Poster Sessions

Submit a proposal and learn about confirmed posters
Published January 03, 2019

Submit a Poster Session Proposal

You are invited to submit a poster session proposal for the 2019 Audubon Convention! The convention program will feature high-quality interactive sessions that build the capacity of leaders within the Audubon network. This is your opportunity to share your expertise with Audubon’s broad and diverse community. We welcome proposals from all.

Click here to learn more and to submit a proposal.

We can accommodate a maximum of 50 posters. The deadline to submit a poster session proposal is Sunday, July 14 or until we reach our maximum capacity – whichever is sooner. 

The following posters will be displayed throughout the Welcome Reception on Friday, July 26 at 6:00pm.

SD City College/Audubon Hummingbird and Butterfly Gardens

  • San Diego Community College students created Hummingbird and Monarch butterfly friendly garden spaces on four vegetated areas on campus, doing work parties to plant native vegetation. Then, a student hourly employee and students in Physical Geography and Biology classes monitored the migrating and resident Hummingbirds, birds and butterflies and used the California Audubon Society GIS website "Hummingbirds at Home" to participate in a real-life research effort. They also created a map of the campus with their 2 year-long data to analyze whether or not birds have preferred one patch to another. These patches are separated by buildings and streets, so preference may be noticed, and may lead to further study. Over a 2-year period, data was analyzed for hummingbird habitat preference and presented to the campus at large as well as to many outreach venues.
  • Presenters
    • Lisa Chaddock, Faculty Advisor, San Diego City College Audubon
    • Christian Ayala, President, San Diego City College Audubon
    • Missael Corro-Flores, Vice President, San Diego City College Audubon

Capture/Recapture: Reviving a Thirty-year Banding Tradition on the Alabama Gulf Coast

  • This poster will provide participants with a first-hand look at how Birmingham Audubon revived a beloved, but recently lapsed, banding tradition on Alabama's Fort Morgan Peninsula. It will discuss details of the event's deep history (stretching back thirty years) and its scientific significance, as well as the challenges of stepping into "someone else's shoes," managing expectations and partners, and maximizing the event's outreach potential to engage new audiences with the beauty of migratory birds.
  • Presenter
    • Emma Rhodes, Coastal Assistant Biologist, Birmingham Audubon Society

Habitat House Calls- Bring Conservation Home

  • "Bring Conservation Home" was initiated in 2012 by St. Louis Audubon as a habitat consultation and certification service for individual landowners. Since then, over 1,000 landscapes have been enrolled, representing over 500 acres of potential new habitat! Through intensive, personal contact the program inspires individuals to see their residential, work, religious and institutional landscapes as opportunities to create attractive and functional habitat spaces, improve their communities and connect with nature. In addition to the consultation and certification visits, the program has expanded to include native landscaping workshops, the installation of demonstration gardens, an annual garden tour, and native plant expo.
  • Presenter
    • Herb Huebner, Board Member and Habitat Advisor, St. Louis Audubon Society

How our Chapter Jump-Started an Effective Advocacy Program

  • Last year, the Elisha Mitchell Audubon Society developed a strategic Advocacy Plan to direct our chapter’s work in support of Audubon’s mission. What started as a simple, yet powerful, idea to boost our advocacy efforts, has blossomed into a fully-fledged, effective program with measurable impacts. Chapter leaders reached out to the Audubon community for assistance and we have sent several “Advocacy Alerts” on various local, state and federal issues impacting birds, which successfully solicited emails and comments to public officials. We have also met with elected officials, hosted them on bird walks, participated in Audubon North Carolina’s Lobby Days, and received an Audubon in Action grant to start college chapters and provide training for new advocates.
  • Presenters
    • Nancy Casey, Board Member, Elisha Mitchell Audubon Society
    • Tom Tribble, President, Elisha Mitchell Audubon Society

Understanding Riparian Birds through Community Science: the Audubon Western Rivers Bird Count

