Birding By Ear and a Guided Bird Walk With The Bird Diva at The Nature Museum

Do you smile at the sight of spring's first robin? Does the chirp of a chickadee stop you in your tracks? Break out the binoculars and mark your calendars: on May 15th and May 16th, The Nature Museum at Grafton is teaming up with Bridget Butler, The Bird Diva, to provide three unique birding programs! Bridget has been a naturalist for more than 20 years, playing matchmaker for our wildscape here in Vermont and the people who call this place home. Her mission is to tap into each person's innate passion for nature through exploration and deep listening.

On Friday, May 15th, Bridget will give a free public talk entitled "Birding By Ear" from 7 PM to 9 PM at the Newsbank Conference Center in Chester, VT. Join us for a spring tune-up as we learn to train our ears to hear the differences in bird song. We'll break down song using phonetics, descriptions and drawings. Increase your ability to identify birds by sound with some simple skills to add to your repertoire. This is a lively program full of gorgeous bird song and useful tips which will have you tuned into the world around you like never before. Doors will open at 6:30 PM. This program is free and appropriate for ages eight and up. Donations are welcome. Light refreshments will be served.

Bridget will lead a guided bird walk the next morning Saturday May 16th from 7 AM to 10 AM at Herrick's Cove. Herrick's Cove is a river delta and riparian habitat along the Connecticut River which is listed as one of Vermont Audubon's "Very Important Bird Areas". This migratory stopover boasts more than 220 bird species. Important species include a large diversity of migratory land birds, shorebirds, and waterfowl. Join us as Bridget leads our group through this special birding area and helps us spot and identify our feathered friends. This Guided Bird Walk is appropriate for adults and requires pre-registration at: www.nature-museum.org. The Guided Bird Walk program is $25 per person if registered and paid for by May 6. After May 6, the price is $30 per person. Availability is limited so please register early to avoid disappointment. Walk-ins cannot be accepted.

In addition to the FREE program "Birding By Ear" and the Guided Bird Walk with Bridget Butler, The Nature Museum is also offering a special youth program featuring the Bird Diva on Saturday May 15th. Visit www.nature-museum.org to learn more and register for any or all of these amazing events with Bridget Butler.