Italy's Birds and Conservation Efforts
Join us for a discussion with Marco Valtriani, an Italian biologist who has over twenty-five years of experience guiding birders and nature lovers through Italy.
Photo: Eurasian Collared Dove, Beverly Hallberg/Audubon Photography Awards
Original program date: November 24, 2025
Join us in welcoming Marco to northern Virginia where he will share how Italy’s passion for birds, nature, and conservation has shaped the country’s landscapes through history. You’ll also get an opportunity to learn more about Marco’s ongoing ecotourism initiatives with S-Cape Travel, which offers unique opportunities for birding adventures across famous Italian “boot.”
Strengthening Bird Habitats and Coastal Resilience in Panama
Join us for a presentation by Julio Montes de Oca and Adriana Moreno on Audubon Americas’ work supporting bird conservation in Panama.
Photo: Harpy Eagle, Keith Freeburn/Audubon Photography Awards
Original program date: October 29, 2024
Although it is only about three-quarters the size of Virginia, Panama has recorded more than 1,000 bird species. Each year millions of migratory shorebirds fuel their journeys across this narrow isthmus that connects the continents, making this small country tremendously important to migratory avifauna. Panama Bay alone hosts a third of the global population of Western Sandpipers, a fifth of the world’s Semipalmated Plovers, and dozens of other North American migratory bird species.
Join us for a presentation by Julio Montes de Oca and Adriana Moreno on Audubon Americas’ work supporting bird conservation in Panama. Audubon America has been working in Panama since 2006. Its most recent focus has been a collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank and Panama Audubon Society on the “Blue Natural Heritage Project,” a project supporting carbon capture, biodiversity, human well-being, and coastal resilience. The project aims to elevate the importance of Panama’s coastal mangrove ecosystems and related wetlands, the carbon they sequester, and the biodiversity and livelihoods they support.
Lunch & Learn: Birds of South Africa with Andrew de Blocq
Join us for a virtual trip to South Africa, where you can immerse yourself into the splendor and beauty of birds of South Africa!
Photo: Carmine Bee-eater on a Kori Bustard, David Russell/Audubon Photography Awards
Original program date: January 31, 2024
Imagine waking up tomorrow in South Africa - you look outside your window and you see a completely foreign bird - mainly green plumage, with metallic, purple-blue back, upper wings and upper tail, and crimson primaries visible in flight. It has a prominent, white-tipped crest, white markings around the eyes, red eye rings, and a short, red bill. You would be seeing the Knysna Loerie!
Join us for a virtual trip to South Africa, where you can immerse yourself into the splendor and beauty of birds of South Africa! Our speaker, Andrew de Blocq, will be speaking to us from South Africa to cover some of the area’s species, taking special note of some of the more sought-after birds to get excited for! These include some spectacular and charismatic species like the Secretarybird, Knysna Turaco, Kori Bustard, Cape Vulture, Southern Ground-hornbill, Lilac-breasted Roller, African Jacana, and the national bird of South Africa, the Blue Crane. Andrew also will talk about BirdLife South Africa and its conservation work.
Audubon Afternoon: Restoring Migratory Bird Wintering Habitats in Latin America and the Caribbean with Marci Eggers
Marci Eggers is the Director of Migratory Bird Habitats in Latin America and the Caribbean for the American Bird Conservancy (ABC). In this role, she oversees ABC’s efforts to protect and restore priority landscapes that migratory birds depend on in their non-breeding grounds.
Photo: Marci Eggers
Original program date: March 12, 2023
Watch this recording of our live Audubon Afternoon for a presentation by Marci Eggers, “Restoring Migratory Bird Wintering Habitat in Latin America and the Caribbean.” Marci Eggers is the Director of Migratory Bird Habitats in Latin America and the Caribbean for the American Bird Conservancy (ABC). In this role, she oversees ABC’s efforts to protect and restore priority landscapes that migratory birds depend on in their non-breeding grounds. ABC works in collaboration with ranchers, farmers, and local communities that depend on the health of the natural environment for their livelihoods. ABC also works on innovative finance solutions to advance migratory bird conservation.
Madagascar: Exploring a Biodiversity Hotspot Through Its Lemurs and Birds
This mother-daughter scientist team will immerse the audience in the fascinating biodiversity of Madagascar.
Photo: Collared Nightjar, Elizabeth Lyons
Original program date: May 17, 2022
This mother-daughter scientist team will immerse the audience in the fascinating biodiversity of Madagascar. In 2018 they were able to explore many regions of Madagascar, from its spiny forests in the southwest, to the high plateaus in the country’s center, to the lush mountainous forests of the northeast. Based on their first-hand experience with Madagascar as a biodiversity hotspot, they will focus on its famous lemurs, a group of primates found only in Madagascar, and its suite of endemic birds. They will discuss some of the recently extinct animals, the human impacts that continue to challenge the island nation, and conservation efforts being undertaken to protect Madagascar’s unique biological richness. They will also reflect on their scientific career paths in hopes of helping young women and girls pursue their own passions in environmentalism and science.
Audubon Afternoon: Birds of Jamaica with Dr. Herlitz Davis
Join Dr. Herlitz Davis for a personal journey through Jamaica, from Cockpit Country to the Blue Mountains.
Photo: Dr. Herlitz Davis
Original program date: November 14, 2021
Join Dr. Herlitz Davis for a personal journey through Jamaica, from Cockpit Country to the Blue Mountains. Dr. Davis will introduce you to the fascinating Avifauna of Jamaica through stories of his life growing up in nature, and through his doctoral research at George Mason University and the Smithsonian Institution. If you like good coffee, if you like hummingbirds and owls, if you like adventure, you will like this presentation!