NH Audubon

Owls of New Hampshire - live animal program
2021-07-20 19:00 - 20:15 (America/New_York) | Red Barn, 41 North Shore Road, Hebron, NH, United States
Red Barn Series, Newfound Audubon
No registration necessary – just come and join us!
Presented by: Squam Lakes Science Center
Great Horned Owl, Squam Lakes Science Center.
Who calls in the night? Who glides on shadowy wings in silent flight? What makes owls such extraordinary night hunters? A Squam Lakes Natural Science Center naturalist will introduce you to some of our state’s owls to help you find out what is myth or fact about these amazing nocturnal birds.
Please park across the street at Ash Cottage. Download a map here.
Special thanks to our series sponsor:

The State of New Hampshire’s Birds
2021-07-13 19:00 - 20:15 | Red Barn, 41 North Shore Road, Hebron, NH, United States
Red Barn Series, Newfound Audubon
No registration necessary – just come and join us!
Speaker: Dr. Pamela Hunt, Senior Biologist- Avian Conservation, NH Audubon
In the last 50 years, scientists estimate that North America has lost roughly 3 billion birds, meaning that there are only three quarters as many birds around as there used to be. New Hampshire Audubon has been tracking bird populations for almost as long, and in our “State of the Birds” report we present a summary of how birds are doing here in the Granite State. Almost 300 species occur regularly here, and this report outlines general population trends, major threats facing birds and their habitats, and some of the conservation strategies that might help them recover. The bad news is that birds are declining here as well. The good news is that there are things we can do about it.
Please park across the street at Ash Cottage. Download a map here.
Pam Hunt has been interested in birds since the tender age of 12, when an uncle took her to Brigantine National Wildlife Refuge in NJ. She went on to earn a B.S. in biology from Cornell University, M.A. in zoology from the University of Montana, and a Ph.D. from Dartmouth College in 1995. Pam came to NH Audubon in 2000 after five years as adjunct faculty at Colby-Sawyer College in New London. In her current position as Avian Conservation Biologist, she works closely with NH Fish and Game to coordinate and prioritize bird research and monitoring in the state, and also authored NH’s “State of the Birds” report. Specific areas of interest include habitat use by early successional birds (particularly whip-poor-wills), conservation of aerial insectivores (e.g., swifts and swallows), and the effects of events outside the breeding season on long-distance migrants. Pam also coordinated the “NH Dragonfly Survey,” a five-year project that mapped distributions of these insects throughout the state, and remains active in the dragonfly field.
Special thanks to our series sponsor:

Saturday Birding with Doug Bechtel
2021-06-26 08:00 - 09:00, 2021-06-12 08:00 - 09:00, 2021-05-29 08:00 - 09:00, 2021-05-15 08:00 - 09:00, 2021-05-01 08:00 - 09:00 | Massabesic Center, 26 Audubon Way, Auburn, NH, United States
Join NH Audubon President, Doug Bechtel, for a casual birding walk at Massabesic Center in Auburn. There is no registration necessary; this is a free program. Doug will head out from the center at 8am for a one-hour exploration. (Note: the location alternates each week from McLane Center to Massabesic Center.)
Photo: Orchard Oriole, by Len Medlock.

Where Have all the Monarchs Gone?
2021-06-22 19:00 - 20:30 | NH
The Monarch Butterfly has been a common site during late summer in New Hampshire. But some years you see them, and some years you don’t. We’ll discuss what’s behind their fluctuating population and how we can help improve their numbers. Donna has been assisting Monarch Watch, tagging and releasing monarchs each fall. She’ll share slides of her Monarch Way Station and Monarch Maternity Ward, two gardens designed specifically to attract monarchs. We’ll discuss the research work being done, and answer the elusive question, “How do you tag a monarch anyway?”
Register for this free webinar through Zoom.

