June Programs

Come to Dean’s Bridge this month before any nestlings are gone baby gone!
Join Naturalist Tait Johansson’s First Wednesday’s Bird Walk at Dean’s Bridge Road to check up on various birds that were confirmed to be on active nests last month. Tait tallied 55 species on this walk in May – will we top that this month?
Wednesday, June 1, 7:30-9:30am. Cost: Free. Level of Difficulty: Moderate. Email Susan to register or call 914-302-9713.

 A wildlife refuge that was established to support grassland-dependent birds? YES!
Grab your binoculars and join Naturalist Tait Johansson for a full day of birding on a Field Trip to Bashakill Marsh/Shawangunk Grasslands. Bashakill supports wetland-dependent breeding species like Virginia Rail, Sora, Common Gallinule, both bitterns, both cuckoos, and a large array of songbirds. The National Wildlife Refuge has breeding populations of Bobolink, Grasshopper Sparrow, and Upland Sandpiper.
Saturday, June 4, 7:30am-3:00pm. Cost: Free. Level of Difficulty: Moderate. Email Susan to register or call 914-302-9713.

Bedford Audubon is proud to serve the community of Pound Ridge!
It’s’ time for the annual Pound Ridge Proud Day, and we’ll be there with all kinds of fun. Sponsored by the Pound Ridge Partnership, the day will boast a 5k Color Run, Beautification, Games, Food, and Battle of the Bands. The Bedford Audubon booth will have a fun game for kids and prizes, information on native plants and birds, and a Birds & Bins for Beginners session so kids of all ages can learn to use binoculars.
Saturday, June 4, 11:00am-2:00pm. Market Square, Westchester Avenue.

Different strokes for different folks – something for everyone!
Our Summer Paint Party on the Patio is back, and it’s a fun way to experience nature! We’ll set up on the patio overlooking the gardens and sanctuary at Bylane Farm, and each participant will have an easel and personal canvas to create a beautiful, nature-themed painting. No worries – you don’t have to be an artist to participate as Zoë will provide all the guidance needed to come away with a special painting. Hurry up and register, as this program usually sells out quickly.
Thursday, June 9, 6:30pm. Cost: $35.00/Members; $40.00 Non-members (includes canvas, painting supplies, sips & snacks). Register HERE.

Extra, extra, read all about it!
Join Naturalist Tait Johansson and folks from the Lewisboro Library and Lewisboro Land Trust for a Birding Nature Walk at Bylane Farm. June is a lovely time to see breeding birds in and around the shrub lands that surround Bedford Audubon’s Bylane Farm. Tait will teach participants how to recognize birds by sight or sound, and a good variety of species can be expected to be seen. Sturdy shoes, pants, a hat, and binoculars are recommended. Steady rain and other inclement weather will cancel. Participation is limited to keep the group small, so advance registration is required at the link below.
Saturday, June 11, 8:00-10:00am. Cost: Free. Register through Eventbrite/Westchester Land Trust by CLICKING HERE.

Bringing wildlife to your yard…
Join Garden Director Mathew McDowell and Hilltop Hanover for an In-person Workshop: Gardens as Habitat – Planting to Attract and Sustain Wildlife. This workshop is about creating gardens that enhance, rather than supplant, habitat. Learn things to look for, as well as things to avoid, with an emphasis on providing food and shelter year-round to make your home a space that supports the natural community around us. After the presentation, we’ll be going out into the fields of Hilltop Hanover to see and learn firsthand about some plants to enhance your habitat at home.
Friday, June 10, 2:00-3:30pm. Cost: $10.00. Register through Hilltop Hanover by CLICKING HERE.

Dig in and you’ll make the earth smile!
Learn from experience at our monthly Interactive Workshop: Invasives ID + Clean Up at Bylane Farm. Board member Steve Ricker, who is also the Director of Conservation & Wildlife Management at Westmoreland Sanctuary will be on hand to teach you how to identify and remove invasive plants. In some sessions, we’ll be replanting native plants. Please wear outdoor work attire and gloves. We have some shears, loppers, and clippers, but please bring your own if possible. Plants with thorns will be present. This is a great and fun way to get some exercise, fresh air, and contribute to our community’s wild animals and plants.
Saturday, June 11, 11:00am-12:30pm. Cost: Free. Level of Difficulty: Easy. Email Susan to register or call 914-302-9713.

