Meeting: Jeff Wright Presents “Birds, Climate Change, and Citizen Science”

Jeff Wright will present “Birds, Climate Change, and Citizen Science”. The meeting will be held in-person at the Quarterpath Recreation Center and via Zoom. Arrive at 6:00 p.m. for light refreshments at the recreation center followed by the program and meeting at 6:30 p.m.

The Commonwealth of Virginia is a key place in the world for birds. From our barrier islands in the Atlantic to our mountains, we offer habitats, climates, and food chains attractive to a wide range of birds. We are on the Atlantic Flyway which, in many cases, defines the exceptional number of birds transiting Virginia during migration. However, across the globe and in Virginia, birds in many cases are in decline. Further changes are already occurring that will also adversely impact the avian world. Foremost among these is arguably climate change. A key question is do we have the means and the will to mitigate climate change? Are efforts already underway making a difference and if so, how?

Jeff Wright will discuss and examine how, through individual and community efforts, we can make a difference toward slowing the decline of bird life. He will discuss threats to birds, citizen and community science projects related to birds, and that birders and bird clubs are part of the solution. Photography and excerpts from studies of birds are used to tell this story. The presentation will emphasize birds in Virginia of concern, species at a tipping point, and birds and their habitat that need our support. Yes, there are a variety of birds in Virginia that are proverbial “canaries in a coal mine.” The phrase is an idiom that means an advanced warning of potential trouble not just to the birds.