Aiken Audbon - Colorado Springs - Next Wednesday - Volunteering your Obsession

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March 6, 2014

 

Good evening to all!

 

You are invited to attend Aiken Audubon's next general meeting and program.

 

When: March 12, 2014 (Wednesday) - Note that this program will be held the 2nd Wednesday of the month, due to a room scheduling conflict.
Time: Doors open at 6:30 p.m. / Program starts at 7:00 p.m. / We usually conclude around 8:30 p.m.

Where: Colorado Division of Wildlife, 4255 Sinton Road, Colorado Springs. Please use the back entrance.

 

What: Volunteering your Obsession by Eric DeFonso 

 

In 2011, Eric DeFonso spent six months Volunteering for conservation organizations, nature reserves, and ecolodges throughout Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil. More than just indulging his own interest in bird watching, he wanted to use this opportunity to give something back to the birds that have so greatly enriched his life over the years.

In both the Amazon and the Mata Atlantica of southeastern Brazil, Eric arranged to spend months assisting in conservation efforts and learning the workings of ecologically-based tourism. Although considerable planning and pre-arrangement was required to bring this year to life, he discovered a new mode of adventure travel, one that expanded his awareness of the magic of rainforests as well as the severe challenges they face towards their preservation. In this presentation he will discuss the wildlife monitoring projects he worked on, agro-forestry, his bird-guiding and surveying efforts, and more.

Eric began bird watching 20 years ago as a casual hobby, but his interest has now turned into a consuming passion. He has a Masters degree in Atmospheric Science from the University of California, Davis, and worked in the private sector in computing for several years before changing course and following his love of birds wherever it leads him. He has since become a certified Master Naturalist for the City of Fort Collins, served on the Board of Directors for Fort Collins Audubon, and worked as a volunteer educational bird handler at the Rocky Mountain Raptor Program. Currently he works as a seasonal field biologist for the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory. In addition to photography he also has become an experienced nature-sound recordist. His recordings can be heard online at xeno-canto.org and at the website for Cornell’s Macaulay Library of Natural Sound.

 

Hope to see you there!

 

Christine A. Bucher

President, Aiken Audubon Society