This webinar is part of the year-long Exploring Connections to and Stewardship of the Natural World talks. This series is supported by a grant through the NH Humanities Council and aims to provide a public and personal space for the examination of environmental ethics, fostering a deeper understanding of, appreciation for, and care of, our natural world. Programs are free to the public, and streamed via Zoom, YouTube, and Facebook Live.
For more information and to see the entire slate of talks, visit our series webpage.
Speaker Bio:
Donna Miller is from Petals in the Pines, a diverse small farm in Canterbury. It includes a pick-your-own flower operation, walking trails and labyrinths, and an Arbor Day certified Nature Explore Outdoor Classroom where she conducts programs for children. She maintains several gardens that include plants selected to attract and sustain monarch butterflies and other pollinators. Donna has been a citizen scientist for Monarch Watch since 2008 and helps with the tracking of monarchs during their fall migration.

Saturday Birding with Doug Bechtel
2021-06-19 08:00 - 09:00, 2021-06-05 08:00 - 09:00, 2021-05-22 08:00 - 09:00, 2021-05-08 08:00 - 09:00 | McLane Center, 84 Silk Farm Road, Concord, NH, 03301, United States
Join NH Audubon President, Doug Bechtel, for a casual birding walk at McLane Center in Concord. There is no registration necessary; this is a free program. Doug will head out from the center at 8am for a one-hour exploration. (Note: the location alternates each week from McLane Center to Massabesic Center.)
Photo: Orchard Oriole, by Len Medlock.

Becoming a MOTH-er
2021-06-15 19:00 - 20:30 | NH
Once only thought of as annoyances, moths are now being appreciated for their beauty, diversity, ecological role, pollination duties, and economic value. With more than 10x the number of species as their butterfly cousins, these [mostly] nocturnal fliers show at least as much variation in color, life history strategies, and importance. This talk will explore myths, how to observe moths, and how to participate in a number of moth-related citizen science projects…just in time for National Moth Week.
Register for this free webinar through Zoom.

This webinar is part of the year-long Exploring Connections to and Stewardship of the Natural World talks. This series is supported by a grant through the NH Humanities Council and aims to provide a public and personal space for the examination of environmental ethics, fostering a deeper understanding of, appreciation for, and care of, our natural world. Programs are free to the public, and streamed via Zoom, YouTube, and Facebook Live.
For more information and to see the entire slate of talks, visit our series webpage.
Speaker Bio:
Jerry Skinner recently retired as Professor Emeritus from Keystone College after 38 years of teaching all sorts of biology and after 30 years as Resident Naturalist at The Nature Conservancy’s Woodbourne Preserve in NE PA. He describes himself as an ever-curious naturalist, always finding something to learn about Mother Nature. This journey has taken him to study fish, birds, marine life, salamanders and insects. Most recently he has become a real moth-er. He identified more than 660 species of moths in his PA backyard. Recently having moved to Ithaca, he can’t wait to participate in New York’s 3rd Breeding Bird Atlas project.

A World on the Wing: The Global Odyssey of Migratory Birds
2021-06-09 19:30 - 20:30 | NH
This event has been cancelled.
Stay tuned for a rescheduled date in the future.
New Hampshire Audubon Seacoast Chapter
Wednesday June 9, 2021 7:30 pm Eastern Time (US and Canada) Zoom Program – A World on the Wing: The Global Odyssey of Migratory Birds
Even as scientists make astounding discoveries about the navigational and physiological feats that enable migratory birds to cross immense oceans or fly above the highest mountains, go weeks without sleep or remain in unbroken flight for months at a stretch, humans have brought many migrants to the brink. Based on his newest book, “A World on the Wing,” author and researcher Scott Weidensaul takes you around the globe-with researchers in the lab probing the limits of what migrating birds can do, to the shores of the Yellow Sea in China, to the remote mountains of northeastern India where tribal villages saved the greatest gathering of falcons on the planet, and the Mediterranean where activists and police battle bird poachers-to learn how people are fighting to understand and save the world’s great bird migrations.
Bio: Scott Weidensaul is the author of more than two dozen books on natural history, including the Pulitzer Prize finalist “Living on the Wind,” “Return to Wild America” and “The First Frontier.” His newest book, “A World on the Wing” about global migration, was released in March 2021. Weidensaul is a contributing editor for National Audubon, a columnist for Bird Watcher’s Digest and writes for a variety of other publications, including Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Living Bird. He is also an active field researcher, studying Northern Saw-whet Owl migration for more than two decades, as well as winter hummingbirds, bird migration in Alaska, and the winter movements of Snowy Owls through Project SNOWstorm, which he co-founded.All are welcome to attend our Wednesday May 12, 2021 program via Zoom. The Zoom program Meeting begins at 7:30 PM, but feel free to sign on early after 7 pm to socialize. You may need to download Zoom to attend the program.

