Sunday, August 11, 8 am - 11 am
Location: Hi Vue Maples, 224 Stevens Mills Slide Road, Richford, VT 05476
Space is limited and registration is required. Purchase tickets at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/birding-brunch-in-the-maple-sugar-bush-tickets-66535143405.
Bird Diva Bridget Butler will share the practice of Slow Birding and how you can awaken your innate birding skills and reconnect with nature. She’ll share a variety of techniques that will help you look at birds, listen to them and interpret their behavior that will not only build your skills as a naturalist but will provide you with a practice that will allow you to slow down and reconnect with the natural world. This field session will include a mini-workshop on skill building to improve your observational skills followed by a group sit-spot session and debrief. The group will capture observations during the sit and then regroup to map experiences and share stories of what was observed. The group will wrap up by discussing how the sit-spot practice can be used at home and how to continue creating a deeper connection with birds and place.
Host Jessica Boone, owner of Hi Vue Maples, will provide coffee and an early morning treat to sustain the group followed by a brunch during the discussion after. Her family has been working with their land for over 100 years and 5 generations. Jessica was one of the first sugarmakers to obtain Audubon Vermont's Bird-Friendly Maple Certification and is a part of the Cold Hollow to Canada Woodlots program focused on keeping working forests healthy and connected.
Participants are encouraged to dress for the weather and for being still for a period of time, to bring a notebook, water, and a comfortable, portable chair or pad to sit on. Participants should be prepared for slightly hilly terrain at a slow nature lover's pace and should bring a water bottle and binoculars. Bridget will have binoculars for participants without them.