The Bird Diva and VINS Raptors Up Close

Two Presentations!

Slow Birding
Reimaging How We Connect With Birds

1:00 PM
A 45 minute presentation and a 30 minute walk outside

Bridget Butler, aka The Bird Diva, will share her path to creating Slow Birding, a mindful practice going beyond identification, that is focused on deep observation, connecting with the landscape, and connecting with self. In this presentation, she’ll share a variety of techniques that will help you look at birds, listen to them, and interpret their behavior, which will build your skills as a naturalist and provide you with a practice that will allow you to slow down and reconnect with the natural world. After the presentation, we’ll head outside to practice some sit spot techniques to open our awareness to birds.

Raptors Up Close
Vermont Institute of Natural Science

3:00 PM
A one hour presentation in HCA’s tent

Live falcons, hawks and owls provide the lens through which we examine food webs, predator-prey relationships and the interdependence of the systems that support life. This first-hand encounter enables participants to understand the defining characteristics that make a bird a raptor and their adaptations for life as a predator on the wing. Touchable artifacts and hands-on materials round out this special experience.