UPCOMING PROGRAM: 7pm, March 10, 2025, Dr. Benjamin Van Doren – How AI and acoustics are transforming our understanding of bird migration.
Benjamin earned a B.S. from Cornell Univ, a PhD from Oxford Univ, and did Postdoctoral research at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Currently, Benjamin is Assistant Professor, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In 2022, as a postdoctoral researcher, he installed a sensitive microphone on Afton mountain at the Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch (see photo) that recorded migrating bird calls every night from Sep to Nov. In this talk, Benjamin will discuss the latest scientific understanding of how migratory birds are impacted by a changing world, including how birds use urban areas, the challenges they face, and how we can help mitigate these impacts. He will focus on the role of new technologies in movement biology, including AI, machine learning, radar, and bioacoustics. He will also discuss his recent work on sociality in songbird migration, made possible by acoustic data collected at Rockfish Gap and a 1000-km transect through Appalachia. ***NOTE: The presentation will be virtual and will begin promptly at 7pm at Covenant Presbyterian Church. Our regular business meeting will occur immediately following the presentation.

The AUGUSTA BIRD CLUB was founded in 1966 and currently has about 190 members from Augusta County, Staunton and Waynesboro, Virginia, as well as nearby areas. Monthly meetings are conducted Sep-May in Staunton that includes a Program by an invited speaker. Our members organize frequent field trips and other events throughout the year. We are also active in various educational programs and conservation efforts as well as a variety of citizen-science projects such as the Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch, Christmas Bird Counts, and Winter Raptor Surveys. Anyone interested in joining are welcome to attend one of our meetings! Contact us with any inquiries you may have.

Remembering Bill Roberson.  One of our long time club members, Bill Roberson, passed away on December 12, 2024 at Augusta Health after a brief illness. His obituary can be found HERE. Bill taught high school mathematics at Robert E. Lee High School (now Staunton High) for 37 years and later at area colleges. One of our club members remembers having “Mr. Roberson” for geometry and described him as being soft spoken and “a true Virginia Gentleman”. This writer happened upon a group of men from the Lee High class of 1967 celebrating the holidays in an area restaurant. Upon learning of Bills’ death, they said Bill taught all of them math and remembered him fondly. One of the things they remember most was his love and appreciation of the land and nature around him in Swoope, VA. Bill helped with our annual bird club holiday parties by cooking the turkey and after the party, you would find Bill and his wife Peggy, cleaning in the kitchen. After the bird club meeting in November, Bill said he was so excited to learn about Merlin and was looking forward to downloading the app and using it. Bill was a kind, thoughtful and gentle man and will be missed by all.

Join us as we work together to protect our birds and environment. Contact the AUGUSTA BIRD CLUB for more information and learn about volunteer opportunities. We graciously accept gifts via cash, check, credit card, or PayPal.