Will we see you at the Mount Kisco Farmer’s Market?
WMN Unite and D.I.G. Farm are proud to partner together to bring a Community Farmers Market to Mt. Kisco at the Metro-North station. The market will focus on engaging the community around local food, health and wellness, and the Arts. The Bedford Audubon booth will have a fun game for kids and prizes, and information on native plants and birds.
Sunday, June 12, 10:00am-2:30pm. Mount Kisco Train Station Parking Lot

Unlock the door to gardening for pollinators as the seasons change.
Don’t miss Garden Director Mathew McDowell’s Virtual Workshop: Minding the Gap: Floral Resources Between Spring and Summer. A key to gardening for pollinators is making sure you have a variety of blooms throughout the growing season. But certain times of year can be tricky. In particular, the Spring/Summer transition often has less available for bees and other flower-visiting animals. This workshop will cover plants that are likely to flower during this time, offering pollinator value and visual interest in the landscape.
Monday, June 13, 6:00pm. Cost: Free. Email Susan to register or call 914-302-9713. A Zoom link will be emailed prior to the presentation.

Hear from a fascinating lecture by a dynamic environmental leader!
Please join us for this month’s Public Lecture on International Conservation on the island of Borneo with Shavez Cheema. Cheema is the founder of 1StopBorneo Wildlife, a grassroots conservation organization founded in 2012 and based on the island of Borneo. Borneo is located in the Pacific Ocean between Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia. The third largest island in the world, Borneo straddles the equator and is a biodiversity hotspot for birds, mammals, snakes, frogs, and trees. It is also prone to logging, invasive species and poaching of endangered animals. In this program, Cheema will discuss his organization’s conservation programs that help to protect fauna and flora on the island. Some of the projects he works on include protecting Helmeted Hornbills, Pangolins, and the ecological importance of Ficus in the rainforest.  As we ourselves battle invasive plants and worry about preserving species here in Westchester County, you’ll be amazed at the unique but similar challenges faced on the island of Borneo.
Tuesday, June 14, 7:00pm. Cost: Free. Registration is not necessary. The program takes place at the Katonah Village Library Garden Room.

Eastern Wood Peewee, Belted Kingfisher, Bald Eagle, Osprey…
Those are some of the birds spotted last month at Naturalist Tait Johansson’s Third Thursday’s Bird Walk. Join him this month at this friendly, popular, and easy walk. It’s a great way to start the day, and it seldom disappoints!
Thursday, June 16, 7:30-9:30am. Cost: Free. Level of Difficulty: Easy. Email Susan to register or call 914-302-9713.

Come visit a pristine natural refuge with us!
Naturalist Tait Johansson will lead an adventure to Sterling Forest in search of Golden-winged, Hooded, and Cerulean Warblers, as well as many other breeding forest birds. The deep-forest habitat is important for the survival of many resident and migratory species including a variety of hawks, songbirds, black bear, and many rare invertebrates and plants.
Saturday, June 18, 7:30am-12:00pm. Cost: Free. Level of Difficulty: Moderate. Email Susan to register or call 914-302-9713.

Did you know that Fahnestock Bird Conservation Area (BCA) represents one of the largest areas of contiguous forest in the lower Hudson Valley?
It thus provides significant stopover and breeding habitat for a diverse group of forest-dependent bird species. Join Naturalist Tait Johansson for a Field Trip to Fahnestock State Park where we’ll be on the lookout for some of these birds including Ruffed Grouse, Acadian Flycatcher, Purple Martin, Blackburnian Warbler, and Canada Warbler.
Tuesday, June 21, 7:30am-12:30pm. Cost: Free. Level of Difficulty: Moderate. Email Susan to register or call 914-302-9713.

It only happens once a year…
It’s time for our Annual Meeting and Lecture! Please join us for this important evening. The program will begin with our annual meeting during which we will share highlights from our year and hold board elections. This will be followed by a lecture by Michael Burger, the Executive Director of Audubon Connecticut and New York. Mike will provide an overview of Audubon CT & NY’s programmatic priorities i.e. coastal, forest, and community conservation, explaining how these emerged as focal areas for the organization and the strategies being pursued to achieve conservation impact in each.  He will also provide examples of how the organization is involving young people in this work and collaborating with local Audubon chapters throughout the two states.

You must be a Bedford Audubon in good standing to vote in our board elections. If you can’t attend the meeting, you can vote by proxy. Please executivedirector@bedfordaudubon.org  obtain a proxy.

Wednesday, June 22, 6:30pm (Annual Meeting); 7:00pm (Lecture). This is a Zoom event. The Zoom link will be emailed to your prior to the meeting.

Photo Credit: Eastern Bluebird by Susan Fisher.