This weekend of workshops is sponsored by the North Branch Nature Center as part of their Biodiversity University field courses for naturalists.

* This session was postponed from June to the fall due to the coronavirus. In order to keep everyone safe during this mostly outdoor workshop, we’ll be following a number of safety measures including a reduced group size of 10 participants or fewer. To learn more about the safety measures, click here and read the COVID-19 UPDATE. *

Sounds a bit strange, “slow birding.” Watching birds isn’t really fast in the first place and the pace of a birder in the field is already slow and methodical. But, it is possible to change how we approach traditional birding and what we get out of it. Slow Birding is a practice that builds a deeper observation of birds while at the same time creating a deeper connection to your self and the place you live.

Birding or bird watching is one of the top three hobbies in North America. People spend thousands of dollars a year on equipment, guides, birdseed, feeders, and travel in order to enjoy birds. Birds are everywhere, from cities to farmlands, from the mountains to the shorelines. Birding can be competitive and methodical or it can be mindful and meditative. Recent studies have shown that noticing birds can improve your mental health, reduce depression, and improve memory and attentiveness. Other research points out that just being in nature has the power to make us happier.

Bird Diva Bridget Butler will share the practice of Slow Birding and how you can awaken your innate birding skills and reconnect with nature. She’ll share a variety of techniques that will help you look at birds, listen to them and interpret their behavior that will not only build your skills as a naturalist but will provide you with a practice that will allow you to slow down and reconnect with the natural world.

Course Goals and Objectives

• Participants will learn how to create a practice of observing birds using the sit spot method

• Participants will learn the birding by impression approach to identifying birds

• Participants will develop skills to recognize bird vocalizations and describe what they’re hearing

• Participants will learn how to interpret a variety of bird behaviors

• Participants will reflect on biophilia & why health improves when we spend time in nature

  
  Required Materials and Recommended Reading

  Required:

  • Birding by Impression: A Simpler Method for Field Identification by Kevin T. Karlson

  • Birdwatching is an Easy Way to Practice Mindfulness - Tonic Magazine

  • Why & How You Should Start A Sit Spot Routine - Mother Nature Network

  Recommended:

  • What the Robin Knows by John Young

  • Birding by Impression by Kevin T. Karlson & Dale Rosselet

  • Stokes Nature Guides: Bird Behavior Volumes 1-3 by Donald & Lillian Stokes

  • Field Guide to Bird Sounds of Eastern North America by Nathan Pieplow

  
  Timing

  Course begins 9 AM on September 12th at North Branch Nature Center. Saturday dinner is at 6 pm. An optional evening session follows dinner.
  Course begins on Sunday at a time of the instructor's choosing. Course concludes by 5 PM on September 13th.

  
  Academic Credit / Professional Development

  This course qualifies for 1 graduate-level science credit for an additional $ 150-course fee. All BioU courses are accredited by Castleton University. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that home institutions will accept the credit. Participants pursuing academic credit will be required to complete an additional assignment above and beyond the course hours, including literature review, reflective writing, or a field-based project.

  This course qualifies for 20 hours of professional development hours and continuing education units. Certificates of completion are provided at the conclusion of the course.

  
  Cancellation Policy

  While we realize that unexpected circumstances arise that are out of our control, North Branch Nature Center cannot guarantee refunds for registrations canceled within 30 days of the course.  If a cancellation occurs within this window, NBNC will attempt to fill the space from our waitlist and provide a full refund.