NoCo Birds May Program: 'It Takes a Village" (Zoom & In Person)

[Cassie Cranmore]

"Avian Use of Villages in African Savanna" with Stephanie Wheeler 

Refreshments 7:00
Announcements 7:20
Presentation 7:30
(There is no door prize)

Fort Collins Senior Center, 1200 Raintree Dr.

Understanding the impacts of urbanization on bird populations is crucial for protecting them. Villages and other smaller human settlements may pre-sent similar benefits as urban areas without some of the same novel dangers. For some species, the resources in villages are abundant and have the potential to influence several aspects of their lives, including survival, reproductive success, and social interactions. Stephanie's study investigated the influence of village proximity on the ecology and behavior of Vitelline Masked Weavers, a human commensal, polygynous, and semi-colonial species.

Stephanie Wheeler grew up in the Chicago suburbs and fell in love with birds when she took an ornithology course in college. After working with birds in Illinois, Hawaii, Trinidad and Tobago, and Louisiana, Stephanie wanted to find a way to work more with people in conservation, so she spent two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guinea, West Africa. There she partnered with communities in search of sustainable solutions to farming and gardening. After Peace Corps, she earned her doctorate in biology at the University of Florida, where she studied the ecology and behavior of Vitelline Masked Weavers in Kenya, focusing on anthropogenic effects.

Join us on May 15 for this interesting program. It is free and the public is invited. Or connect with us virtually for this event via Zoom at join the meeting virtually: http://us02web.zoom.us/j/.83757942509