BSBO Proudly Introduces
Birds at Home Virtual Learning Series
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Although the way we gather has changed, we can still come together virtually to celebrate birds, birding, and bird conservation!
Join BSBO and our outstanding lineup of speakers for fun, informative, interesting, and uplifting virtual presentations and workshops - delivered to you in the comfort of your own home!
Join BSBO and our outstanding lineup of speakers for fun, informative, interesting, and uplifting virtual presentations and workshops - delivered to you in the comfort of your own home!
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About the series
Pricing
Privacy
Any private information submitted to Black Swamp Bird Observatory (including email) will never be shared or sold to third parties. |
(For current members, please email staff@bsbo.org for the updated members access password)
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Check back often as we're adding more keynotes and workshops each month!
OCTOBER
Mental Health and the Restorative Power of Nature
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Presented by Jasmine Cupp
Getting fresh air, feeling the sun, and listening to birds seems to lift our spirits. It’s no accident that humans can feel refreshed by being immersed in nature. Join Black Swamp Bird Observatory’s Jasmine Cupp for a candid talk about mental health and the restorative power of nature. Learn about nature therapy and the science behind what it does to our minds and bodies. |
DATE: Tuesday, October 10, 2023
TIME: 7 p.m. Eastern Time 
About Jasmine
Jasmine is an Ottawa County native and a nature and Great Lakes enthusiast. Traveling throughout the Great Lakes region with her family, she has gained an appreciation for the outdoors. Before coming to the Black Swamp Bird Observatory, Jasmine worked for The Beacon news publication as editor and production manager for over four years. While covering the Biggest Week in American Birding as media, Jasmine fell in love with birding on the boardwalk at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area. Jasmine is passionate about wildlife and habitat conservation and showing people the healing power of nature. Jasmine earned her Communications Degree, graduated with honors from Owens Community College in 2013. Dedicated to supporting the local community, she was part of the 2016 Leadership Ottawa County class, and served on the Main Street Port Clinton Board of Directors. Her connections with the northwest Ohio community, her passion for birds and conservation, and her commitment to BSBO's mission make her a superb fit for the Outreach Director position. |
NOVEMBER
Raptors 101
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Presented by Erik Bruhnke
Have you ever wondered what that speck of a hawk is, way out on the distant horizon or circling right over your head? Do you ponder which birds of prey visit your backyard? Would you like to fine tune your hawkwatching skills and learn more about these exciting birds found here both year-round and in migration? If so, this is the talk for you! Birds of prey are consistently one of the most difficult varieties of birds to identify. Come join Erik Bruhnke as he shares field-learned techniques for identifying raptors both up close and at a distance. From his raptor jokes and identification anecdotes, to his wide range of impressive raptor photographs, Erik’s raptor identification workshop is sure to captivate and educate audiences of all skill levels! |
DATE: Tuesday, November 14, 2023
TIME: 7 p.m. Eastern Time 
About erik
Erik Bruhnke has loved birds since he was a child looking at chickadees. He graduated from Northland College in Wisconsin with a Natural Resources degree in 2008 and taught field ornithology at Northland College for three semesters. His college summers and summers to follow graduation were spent conducting bird surveys through northern forests, vast prairies, and western mountains. He worked as an interpreter for six fall seasons at Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory in Duluth, Minnesota; counted migrating raptors at the Corpus Christi HawkWatch in Texas in 2015; and was the 2016, 2017, and 2018 hawk counter at the Cape May Hawkwatch in New Jersey. Erik's wildlife photography has won national awards, and he's written for the American Birding Association's Birder's Guide, BirdWatching magazine, and Bird Watcher's Digest. Erik is a birding tour guide for Victor Emanuel Nature Tours as well as his own business, Naturally Avian. He enjoys hiking, kayaking, cross-country skiing and just being out in the snow. In his free time he loves to cook and bake. |
DECEMBER
Winter Bird Feeding
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Presented by Ken Keffer
Ken Keffer will discuss bird feeding tips for the winter season. Ken will touch on feeder types, food selections, and a bit on seasonal bird movements. |
DATE: Tuesday, December 12, 2023
TIME: 7 p.m. Eastern Time 
About ken
Ken is a former BSBO Education Director and currently owns Wild Birds Unlimited of Bloomington, Indiana, with his wife Heather Ray. Additionally Ken is an award winning author and environmental educator. His latest books include Earth Almanac and Knowing the Trees. He regularly writes for Birds & Blooms magazine and for The Nature Conservancy's Cool Green Science outlet. Ken currently serves as the President for the Outdoor Writers Association of America. |
FEBRUARY
Heartbreak and Hope: A Biologist's Life with Condors
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Presented by Erro Lehnert
The endangered California Condor population, once near the brink of extinction, has been on the recovery the past several decades due to innovative management techniques and dedicated work by staff biologists and volunteers. Join Erro Lehnert for a glimpse into the life of a condor biologist: an overview of condor biology, the captive breeding and reintroduction program, radio and GPS tracking data, wild nesting and fledgling success- and heartbreak. The future of the largest bird in North America faces many challenges, but thanks to the efforts of dedicated biologists, geneticists, and conservationists, there is hope for the future. |
DATE: Tuesday, February 13, 2024
TIME: 7 p.m. Eastern Time 
About erro
Erro Lehnert is a wildlife biologist from Michigan. She especially loves birds, but her passion for all wildlife has taken her all over the world. Erro got her master's degree in ornithology from the University of Central Oklahoma before she started with the California Condor Recovery Program in November of 2021. Erro has worked for various federal agencies as a biologist since 2009, and her travels have taken her to 13 states to work with birds, fish, amphibians, and reptiles! But birds are her passion and working with Condors has been a dream job come true. Erro wants to protect the wild areas of the world and hopes that through research and science she can contribute to conservation practices for birds and all other wildlife. She hopes that by sharing enthusiasm for the natural world, those that she encounters will also find a love for nature and the world around them. |