For more information see our website.
The Seacoast Chapter of NH Audubon thanks AARP New Hampshire for their sponsorship.
Photo: Scott Weidensaul (©Chris DeSorbo)

Support NH Audubon During NHGives
2021-06-09 00:00 - 17:00, 2021-06-08 17:00 - 23:59 | NH
On June 8 and 9, 2021, starting at 5pm on June 8, visit us at NHGives and make a donation to help us reach our goal of $10,000 and 39 new donors! Your donation could be DOUBLED by our match of $4,400 during the Early Bird opportunity, and you can help unlock an extra $3,900 by being one of 39 first-time donors. All giving will end at 5pm on June 9, so make sure to get your gift in on time!

Schedule of Opportunity:

June 8:

5pm-9pm: At the top of every hour, your gift could be matched dollar for dollar, up to $250, thanks to support from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation and its donors.

June 9:

Midnight June 8 – 11:59am (noon) June 9: The early bird gets the worm! Thanks to our generous Board member, Betsy Janeway, gifts made tomorrow morning could be doubled by a match of $4,400.
8am, 9am, 12noon, 3pm & 4pm: At the top of every hour, your gift could be matched dollar for dollar, up to $250, thanks to support from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation and its donors.
12noon: Tune into NH Give’s livestream at NHGives.org to watch a special video featuring NH Audubon President Doug Bechtel
3:30pm: Q&A with NH Audubon Senior Biologist Becky Suomala on Facebook Live

Native Predatory Wasps: Their Role as Pollinators and Beneficial Insects
2021-06-08 19:00 - 20:30 | NH
Native bees and predatory wasps share the same lineage and also share many behaviors and habitat requirements. Predatory wasps feed their offspring invertebrates (insects and spiders) and bees diverged from this carnivorous diet to feed their offspring plant-based food (pollen and nectar). Flower-rich landscapes provide critical habitat for both adult bees and wasps because they each consume flower nectar; in addition, wasps need diverse, flower-rich landscapes to hunt for their prey. Heather will highlight many amazing natural history and biology facts about native wasps illustrating their nesting habitat, prey specificity, and the ecosystems services they provide—pest insect population control and pollination.
Register for this free webinar through Zoom.

This webinar is part of the year-long Exploring Connections to and Stewardship of the Natural World talks. This series is supported by a grant through the NH Humanities Council and aims to provide a public and personal space for the examination of environmental ethics, fostering a deeper understanding of, appreciation for, and care of, our natural world. Programs are free to the public, and streamed via Zoom, YouTube, and Facebook Live.
For more information and to see the entire slate of talks, visit our series webpage.
Speaker Bio:
Heather Holm is a biologist, pollinator conservationist, and award-winning author. In addition to assisting with native bee research projects, she informs and educates audiences nationwide, through her writing and many presentations, about the fascinating world of native pollinators and beneficial insects, and the native plant communities that support them. Her first book, Pollinators of Native Plants, was published in 2014, and her second book, Bees, published in 2017, has won six book awards including the 2018 American Horticultural Society Book Award. Her forthcoming book, Wasps, will be available in January 2021. Heather’s expertise includes the interactions between native pollinators and native plants, and the natural history and biology of native bees and predatory wasps occurring in the Upper Midwest and Northeast.

