Friday, January 2nd: Zoom presentation
Presentation begins at 7:00. 
Presented by: Stella Miller

While many birds fly south in winter to escape the cold, some species make Long Island their winter destination.  Join us for an engaging look at some of the fascinating birds that migrate to our region.   We will briefly dive into the fascinating adaptions that help these birds survive the coldest months- like specialized feeding strategies, cold weather camouflage, and energy saving behaviors.

Please register on the form below to get the link to the presentation:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/eGT0z6-IRU6CIlUKhEmqbw#/registration 

Stella Miller is the Communication, Education, and Outreach Manager at Wild Birds Unlimited of Syosset and the former president of Huntington-Oyster Bay Audubon, a position she held for 10 years  She has been deeply involved in bird conservation since 2006.  She co-founded the Preserve Plum Island Coalition.  She has coordinated habitat restoration initiatives, mentored youth, launched national campaigns to protect raptors, and presented live bird of prey programs. Stella is a member of the Palisades Interstate Parks League of Naturalists.  She has participated in Harriman State Park wildlife surveys and is presently working on a guide to the birds of Harriman.  She is an experienced public speaker and presents on a wide range of bird related topics.

Friday, December 5th: Congers Lake Community Center – 6 Gilchrest Road, Congers, NY
Doors open for refreshments at 7:00. Program begins at 7:30. 
Presented by: Chris Evers, Animal Embassy

Join Naturalist Chris Evers for a journey to the mountains of Michoacán Mexico. Evers has travelled extensively around the globe in search of some of the most rare and endangered creatures. This trip was not to track down mountain gorillas, tigers, polar bears or rhinos but instead, one of the most spectacular events on the planet, the migration of the Monarch butterfly.

Friday, November 7th: Congers Lake Community Center – 6 Gilchrest Road, Congers, NY
Doors open for refreshments at 7:00. Program begins at 7:30. 
Presented by: Suzanne Barclay

Join us for an informational and interesting two- part program. https://www.mobilize.us/audubon-chapters/event/864093/
  
Reports of the harmful effects of plastic waste appear regularly in the news these days.  We know the impact of plastic pollution on seabirds and other marine life but are other birds such as songbirds and raptors affected.?  Suzanne will present a brief overview of the effects of plastic pollution in the environment.  A retired planner, Suzanne is the treasurer of Rockland Audubon Society and co-founder of the Beyond Plastics Rockland Chapter.
 
Suzanne will be followed by a short video called Woodpecker Wars.  Learn how red cockaded woodpeckers thrive at Ford Bragg Army Base in North Carolina amidst fires and explosions caused by Army training maneuvers. 

Congers Lake Community Center – 6 Gilchrest Road, Congers, NY

Doors open for refreshments at 7:00. Program begins at 7:30. 

Presented by: Sasha Boucher, Tenafly Nature Center

Meet a live hawk and owl and learn how each animal's shape and other adaptations help it to survive. Discover what birds of prey need to survive and how people can reduce their impact on all avian species. Identify how the shape of a bird assists it in flight and what specific adaptations enable diurnal and nocturnal raptors to obtain food in their habitats.

Sasha has been an Environmental Educator for over 10 years, working in the Hudson Valley. She has particular experience in working with native animals and a degree in Veterinary Technology from Mercy College. She is an avid beekeeper and native plant gardener and loves teaching kids how amazing our natural world is. She spends her free time with her family and cats, surrounded by way too many orchids!

August 3 (Sunday) Kakiat County Park
Meet Catherine Parker at 7:30 am at the entrance to the park 
914-319-1396

July 6 (Sunday) Kakiat County Park
Meet Catherine Parker at 7:30 am at the entrance to the park 
914-319-1396

May 2nd - Congers Lake Community Center – 6 Gilchrest Road, Congers, NY
Doors open for refreshments at 7:00. Program begins at 7:30. 
Presented by: Anne Swaim, Executive Director of Saw Mill River Audubon.

Explore the thirty-five species of wood warblers that have been sighted in Rockland County from the often-seen and heard Common Yellowthroat and Yellow Warblers to rarer prizes like Connecticut and Mourning Warblers with a rainbow of colors in between. ID tips, sounds, and habitat and conservation notes will be included with references from The Warbler Book and Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Bird Academy and other recommended resources to learn more about warblers.

Anne Swaim is Executive Director of Saw Mill River Audubon, a local chapter of National Audubon based in Westchester County New York. She began as Staff Naturalist and sole employee of Saw Mill River Audubon in 1989. Anne has served as Executive Director since 2004 and works together with a board of directors, dozens of volunteers and four staff to maintain eight wildlife sanctuaries and present over 200 free public programs & field trips annually to connect people with nature.

Congers Lake Community Center – 6 Gilchrest Road, Congers, NY Doors open for refreshments at 7:00. Program begins at 7:30. Presented by: Christine Toth: Conservation Chair, Rockland Audubon Society

Do you know which NY State Threatened and Endangered Species have been seen recently in Rockland? Please join us for this presentation where we will learn about threatened and endangered species close to home and what can be done to 
protect them.  We will also overview various conservation concerns in Rockland including loss of habitat and dark skies. Lastly, we will learn about how you can help with bird conservation efforts at your own home through Rockland Audubon Society's new Certified Bird Sanctuary  and Windows Collision Programs. 

