March Environmental Education: What to Do

UPDATE: Our Third Thursday’s and Dance of the Woodcock walks are cancelled. Stay tuned for info on having a “virtual” book club meeting to discuss The Ravenmaster as scheduled on March 30th.

Warm Up to Spring: March Environmental Education Events with Bedford Audubon

Punxsutawney Phil didn’t see his shadow last month. According to legend, that means we are in for an early spring! But even if warmer weather doesn’t “march” right in, we hope you’ll take advantage of all that Bedford Audubon has to offer this month – inside or out!

We’re heading to a sanctuary that the national Audubon Society of New York has recognized as an Important Bird Area due to its significant habitats and flyaway. Why don’t you come along?
Our Field Trip to Read Sanctuary/Marshlands Conservancy in Rye is a favorite birding trip among members. The main targets are waterfowl, loons and grebes on the Sound, Great Horned Owls, and early spring migrants. This late winter trip should be a good one!
Saturday, March 7, 8:00am-12:30pm. Depart Bylane at 7:15am or meet us at the boathouse on Playland Lake at 8:00am Cost: Free. Level of difficulty: Easy to Moderate. Please register with Susan at info@bedfordaudubon.org or 914-302-9713.

What happens when music and nature come together?
Find out at our Monthly Lecture as Musician Stephanie Seymour shares stories of her passion for birds and nature with songs from her album “There Are Birds.” Please join us for this very special evening to learn about Stephanie’s music career, her passion for birding, and how the two collided. Songs from her album will be interspersed with her story which will make for an unforgettable night!
Wednesday, March 11, 7:30pm. Please join us at 7:00pm for refreshments; lecture begins at 7:30pm. Katonah Village Library Garden Room. Cost: Free. Advance registration not necessary. CDs will be available for sale after the presentation.

Don’t miss our last walk of the winter season at a local hotspot!
Join Tait in marking the passing of the seasons and changing of birds on our monthly Third Thursday’s Bird Walk. It’s a great way to start the day whether you are an experienced birder to just starting out!
Thursday, March 19, 7:30am-9:30am. Meet at the intersection of Maple Avenue + Reservoir Road (right at the dam). Cost: Free. Level of difficulty: Easy. Please register with Susan at info@bedfordaudubon.org or 914-302-9713.

Instead of looking up for birds, we’ll give you the opportunity to look down in search of amphibians and salamanders on a seasonal adventure!
Vernal pools are seasonal pools of water that provide habitat for distinctive plants and animals. Join us on this annual Nature Walk to Explore Vernal Pools at Hunt-Parker Sanctuary with long-time Bedford Audubon Member Paul Lewis. Under Paul’s leadership, you’ll visit these hidden treasures deep in the forest and learn about the vital importance of these seasonal wetlands as spawning grounds for salamanders and other amphibians. Family friendly for children 10 years of age and older, must be accompanied by an adult.
Saturday, March 14, 1:00-3:00pm. Meet at Bylane Farm 12:45pm wearing boots suitable for water. Cost: Free. Level of difficulty: Easy to Moderate. Please register with Susan at info@bedfordaudubon.org or 914-302-9713.

Do you want to see a male bird that performs an elaborate courtship ritual to attract multiple mates and does absolutely nothing in the area of parental care?
If so, don’t miss this special evening Bird Walk: Dance of the Woodcock at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation. Join Naturalist Tait Johansson to see this extraordinary ritual, where the male American Woodcock “peents”, struts, hurls himself into the evening sky, and glides back down to the ground again, all in hopes of attracting a mate.
Wednesday, March 25, 7:00pm-8:15pm. Meet in the parking area just before the toll booth and bring a flashlight or headlamp. Cost: Free. Level of difficulty: Easy to Moderate. Please register with Susan at info@bedfordaudubon.org or 914-302-9713.

If you are curious about ravens, cozy up with a “beguiling, fascinating, and highly amusing…” memoir as winter winds down. Then come to the Bylane Book Club to talk about it with like-minded members and friends of Bedford Audubon! Legend has it that if the ravens depart, the Tower will crumble, and England will fall. In his book The Ravenmaster, author Christopher Skaife details his life as a guardian of the Tower of London and the seven resident ravens under his care. We hope you’ll read Skaife’s “lively and often cheeky narrative” as he juxtaposes history and myth with facts about the birds and then join us for our own lively discussion!
Monday, March 30, 7:00pm. Info on Virtual Book Club meeting TBA. Cost: Free. Please register with Susan at info@bedfordaudubon.org or 914-302-9713.

Photo Credit: Creative Commons