Shannon Rio Presents KBO’s Community Education Winter Series (2021)

Cozy up and have fun this winter connecting with the birds! Shannon Rio will present four unique, interactive virtual events about our feathered friends via Zoom in January and February, 2021. At each event someone in the audience will win a gift certificate to a local Ashland business! You can choose to sign up for one or more of the events in the series. No previous bird knowledge is necessary and all are welcome!

All events in the Winter Series are FREE! Donations to the Klamath Bird Observatory are encouraged.

To sign up, email Shannon Rio at shannonrio@aol.com.

Series 1
Monday, January 4th
6-7:30pm

Birds: A light-hearted approach to learning about birds, places to bird, and bird song

There are a variety of ways to learn about birds. This class takes a playful approach! We’ll use bird jeopardy questions and try to guess some birds by the songs they sing. We’ll go on a journey and see several places to bird: at feeders, our favorite places near Ashland, Oregon, and Wildlife Refuges just a few hours away. We’ll also get a look into the worlds of local birds via poetry and beautiful photography. Come prepared to have fun!

Series 2
Monday, January 11th
6-7:30pm

Birds, Beauty, Art, and Nature (What’s in a Name…)

This visual and auditory presentation teaches about local birds while exploring how they got their common and Latin names. For example, why is a Killdeer called a Killdeer and what does its scientific name tell us? Using stories, scientific facts, photography, bird sounds and poetry, this is a fun opportunity to learn about the birds that live all around us.

Series 3 (Double Feature!)
Monday, January 18th
6-7:30pm

Part 1: Flicker Facts (Northern Flicker as a Keystone Species)

Some birds play a more complicated part in keeping other elements of the natural world alive and well. Northern Flickers are one of these birds. They require dead trees in which they make nesting holes for many species of mammals and other birds. They help humans by controlling ant populations. They are a food source for some hawks. This presentation explains the concept of being a keystone species: one that makes it so other parts of the natural world can survive. We will share some great photos that explain how Northern Flickers make the survival of many other species possible.

Part 2: Birds you Love to Hate

With photos and bird sounds, we’ll explore why some birds are so disliked and how humans are associated with the presence and abundance of these birds. Take the “hated” starling: While this species is invasive today in the U.S., in his time, Mozart had a pet starling that influenced his musical compositions, and he so admired the bird that he wrote a poem for it, and read the poem aloud at the bird’s funeral! (We will share Mozart’s poem in this presentation!) Come prepared to be informed and entertained, and bring a willingness to examine how we love to hate some birds that are a lot like us!

Series 4
Monday, February 1st
6-7:30pm

Wildlife Rehabilitation: Keeping Wild Birds Wild

In this presentation, meet some of the birds and dedicated people from the Badger Run Rehab Center in Keno, Oregon (and other centers nearby). Through images and storytelling, we will discover the process, work, and commitment involved in the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of birds who are orphaned, injured or sick. You will also meet ambassador birds that were unable to be returned to the wild, and now serve to educate the public.

(Please note that Klamath Bird Observatory is not a rehabilitation facility and does not provide rehabilitation services.)

“Let’s come together in the spirit of community, supporting conservation, and caring for and connecting with our beautiful natural world.” – Shannon Rio

Shannon Rio is president of the board of the Klamath Bird Observatory. She believes in protecting birds and wild places, and that sharing the love of birds connects us to them and to one another.