RAS is co-sponsoring this event with the Lower Hudson Group of Sierra Club
Online - Zoom information:

Please open the link below for the zoom meeting information:
Click here to join the Zoom Meeting.
Or call: 1 (929)205-6099
Meeting ID: 868 8244 5856

Wildlife populations have declined steeply since the 1970s. Like climate change, the
extinction crisis is approaching critical tipping points with about one million animal and plant species threatened with extinction and many more declining. Extinctions and loss of biodiversity pose a grave threat to future generations.                                                  
Noah Greenwald, Director of Endangered Species for the Center for Biological Diversity, will speak to us about the scope and magnitude of the crisis. He’ll explain the causes, the impacts we can expect to see in coming decades on mammals, amphibians, insects, and human wellbeing, and solutions. He’ll outline what we must do to pass on to future generations a world where the wild can still thrive.

Congers Lake Community Center – 6 Gilchrest Road, Congers, NY Doors open for refreshments at 7:00pm. Program begins at 7:15pm. Watch the New Shorebird Documentary “Flyways” followed by discussion led by Cheryl Stroud, Vice President of RAS.

Shorebirds fly thousands of miles each year along ancient and largely unknown migratory routes called Flyways. More than 200 species, such as Far Eastern Curlews, Lesser Yellowlegs, Red Knots and Hudsonian Godwits, travel from feeding grounds in the southern hemisphere to breeding grounds in the Arctic and back again, flying up to nine days non-stop without food or water.

But their populations are crashing amidst climate change and urban development. Follow a conservation movement of bird-loving experts and citizen scientists as they mobilize to the challenge of understanding and saving shorebirds.

See less

Congers Lake Community Center – 6 Gilchrest Road, Congers, NY Doors open for refreshments at 7:00. Program begins at 7:30. Presented by: Anne Swaim, Executive Director of Saw Mill River Audubon.

More than 30 species of waterfowl might be seen in the winter around Rockland County and the Lower Hudson Valley. Many of these birds may have hatched as far north as Hudson Bay and come here to spend the winter. Others nest locally. Find out how to sort them out and where to see them. Also, learn about the New York State Waterfowl Count, which takes place every mid-January.

Nature Program for Friday December 6th

Please join us for a Zoom presentation. Program will begin at 7pm.

After registering you will receive a confirmation email.

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUpceyvrz0oE9SfMv4CJihuhQY_-98xryWq#/registration

Owls are mysterious and charismatic birds that have intrigued humans for centuries with their mysterious behaviors and unique adaptations.

In this program, Stella Miller will take us on a journey into the fascinating world of owls as we uncover the secrets of these nocturnal hunters, exploring their life history, amazing adaptations and the individual species that call NYS home.

As much as plants and animals need light, they also need the dark.  At a moment when we are facing a crisis in extinctions, scientific studies document that light pollution disrupts wildlife and plants, impacts human health, and contributes to climate change.  The loss of dark skies also blocks our most ancient connection with the universe.

From the beginning of time, light and dark, day and night, have been the great clock that orchestrates life on earth.  In addition to the impacts on migrating birds and all other wildlife, we are also losing part of our birthright that joins us with all the generations, the sense of awe at the stars in the night sky.

Mark Grosz, from DarkSky International, will discuss the ecological impacts of the loss of dark skies.  The good news is that we can begin to restore darker skies with relatively simple solutions. 

We will address regional and Rockland specific issues following the talk by Mark Grosz and Q&A. 

Click HERE to join Zoom Meeting. 

Or call: 1 929 205 6099 / Meeting ID: 813 3013 6167

Doors open for refreshments at 7:00pm. Program begins at 7:30pm at Congers Lake Memorial Park Community Center - 6 Gilchrest Road, Congers, NY.

Please join us for the Christmas Bird Count presentation by Alan and Della Wells.  This marks the 125th consecutive year the survey will be conducted by the National Audubon Society. Alan and Della will explain how the count is conducted, what we might find and how you can participate in this community science project. We will also hear about the history of the CBC including the RAS’s first ever Christmas Bird Count.

October Big Day will take place on Oct. 12th!
Open the link below for more information:
https://globalbirding.org/home

Meadowlands Birding Festival - 2 Dekorte Park Plaza, Lyndhurst, NJ click here for additional info

Doors open for refreshments at 7:00pm. Program begins at 7:30pm at Congers Lake Memorial Park Community Center - 6 Gilchrest Road, Congers, NY. An Inordinate Fondness: Sharing Our World (and Gardens) with Insects presented by Brittney Hahn

Our world runs on insects! Despite their gruesome reputation, insects are integral parts of our lives and the environment around us, from the rainforests of the Amazon to the urban jungle of Manhattan. They are fascinatingly diverse and interesting animals in their own right, and perform crucial ecosystem services such as pollination, pest control, and being a rich food source (for birds and humans alike!). Please join us for this presentation where we will learn about the natural history of insects, their social and natural significance, and introduce some of those right here in our backyards in Rockland. We will also have the chance to examine some prepared insect specimens from our area.