Nighthawk Watch Volunteer Training
2021-06-03 17:30 - 18:30 | NH
It’s nearly time for the first Common Nighthawks to return. These insect-eating birds were once common in cities throughout New Hampshire, but they are now endangered in the state. Volunteers have been helping NH Audubon and the Harris Center track nesting nighthawks since 2007, primarily in Concord, Keene, and the Ossipee pine barrens. Volunteers watch at specific sites from 8:00 – 9:30 pm recording any nighthawk activity. If you are interested in volunteering, there will be an online training on June 3 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. via Zoom. We will provide an introduction to nighthawk identification and instructions for nighthawk watching. Closed captioning will be available. To get the login details, please register here. Contact Becky Suomala (rsuomala@nhaudubon.org) if you have questions regarding volunteering.
Common Nighthawk female nesting on a stone rooftop. Photo by Rebecca Suomala.
Co-sponsored by the Harris Center for Conservation Education, NH Audubon, and Keene State College.

Native Bees of New England - their Diversity and Natural History
2021-06-01 19:00 - 20:30 | NH
How many kinds of bees can you name: honey bees, bumble bees, sweat bees perhaps? Most people are familiar with our non-native honey bees and their role in pollinating commercial crops, but few are aware of the great diversity of native bees that we have in our region and the roles that they play in pollinating our indigenous plants.
Join High School Biology Teacher and Native Bee Enthusiast Michael Veit for a presentation about the wild bees of our region, their diversity, beauty, importance, and fascinating life histories.
Register for this free webinar through Zoom.

This webinar is part of the year-long Exploring Connections to and Stewardship of the Natural World talks. This series is supported by a grant through the NH Humanities Council and aims to provide a public and personal space for the examination of environmental ethics, fostering a deeper understanding of, appreciation for, and care of, our natural world. Programs are free to the public, and streamed via Zoom, YouTube, and Facebook Live.
For more information and to see the entire slate of talks, visit our series webpage.

Jeffreys Ledge Pelagic Birding Trip
2021-05-31 08:00 - 17:00 | Rye Harbor, 1870 Ocean Blvd (Rte 1A), Rye, NH, 03870, United States
This trip is sold out.
Location: Rye Harbor, NH
Monday, May 31 (Memorial Day), 8 am – 5 pm
Cost: $70 M/$90 NM
Join NH Audubon aboard MV Granite State as we explore Jeffreys Ledge, 20 miles off the New Hampshire coast. We’ll spend all day at sea, searching for pelagic seabirds, whales, dolphins, and anything else that happens to cross our course. Once you register, you will receive confirmation and further information. Participants need to meet at Rye Harbor at 7:30am for check-in and 8am departure. Minimum of 30 participants, maximum of 40 due to COVID-19 restrictions. Pre-registration required. ​
(To register for Intro to Pelagic Wildlife, see the event for May 30.)
Photo: Great Shearwater, by Amanda Boyd, USFWS

Intro to Pelagic Wildlife
2021-05-30 15:00 - 16:00 | NH
Sunday, May 30, 3 – 4 pm
Cost: $5 (free to those attending Pelagic Trip on May 31)
Leader: Jon Woolf
Watch an educational slideshow about some of the wildlife you might see just off NH’s coast. We’ll teach you how to identify some of our common pelagic birds as well as a few of our frequently sighted whale species.
Registration for this zoom session will close one hour before the program.
To register for the Pelagic Birding Boat Trip, see the event for May 31.
Photo: Great Shearwater, by Amanda Boyd, USFWS

Pollinators 101
2021-05-25 19:00 - 20:30 | NH
Who are “the pollinators”? Learn about the most common types of wild pollinators, their vital ecological role, and how we can profoundly impact the diversity of pollinators in our own yards and communities.
Register for this free webinar through Zoom.

This webinar is part of the year-long Exploring Connections to and Stewardship of the Natural World talks. This series is supported by a grant through the NH Humanities Council and aims to provide a public and personal space for the examination of environmental ethics, fostering a deeper understanding of, appreciation for, and care of, our natural world. Programs are free to the public, and streamed via Zoom, YouTube, and Facebook Live.
For more information and to see the entire slate of talks, visit our series webpage.
Speaker Bio:
Vicki J. Brown traded life as a marketing executive in Boston for NH’s woods, waters and wildlife in 2016. Today, she consults with mission-oriented organizations in healthcare and the environment. A Founding Organizer for Pollinator Pathways NH, a NH Natural Resources Steward, and a Coverts Volunteer, Vicki is slowly turning her lawn into pollinator and wildlife habitat. She enjoys observing nature while walking, hiking, paddling and cycling.