  • Learn about the Audubon Western Rives Bird Count, a community science activity designed to increase our understanding of how increased aridity and decreasing flows on the Colorado River and other rivers in the southwest are impacting riparian birds. We will describe the count, what we’ve learned so far, and how you can participate in the count itself or as an advocate for rivers.
  • Presenters
    • Chad Wilsey, Vice President of Conservation Science, National Audubon Society
    • Tim Meehan, Quantitative Ecologist, National Audubon Society
    • Desiree Loggins, Network Action Manager, National Audubon Society

Screech-owls in the Community

  • Grand Valley Audubon's Western Screech-owl project boasts more than 20 years of increasing success. Not only does the Grand Valley CBC typically lead the nation in counting this small owl; the project has been instrumental in increasing community outreach and providing positive visibility for Audubon.
  • Presenters
    • Nic Korte, Conservation Chair, Grand Valley Audubon Society

Audubon Conservation Ranching Range Ecologist Program

  • Grassland birds thrive in intact heterogeneous grassland ecosystems. However, to date, 47% of the Great Plains has been lost to conversion, primarily crop production. To combat grassland habitat loss and degradation, The Audubon Conservation Ranching (ACR) Program provides ranchers with market incentives to implement grassland bird friendly management practices on their intact rangelands. The Range Ecologist Program facilitates rancher enrollment in the ACR program by providing technical assistance to ensure program protocol compliance, designing management strategies that encourage quality grassland bird habitat, and connecting enrolled ranchers with new market opportunities.
  • Presenters
    • Joshua Lefers, Senior Range Ecologist, Audubon Dakota
    • Lucy Love, Range Technician, Audubon Dakota

GIS at Audubon -- What's so spatial about maps?

  • This poster will detail the GIS resources that are readily available to the Audubon network and the ways that mapping can be used to great effect, no matter your audience or experience level.
  • Presenters
    • Ryan Hobbs, Enterprise GIS Support Technician, National Audubon Society

A Rare Bird: Using GIS to Protect Yuma Ridgway's Rail

  • This poster will discuss the role of GIS in the Yuma Ridgway's Rail habitat in the Southwest. The project utilizes GIS in multiple ways including mobile data collection, habitat suitability modeling with geospatial data, and various maps.
  • Presenters
    • Ryan Hobbs, Enterprise GIS Support Technician, National Audubon Society

Community Science: Bridging the Gap Between Birders and Research

  • Birders have become an essential part of Schlitz Audubon Nature Center’s Community Science Program. We will explain how historical data has been used, how we are utilizing birding volunteers for current community science projects and how we are actively recruiting new birding volunteers to further our research and conservation efforts.
  • Presenters
    • Corinne Palmer, Citizen Science Coordinator, Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
    • Drew Shuster, Resource Ecologist, Schlitz Audubon Nature Center

Connecting Students with Birds and Nature

  • This poster features classroom activities that teach elementary students about birds, nature, and the outdoors. These activities include a John James Audubon & Charley Harper graphic arts mash up, animated animal research posters, a QR code scavenger hunt, bird sounds poetry, and resources from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
  • Presenter
    • Erin Murtaugh, Volunteer, Red Rock Audubon Society

Building the Flock: Workshops Strengthen Networking among Chapters and Affiliates in Ohio

  • There has been a 50% decline Audubon chapter activity in Ohio since 2006. To prevent further declines, and to bolster remaining chapters, the Council of Ohio Audubon Chapters is leading the way in revitalizing and supporting local chapters through a series of workshops and monthly conference calls. Workshops offer opportunities to discuss fundraising opportunities, membership recruitment, program opportunities, habitat conservation initiatives, and networking among chapters and other like-minded organizations. Please stop by to chat with me about why you might want to start a similar program in your state!
  • Presenter
    • Jackie Augustine, President of the Council of Ohio Audubon Chapters and Executive Board Member of Tri-Moraine Audubon Society

