SAAS presents Birding Workshop at "Camp Inspiration"

Linda Hoyt, Joan Robertson, Ginny Vogel, Linda White and Mona Bearor, members of Southern Adirondack Audubon, assisted by Andrew Mackie and Sean Mahar of Audubon New York, spent two mornings in June presenting a beginning birding program at Camp Inspiration, a week-long summer camp for wheelchair and ventilator dependent children.  The program was presented to campers, along with their siblings and parents, at the Double H Hole in the Woods camp in Lake Luzerne and was designed to encourage the families to try birding as a family activity.  As a tie-in to our presentations, an afternoon live bird of prey demonstration was conducted by Karl Brummert and Theresa Perez from the Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary and Audubon Center in Oyster Bay, NY. Feeders, mounting poles, squirrel guards and starter seed were supplied by the chapter and the feeders were placed by our members in the camp arboretum several weeks prior to the program dates.  Local birders Cheryl Tucker and Eric Krantz generously donated 15 sets of binoculars and field guides.  Cheryl assisted our members with presentations and Eric gave a short introduction to binocular use.  The classroom instruction included general bird anatomy, bird identification by sight and sound and attracting birds to the backyard.  The field work portion was held in the arboretum despite a misty, cool morning and the birds that were seen and heard brought joy to the faces of these special children.  Pinecone owl kits were provided by Joan Robertson and were made by each child as a souvenir to take home.   Audubon New York presented each camper with a singing Audubon plush bird.  Chapter members who took part in this program voiced special feelings of gratitude for being involved with such a rewarding activity with these exceptional children.

Want to help in any way?  Please contact Education Chair, Linda White