Advanced Birding Workshop

Workshop Schedule:

Friday: 

• 4:00pm Afternoon Check-in available - (Joanie on site at 3pm)
• 6:00pm Dinner
• Campfire

Saturday:  

• 6:30am Continental Breakfast available
• 7:30am Early Bird Hike with Dr. Joanie Patterson
• 8:30am Second Breakfast
• 9:00am Northsong Bird Rehab Presentation and Barred Owl Release
• 10:30am Mitchel Pruitt and Owl Research Update
• 12:00pm Lunch
• 1:30pm Bird Hike with Lauren Eno
• 3:00pm Bird Biscuit Making, Store and/or Free Time
• 4:00pm Very Nest 101 class with Donna and Kelly Mulhollan
• 6:00pm Dinner
• Evening Concert: Still-on-the-Hill presents “Words on Birds”
• Campfire and Nocturnal Predators Hike

Sunday:  

• On-the-go breakfast provided by ONSC for the early birds among us!
• 6:30am Leave for Logan Springs
• 8:30am The Grand Finale: a private tour of Logan Springs Preserve before it opens to the public, led by Michael Slay, Ozark Karst Program Director at The Nature Conservancy
• 11:00am Depart Logan Springs for home

About the Instructors:

Dr. Joanie Patterson obtained a PhD (UofA, Fayetteville) to work toward solutions that protect wild areas. At ONSC, Joanie connects children with nature and inspires them to consider the effect of their choices on the environment. Previously, she was a Visiting Professor at UofA, Ft. Smith, and was part of the team searching for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker. She is VP of the NWA Audubon Society. She enjoys birdwatching, playing guitar, and gardening.

Northsong Wild Bird Rehabilitation (NWBR): Dr. Emily Warman, NWBR's president and treasurer, is a veterinarian currently working for Rose Animal Clinic in Bentonville, Arkansas, with a specific interest in raptor medicine. Dr. Warman was introduced to raptor medicine and rehabilitation in 2009 when she began volunteering at the Southeastern Raptor Center (SRC) in Auburn, Alabama. Emily will be joined by Madison Kennedy, NWBR's Medical and Outreach Coordinator. 

Mitchell Pruit has had a passion for birds and the natural world from a young age. As an undergrad, he piloted a study of Northern Saw-whet Owls along with his professor and mentor. This experience, along with an internship at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, led him to continue his career path and pursue a PhD studying owls. In addition to several other areas of research, Mitchell conducts annual monitoring at ONSC of Northern Saw-whet Owls.

Still on the Hill is a national and international touring group from Arkansas that has been described as “Ambassadors of the Ozarks” for the work they do to preserve a rich culture that is quickly disappearing. Kelly & Donna of Still on the Hill are award winning ‘story telling-song writers’.  Different than most singer-songwriters, this dynamic duo embellishes their songs with a host of unique instruments from the hills they call home. Many of these were hand-made by old-timers and have amazing stories that go with them.  Their 'low tech' Power Point has become a trademark of shows.  Every song has a photo quilt to go with it.  A picture is worth a 1,000 words. Kelly and Donna are avid birders and provide educational workshops and concerts about birds, nests, sustainability, and ecology.

Michael Slay has worked in karst conservation for more than ten years in the states that contain the caves of the Ozark Highlands Ecoregion. Before joining The Nature Conservancy, he coordinated karst research in positions at the University of Arkansas, Buffalo National River NPS, Illinois Natural History Survey, and Missouri Department of Conservation. Since joining The Nature Conservancy, he has worked with multiple partners to conserve and protect karst species and habitats. He has coordinated the exploration, species monitoring, and habitat analysis in several hundred caves, and has assisted with the discovery of over 15 karst species new to science.

Logan Springs Preserve: Get a behind-the-scenes look at The Nature Conservancy’s newest preserves in Northwest Arkansas, which is not yet open to the public. Michael Slay will lead a hike across the property, show off the preserve's unique features and describe the refuge, caves, karst, springs, rare habitat, plants, and birds