Lights Out Buckeyes – Factors Influencing Avian Window Collisions

  • Migratory songbirds migrate primarily at night to avoid dangers present during the day. Artificial lighting disrupts this natural phenomenon by disorienting and drawing in birds that migrate through urban landscapes on their journey to and from their breeding grounds each spring and fall. In the United States, between 365 to 988 million birds are killed in window collisions each year. With a team of undergraduates I am conducting research to pinpoint exactly when, where, and why these collisions are happening. My team of researchers consists of students in the Ornithology Club at Ohio State. We monitored most buildings on The Ohio State University main campus for window collision birds. Our findings will hopefully inform and promote future university management decisions to mitigate window collisions on our college campus and other urban areas. In addition, this research will expand our knowledge of factors causing wildlife collisions and will lead to other Universities to follow in our footsteps.
  • Presenter
    • Kandace Glanville, Board Member, Columbus Audubon Society

Audubon Mural Project - Rockford, IL

  • The Audubon Mural Project - Rockford is a public art project featuring birds that have identified by the National Audubon’s Birds and Climate Change Report. According to that report, climate change will impact 314 species of birds by 2080. This project originated in NYC, but is being brought to Rockford by Sinnissippi Audubon in collaboration with Gitler & ___. Climate change is one of the most critical challenges facing our world and the artistic movement to confront climate change has steadily gained momentum. Art can serve as a powerful tool to increase awareness and beautify our city!
  • Presenter
    • Jennifer Kuroda, President, Sinnissippi Audubon Society

FLC Makerspace Bird Box: Bridging the Gap Between Ornithology and Engineering

  • Folsom Lake College Makerspace and I have collaborated to design and create a prototype of a “Bird Box.” This box will aide not only in the housing of injured birds during transport, but also as support for ornithologists as they conduct bird field studies. The necessary knowledge was gathered through an Ornithology class as well as communicating regularly with wildlife rescues and bird biologists. The box was created utilizing sketches, 3D Printers and various materials. The box will have the ability to maintain proper positioning of the bird, optimum temperature, and a dark relaxing environment; all necessary to increase bird survival.
  • Nicole Shuman, Member, Sacramento Audubon Society
  • Presenter
    • Nicole Shuman, Member, Sacramento Audubon Society

Birds & Airport Safety: Project SOAR (Snowy Owl Airport Rescue)

  • Our primary goal is to discuss and teach others about Project SOAR (Snowy Owl Airport Rescue) whose mission is to rescue and relocate climate-threatened Snowy Owls and other raptors from airports where they pose as safety hazards. We will tell the story of how our two local Wisconsin Audubon chapters developed a successful strategy and built lasting relationships with falconers and airports. We will then teach others how they can adopt similar strategies in their hometowns. During the 2017-2018 winter, our falconers captured and relocated 4.3% of the Snowy Owls found in the entire state of Wisconsin!
  • Presenters
    • Erin Giese, President, Northeastern Wisconsin Audubon Society
    • Frank Ujazdowski, Lead Falconer for Project SOAR and Member of the Wisconsin Falconers Association
    • Janet Wissink, President, Winnebago Audubon Society

Reading a Birds Mind with GIS: Utilizing Technology as a Conservation Tool

  • This poster will analyze the role of GIS in developing predictive models that can guide habitat management and species recovery. Utilizing GIS applications like Survey123 can automate traditional monitoring methods and provide more concise recovery metrics for at risk species such as Western Snowy Plover and California Least Terns.  
  • Presenter
    • Alissa Goldberg, President, California State University Channel Islands Audubon

Magnetoreception in Migratory Birds: A Research Opportunity for Underrepresented College Students

  • In a summer research program at SUNY Geneseo, biology, biochemistry, and chemistry students are pursuing an interdisciplinary project to prepare and study synthetic models of cryptochromes—enzymes found in the retinas of migratory birds that are believed to enable birds to perceive the Earth’s magnetic field. This introductory research program funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s McNair Scholars Program aims to strengthen and diversify the scientific workforce. Participants include first-generation and low-income students and members of underrepresented groups who are interested in pursuing graduate degrees in science, technology, and engineering.
  • Presenters
    • Brandon Tate, Board Member, Genesee Valley Audubon Society
    • Emmeline Gromme, Board Member, Genesee Valley Audubon Society

