March 2011 Meeting

Tue, March 1, 7:30 – 9:00 pm
Blue Spruce Park Lodge
Speaker: Brian Shema, Director of Conservation, Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania

Description

Brian Shema is the Director of Conservation at the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania. He is responsible for administering and coordinating ASWP's Science, Conservation, and Stewardship programs and has been with the organization for more than 10 years. His degrees from The Pennsylvania State University are in Wildlife Biology and Forest Science, though he has always had a passion for birds. In fact, he began his career doing research for Penn State and the EPA on Louisiana Waterthrush and riparian habitats.

In 2005, Brian developed ASWP's "Eco-tour" program, an opportunity for local birdwatchers to travel with him to bird the best locations in the country. As of 2010, Brian has led trips from coast to coast, including Oregon's Klamath Basin, the Rio Grande Valley, S.E. Arizona (twice!), Colorado's Rocky Mountains, and Coastal Maine. Participants who have attended all of the trips have tallied nearly 500 species of birds. Colorado's prairie chickens and California's coastal and pelagic species are on the agenda for 2011.

Brian will present ASWP's traveling bird watching program and share some highlights from previous trips.