Birdy Hour Speaker Series
The Birdy Hour Speaker Series is a series of virtual talks and discussions hosted by SFBBO to foster appreciation for birds and nature, increase understanding of the scientific process, share conservation efforts, and inspire the public to help birds.
The series started in 2020 with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. With everyone sheltering in place and no end to the pandemic in sight, we recognized a need to connect the community to nature and to each other during a time of physical distancing. We started the Birdy Hour Speaker Series to do just that by inviting speakers to share their expertise and increasing community awareness of the work of SFBBO and our partners. Participants interacted with the speakers and SFBBO through these events. Through two-way communication and anonymous surveys, participants have helped us improve our programs and get ideas for future events.
The series started in 2020 with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. With everyone sheltering in place and no end to the pandemic in sight, we recognized a need to connect the community to nature and to each other during a time of physical distancing. We started the Birdy Hour Speaker Series to do just that by inviting speakers to share their expertise and increasing community awareness of the work of SFBBO and our partners. Participants interacted with the speakers and SFBBO through these events. Through two-way communication and anonymous surveys, participants have helped us improve our programs and get ideas for future events.
“Excellent presentation! We seem to get so little positive news these days, I think it’s important to highlight advances that are being made, and to feel a connection with the people who are making them.”
“Thank you so much for all you do. This has been a challenging year with the pandemic and the fires, and the Birdy Hour is that gem that really brightens my week. The talks have been outstanding.”
- Comments from Birdy Hour Participants
Through these events, we have created and strengthened our partnerships with people in the community and with other organizations, including the US Geological Survey, Mote Marine Laboratory, Bioblitz.club, Latino Outdoors, and more. Additionally, by shifting to a virtual format, we have brought more people to our organization. Whereas our in-person science talks typically had between 5-40 people attend from the Bay Area, our Birdy Hour events in 2020 had 60-300 people attend each talk, totaling over 1800 people tuning in from all over the world!
We also record our talks and make them publicly available on our YouTube channel. These recordings serve as a resource for the community to learn about and review the topics on their own time. We share these recordings with partners, school teachers and professors, and community science volunteers, further increasing our reach and impact.
In 2020, we were fortunate to be able to use grant funds from the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District to develop the Birdy Hour Speaker Series and offer them for free to the public. This year, the Birdy Hour Speaker Series is possible thanks to the support of SFBBO donors. While we’re actively seeking grants to support this program and our other outreach and education efforts, for the time being we rely on donations to keep these going. If you enjoy these events, we hope you’ll help sustain them by making a donation. Your tax-deductible contribution helps us make these events available to the public and engage broad audiences with birds, nature, science, and conservation.
We also record our talks and make them publicly available on our YouTube channel. These recordings serve as a resource for the community to learn about and review the topics on their own time. We share these recordings with partners, school teachers and professors, and community science volunteers, further increasing our reach and impact.
In 2020, we were fortunate to be able to use grant funds from the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District to develop the Birdy Hour Speaker Series and offer them for free to the public. This year, the Birdy Hour Speaker Series is possible thanks to the support of SFBBO donors. While we’re actively seeking grants to support this program and our other outreach and education efforts, for the time being we rely on donations to keep these going. If you enjoy these events, we hope you’ll help sustain them by making a donation. Your tax-deductible contribution helps us make these events available to the public and engage broad audiences with birds, nature, science, and conservation.
Would you like to partner with us and share your work with our audience? Contact Sirena Lao, SFBBO Environmental Education & Outreach Specialist, at slao@sfbbo.org.
Upcoming Birdy Hour Events
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Taken Under Their Wings: How Chickens and Supportive Mentors Launched My Passion for Birding and Nature Journaling
by Fiona Gillogly, 17-year-old birder, artist, and nature journaler Thursday, January 28 at 6pm How My Bluebird Study Grew My Love of Birds, Science, and Conservation by Lara Tseng, 13-year-old birder & scientist Thursday, February 11 at 5pm Almaden Lake: Evolution of the Environment and How Birds Adapt by Larry Manning, SFBBO Colonial Waterbird Monitor Thursday, February 25 at 5pm |
A Walk Through a Bay Area Birder’s Garden
by Barbara Coll, SFBBO volunteer Thursday, March 11 at 5pm Reconsider the Coot: The Crazy Reproductive Antics of a Common Marsh Denizen by Dr. Bruce Lyon, UC Santa Cruz Professor Thursday, March 25 at 4:30pm Bats Eat the Bugs that Bug Us! by Corky Quirk, Founder of NorCal Bats Thursday, April 22 at 5pm |
Past Birdy Hour Recordings
Catch up on any of our past Birdy Hour talks by watching the videos below! You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel to stay updated or check out our Birdy Hour playlists: 2020 | 2021.
Avian Science
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Community Science
Birding & Helping Birds
More Science & Conservation
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Photo Credit: Anna's Hummingbird by Vijay Talati