Flowering Trees and Shrubs for Pollinators
2021-05-18 19:00 - 20:30 | NH
When gardeners think of designing a landscape for pollinators, they may imagine a colorful bed of herbaceous flowers. However, flowering trees and shrubs are essential parts of the habitat required to support a wide variety of pollinators and other wildlife species. Not only do they provide food, but they also offer year-round shelter and nesting places. In this presentation you’ll learn about blooming trees and shrubs that provide both beauty and important habitat in the garden.
Register for this free webinar through Zoom.

This webinar is part of the year-long Exploring Connections to and Stewardship of the Natural World talks. This series is supported by a grant through the NH Humanities Council and aims to provide a public and personal space for the examination of environmental ethics, fostering a deeper understanding of, appreciation for, and care of, our natural world. Programs are free to the public, and streamed via Zoom, YouTube, and Facebook Live.
For more information and to see the entire slate of talks, visit our series webpage.
Speaker Bio:
Emma Erler is a field specialist with UNH Cooperative Extension. She provides research-based programming and technical assistance to green-industry businesses throughout the state, including nursery, garden center, and landscape operations, while also serving the broader agricultural community of Hillsborough County. Emma also shares her expertise regularly on WMUR’s Grow it Green gardening feature and through her weekly gardening column, as well as through workshops, courses, and new programs.

The American Prairie Reserve
2021-05-12 19:30 - 20:30 | NH
New Hampshire Audubon Seacoast Chapter
Wednesday May 12, 2021 7:30 pm Eastern Time (US and Canada) Zoom Program: The American Prairie Reserve
Betsy Robinson and Steve Gehman, who have had careers as wildlife biologists and naturalist guides, will present an introduction to the ongoing effort to create a 3 million acre prairie reserve in central Montana. They will discuss some of the unique characteristics of the prairie ecosystem and will feature some of their favorite birds and experiences from their time documenting bird species presence and abundance on the Reserve. Other topics include the value of prairie dogs and the presence of native large mammals and carnivores, and the importance of establishing a large herd of free-ranging bison.
Bio: Betsy and Steve both grew up in the East, followed different paths westward, and then pursued careers as wildlife biologists and naturalist guides. They met while working for National Audubon’s Camp in The West at Dubois, Wyoming. They later married and founded Wild Things Unlimited, a non-profit organization that they ran for 22 years. Operating out of Bozeman, Montana, they conducted studies of wolverines, Canada lynx and grizzly bears in the northern Rocky Mountains, as well as prairie birds in central Montana. Between 2005 and 2013, Betsy and Steve spent parts of four summers documenting bird species presence and abundance on the American Prairie Reserve. They moved to New Hampshire in 2019 and live in Hillsborough with their two golden retrievers.
All are welcome to attend our Wednesday May 12, 2021 program via Zoom. The Zoom program Meeting begins at 7:30 PM, but feel free to sign on early after 7 pm to socialize. You may need to download Zoom to attend the program.
Please register in advance for this meeting. You can register right up through the start time.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
For more information see our website. Cancellations will be announced on the programs page.
The Seacoast Chapter of NH Audubon thanks AARP New Hampshire for their sponsorship.
Photos: Ferruginous Hawk; American Prairie Reserve, by Steven Gehman.

Birdathon
2021-05-08 00:00 - 23:59 | NH
May 8, 2021 (with May 9 as a weather option)
We encourage folks to get outside and go birding on SATURDAY, MAY 8 and report what you find to NH Audubon. As before, we encourage staying close to home, whether in your yard, neighborhood, or town, although more broad-ranging expeditions are also welcome. By registering, you sign up for our Birdathon mailing list to receive more information, including an online species list to let us know what you saw.
Can we beat 160 species? Unless it snows again I suspect we can! And of course we’re retaining the fundraising component. Feel free to donate online and encourage your friends and family to do the same.
Visit the webpage for full details, registration and video links.

