

Date: Friday, May 2, 2008 8pm
Speaker: Carol Weiss

The mountains and forests of Taiwan create a constantly changing backdrop of blue and green. Rivers cut deep, windy gorges of gray and brown. The sea shows shades of blue and turquoise. Flowers bloom in pinks and purples. Hotels and temples are often predominantly red, laced with many hues. Join Carol as she recounts her trip to the island of Taiwan and the Hong Kong marshes.

Date: Friday, June 6, 2008 8pm
Speaker: John Rogers

Nationally recognized bluebird expert John Rogers will deliver his highly-acclaimed program, which looks at the life history of the Eastern Bluebird, nest box management, and other birds that creep into bluebird boxes. While the focus is primarily on bluebirds, John also shares his great passion for the natural world.

Rogers is a recipient of the John and Nora Lane Award for Bluebird Conservation from the North American Bluebird Society. He has kept an extensive trail of bluebird boxes and fledged more than 11,000 bluebirds.