John Askildsen
Board Member
Bylane Farm by Bob Rohr
Why I’m passionate about Bedford Audubon:
My relationship with Bedford Audubon began almost 50 years ago at age thirteen. As a youngster, I was passionate about the outdoors, wildlife, especially birds and birding. I attended every monthly BAS program and field trip with great anticipation and without fail. The BAS leadership of the 1970’s made sure that that we youngsters were included in field trips, no matter where they occurred or how long we ventured out.
Through these activities in my formative years, I grew to love, appreciate, and respect our natural world. And through the good work of Bedford Audubon, I now enthusiastically ‘give back’ by supporting the continued valuable work of the Society, as well as passing along my passion and love for the natural world on to others, that same passion that was instilled in me through BAS so many years ago. Bravo, Bedford Audubon!
More about me:
My family made the “jump” in the late 1960’s from New York City to Chappaqua, where I grew up and attended the public schools. I attended Pace University Business School in Westchester, then working in telecommunications for almost 35 years for a global corporation. During my tenure, I pursued different sides of the business, providing me with a very well-rounded understanding for all aspects of telecommunications. It was a challenging, cutting edge, ever changing, and rewarding career, to say the least.
In my spare time, and now in my retirement, birding and environmental conservation have always been, and continue to be, my passions that have stayed with me from my early days with Bedford Audubon Society. I go birding at least once a day at the very least spanning from a few hours to perhaps the entire day. Over time, I have travelled in search of birds throughout much of the Americas from the north slope of Alaska and the outer islands near Siberia, on the Arctic and Bering Seas, to the Amazon of Ecuador and Venezuela, and then a bit of western Europe, too. I have led private ecotravel groups throughout the Americas. My world list stands somewhere around 2500 species of birds observed in the field. Never enough!
I reside in Millbrook, Dutchess County, New York, with my wife, Kirsten, where we enjoy outdoor activities, including birding, gardening, walking, and inside, cooking, with a special penchant for southeast Asian recipes, spices, and foods.
Ask me about:
Birds and birding, ecotravel, environmental conservation issues and concerns, gardening for wildlife, creative cooking in the kitchen, and of course, anything related telecommunications. And yes, I can even decipher your phone bill for you!