Garden for Wildlife: Attracting Birds, Butterflies and other Backyard Wildlife
2021-05-03 19:00 - 20:30 | NH
Naturalist David Mizejewski shares how to create a beautiful garden or landscape that fits into the local ecosystem and supports birds, butterflies, bees and a whole host of other wonderful wildlife neighbors. David will discuss native plants, the four components of habitat and sustainable gardening. He’ll also share how you can achieve the National Wildlife Federation’s “Certified Wildlife Habitat” recognition for your garden space.
Register for this free webinar through Zoom.

This webinar is part of the year-long Exploring Connections to and Stewardship of the Natural World talks. This series is supported by a grant through the NH Humanities Council and aims to provide a public and personal space for the examination of environmental ethics, fostering a deeper understanding of, appreciation for, and care of, our natural world. Programs are free to the public, and streamed via Zoom, YouTube, and Facebook Live.
For more information and to see the entire slate of talks, visit our series webpage.
Speaker Bio:
David Mizejewski has been fascinated by our natural world for as long as he can remember. A lifelong naturalist, he spent his youth exploring the woods, fields and wetlands, observing and learning about the surprising diversity of wildlife that inhabits them. David is a naturalist and television host with the National Wildlife Federation. He holds a degree in Human and Natural Ecology from Emory University and is an expert on wildlife and our environment. He’s dedicated to using his knowledge and his enthusiasm to help others understand and protect wildlife. David regularly appears in the media to promote wildlife conservation. He hosted and co-produced Backyard Habitat, a television series on Animal Planet that showed people how to transform their yards and gardens into thriving habitats for birds and other local wildlife. He appeared in the Animal Planet mini-series Springwatch U.S.A. that looked at the effect seasonal change has on wildlife, from salamanders and flying squirrels to great horned owls and black bears. He’s appeared on NatGeo WILD on series such as Are You Smarter Than, How Human Are You, and Unlikely Animal Friends and co-hosted the network’s prime time television series Pet Talk. David is a regular guest on NBC’s Today Show, Conan, The Wendy Williams Show, Hallmark Home and Family, Access Hollywood, Inside Edition, Build Series NYC and Good Day.

Invasive Species Awareness Walk - in-person walk at MAC
2021-04-30 15:00 - 17:00 | NH
What is the difference between a native and an invasive species? When does an invasive become native? These questions, among others, will be discussed during a tour of NH Audubon Massabesic Center fields and woods. Take a look at some of our invasive plant species and learn their identifiable marks to pick these pesky plants out of the crowd.
Registration required; cost: $10/Members, $15/Non-members. Purchase tickets below.

Barred Owl - live-streamed animal talk
2021-04-30 10:00 - 11:00 | NH
“Who cooks for you?” Well, ask the Barred Owl! Meet our most common owl species during this live animal presentation via Zoom. Owls are mysterious creatures, and everyone loves to find them. We will go over Barred Owl biology, diet, and where these great creatures live. Join us during April Adventure week to find out more.
Registration required; cost: $10/Members, $15/Non-members. Purchase tickets below.

Pond Adventures - in-person walk at MAC
2021-04-29 15:00 - 17:00 | NH
Birds, beavers, reptiles, and amphibians all love spending their days either in the pond or near the pond. Have you ever gone out to find these amazing species but had no luck? Well, spend some time here at NH Audubon Massabesic Center to get your feet wet, your hands dirty, and lock eyes on the amazing critters in our pond.
Registration required; cost: $10/Members, $15/Non-members. Purchase tickets below.

Turtles - live-streamed animal talk
2021-04-29 10:00 - 11:00 | NH
What is our most common aquatic turtle in New Hampshire? Does New Hampshire have box turtles? These are two common questions people have here in the great granite state. Join us for a live animal presentation where you’ll be introduced to our ambassador turtles and these questions plus more will be answered!
Registration required; cost: $10/Members, $15/Non-members. Purchase tickets below.
