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30 Years of Sitting BIG!
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Some people just want the world to learn; one of the greatest examples is Tom Bartlett. This year, Tom will be conducting the 30th annual BIG SIT benefiting Black Swamp Bird Observatory’s (BSBO) education programs. Not only has Tom been a champion for BSBO’s education programs, he has dedicated his whole life to education, science, and birds.
Instilling love and appreciation for the natural world in others is easy for Tom because he lives it. His charisma and genuineness make it easy for him to speak to anyone from legislatures to the youngest of students. Tom will meet a person at their level and become friends with everyone he meets. Becoming an educator, Tom said, was a pure accident. “I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I graduated from Heidelberg College in Tiffin. They had asked me to help teach an adult-ed class on the natural history of Seneca County and I really enjoyed it and thought I might like education. I went back to school and got my certification in education from Bowling Green State University, and spent 17 years teaching seventh grade life science in Clyde. I then went on to Tiffin to teach high school biology.” “Teachers are important because they are the ones who teach students HOW to think and get them excited about various fields of study,” Tom remarked. Having taught almost 4,000 students over his 31-year career in teaching gave him many opportunities to bring that excitement and experience to the next generation. |
“I’ve had many memorable students and taught long enough to teach the children of former students,” said Tom. “Some have become professionals (in the science field), and others work blue-collar jobs but are still interested in the natural world.” He’s even gone on to do collaborative research studies with former students.
Retiring from teaching in June of 2006 hasn’t slowed Tom down. He began banding birds in 1971 and is now a Master Bird Bander for the US Geological Survey, and a certified bird bander and trainer for the North American Banding Council. Tom, along with his wife, Paula, operates a bird banding station on Kelleys Island primarily at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s Jones Preserve. On November 5, 2024, the 30,000th bird was banded at the Kelleys Island station: a young Cedar Waxwing. Tom and Paula participate in many other programs and projects including Road Scholars.
A Northern Saw-whet Owl was the 100,000th bird banded by Tom, Paula, and their team on October 22, 2021, on Kelleys Island. Since then, Tom has banded more than a total of 120,000 birds of over 250 species. A short film entitled A Bird in the Hand about Tom and Paula was made documenting their goal of banding 100,000 birds. The film debuted May 9, 2024, and even appeared at the Fresh Coast Film Festival.
“When I started the BIG SIT in 1995, Black Swamp Bird Observatory had been using most of its limited funding for its research projects. As a teacher, I understood the importance of education and education was a growing part of BSBO’s mission,” said Tom. “So, I felt it important to raise money to assist our efforts in that direction.”
Tom has many warm (and some not so warm, temperature-wise!) memories of conducting 30 years of the BIG SIT.
“The Chuck-will’s-widow is probably the top bird of the sit,” Tom remembers. “It was just me and the late Vic Fazio sitting there at the time and a Chuck started to call and didn’t stop for 20 minutes or so. This was before six in the morning and no one else was in the parking lot at the time. We were begging for someone else to show up so we could share this rare find. I believe it was the first record for northwest Ohio.”
Throughout its history, the Bartlett BIG SIT has raised more than $225,000, invaluable funds that have empowered BSBO to reach thousands of students, helping to cultivate the next generation of ornithologists and conservationists. This is in addition to the thousands of students Tom impacted himself. The ripple effect of Tom’s work and generosity will be felt for years to come.
“A person so beloved by the birding community could raise funds for any number of worthy non-profits, and the team at Black Swamp Bird Observatory (BSBO) is genuinely honored and sincerely humbled that Tom conducts the BIG SIT for us,” said Kimberly Kaufman, BSBO’s Executive Director.
Help celebrate the 30th annual Bartlett BIG SIT on Saturday, May 10, from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. by visiting Tom on his tower next to the west entrance of the Magee Marsh Wildlife Area boardwalk (you won’t miss him!), making a donation, checking out the tally list, and trying to help him add a new species for the day.
Retiring from teaching in June of 2006 hasn’t slowed Tom down. He began banding birds in 1971 and is now a Master Bird Bander for the US Geological Survey, and a certified bird bander and trainer for the North American Banding Council. Tom, along with his wife, Paula, operates a bird banding station on Kelleys Island primarily at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s Jones Preserve. On November 5, 2024, the 30,000th bird was banded at the Kelleys Island station: a young Cedar Waxwing. Tom and Paula participate in many other programs and projects including Road Scholars.
A Northern Saw-whet Owl was the 100,000th bird banded by Tom, Paula, and their team on October 22, 2021, on Kelleys Island. Since then, Tom has banded more than a total of 120,000 birds of over 250 species. A short film entitled A Bird in the Hand about Tom and Paula was made documenting their goal of banding 100,000 birds. The film debuted May 9, 2024, and even appeared at the Fresh Coast Film Festival.
“When I started the BIG SIT in 1995, Black Swamp Bird Observatory had been using most of its limited funding for its research projects. As a teacher, I understood the importance of education and education was a growing part of BSBO’s mission,” said Tom. “So, I felt it important to raise money to assist our efforts in that direction.”
Tom has many warm (and some not so warm, temperature-wise!) memories of conducting 30 years of the BIG SIT.
“The Chuck-will’s-widow is probably the top bird of the sit,” Tom remembers. “It was just me and the late Vic Fazio sitting there at the time and a Chuck started to call and didn’t stop for 20 minutes or so. This was before six in the morning and no one else was in the parking lot at the time. We were begging for someone else to show up so we could share this rare find. I believe it was the first record for northwest Ohio.”
Throughout its history, the Bartlett BIG SIT has raised more than $225,000, invaluable funds that have empowered BSBO to reach thousands of students, helping to cultivate the next generation of ornithologists and conservationists. This is in addition to the thousands of students Tom impacted himself. The ripple effect of Tom’s work and generosity will be felt for years to come.
“A person so beloved by the birding community could raise funds for any number of worthy non-profits, and the team at Black Swamp Bird Observatory (BSBO) is genuinely honored and sincerely humbled that Tom conducts the BIG SIT for us,” said Kimberly Kaufman, BSBO’s Executive Director.
Help celebrate the 30th annual Bartlett BIG SIT on Saturday, May 10, from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. by visiting Tom on his tower next to the west entrance of the Magee Marsh Wildlife Area boardwalk (you won’t miss him!), making a donation, checking out the tally list, and trying to help him add a new species for the day.
