The Green Lake Bird and Nature Club will host a special presentation about Aerial Insectivores on Wednesday, August 15 at 6:30 pm in Town Square Community Center. This promises to be a fascinating educational opportunity for nature-lovers in the Green Lake area. The event is free and open to the public.

“We will be talking about an amazing group of birds that catch insects while in flight,” says Green Lake Bird and Nature Club President Tom Schultz. “It includes species like Common Nighthawk, Eastern Whip-poor-will, Chimney Swifts, swallows (including Purple Martin) and also many forest flycatchers.”

The program will focus on the population declines, and the complex reasons why this is happening to so many of the area’s aerial insectivores. A good portion of the presentation will be focused on Chimney Swifts, including their ecology and distribution. Attendees will also learn about what they can do to monitor and study them, and about the practical conservation steps that communities may take. It will be presented by Bill Mueller and Nancy Nabak, who are both well-qualified on this topic.

Bill is the director of the Western Great Lakes Bird & Bat Observatory, in Ozaukee County. He is also a current member of the Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative's Steering Committee, and past co-chair of the Midwest Aerial Insectivore Working Group. Bill serves on the Leadership Team of the Midwest Migration Network, on multiple committees for the WI Breeding Bird Atlas, and the WI Stopover Initiative.

Nancy Nabak is the Communication & Development Coordinator for Woodland Dunes Nature Center in Two Rivers. She is responsible for promoting nature-based education and habitat preservation, along with raising funds to support these two important missions.  She’s also the coordinator for the Green Bay Swift Night Out monitoring program.

For more information contact Tom Schultz at trschultz@centurytel.net.