Lead: Enemy of the Eagle

  • As a sixteen year old who volunteers at a bird rehabilitation center in Washington state, I am excited to present on the impacts that lead has on eagles. This poster will address lead in the environment – how it gets there, the effects of lead on birds, and the treatment necessary to rehabilitate and save the lives of eagles with lead toxicosis. I will also address the potential policy solutions for this problem. In addition, I will show how wilderness rehabilitation centers are on the front lines of identifying emerging problems in bird populations.
  • Presenter
    • Joseph Molotsky, Member, Admiralty Audubon Society

Annual Midwest Crane Count: Four Decades of Citizen Science

  • Since 1976, the Annual Midwest Crane Count has grown from a single-county survey to an effort that encompasses nearly 100 counties in Wisconsin and portions of surrounding states. The survey was first established to gain a better understanding of the small, but growing, Sandhill Crane population in southcentral Wisconsin. Today, over 1,200 volunteers document the abundance, distribution and dispersal of cranes on the landscape, while promoting awareness of wetland and crane conservation. We will share a summary of historic data and volunteer participation, along with lessons learned from over four decades of coordinating a citizen science project.
  • Presenters
    • Sara Gavney Moore, Digital Communications Specialist, International Crane Foundation
    • Dorn Moore, Geospatial and Information Services Manager, International Crane Foundation

Bird-window Collisions

  • 365 million to one billion birds collide with sheet glass every year in the USA alone. The facts, the why's, and the ways to reduce and prevent this unwanted mortality.
  • Presenters
    • Peter Saenger, President, Lehigh Valley Audubon Society
    • Leigh Altadonna, President, Wyncote Audubon Society

Lucy's Warbler Nestbox Experiment

  • Lucy’s Warbler Nestbox Project centers on breaking down the long-held notion that Lucy’s Warblers will not use nestboxes. Tucson Audubon has set out to prove that it is all a matter of finding the right design. Learn about our multi-year experiment of creating 8 different nestbox designs installed at 60 points in Lucy’s Warbler habitat to identify the preferred nestbox design. With the tremendous support from the public with construction, installation and monitoring of these boxes, we have narrowed down the winning design: the triangle nestbox, which mimics the natural nests in peeling bark of mature mesquite trees.
  • Presenter
    • Olya Phillips, Citizen Science Coordinator, Tucson Audubon Society

Conveying Bird Conservation Efforts from South Africa to America

  • My poster reflects the bird conservation efforts of SANCCOB, the South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Seabirds. I hope to share information regarding research, overall importance and opportunities offered by SANCCOB. SANCCOB focuses largely on rehabilitation of the African penguin, an endangered species. By connecting Audubon Convention attendees with SANCCOB it is likely to build a larger network and further support the organization’s purpose. Last October I participated in the Animal Professional Experience offered by SANCCOB. I am interested in sharing stories and answering questions for those who may also consider volunteering.
  • Presenter
    • Jessica Egerer, Member, Detroit Audubon Society

Native Plants for Birds at Hundred Acre Hollows

  • Space Coast Audubon Society was awarded an Audubon in Action Grant in 2018 to create the first Native Plant Garden for Birds and Pollinators at Hundred Acre Hollows in Brevard County, Florida. SCAS members have eagerly supported the development and maintenance of the Native Plant Garden. HAH is a new nonprofit that is working to preserve 114 acres of greenspace and keep it from becoming another housing subdivision. The Native Plant Garden is another way to show the importance of this natural area and helps HAH meet its mission of Protect the Wildlife, Restore the Habitat and Engage the Public.
  • Presenter
    • Bert Alm, Field Trip Director, Space Coast Audubon Society

Audubon Conservation Treks & the Mackenzie Fellowship

  • This poster highlights the Mackenzie Fellowship in Texas and the Audubon Conservation Treks program that Fellows co-lead. Treks are free multi-day excursions to Texas state parks for Title 1 high school students. We focus on conservation education and make conservation accessible for urban youth.
  • Presenters
    • Keara Hudler, Mackenzie Fellow, Trinity River Audubon Center
    • Nancy Pineda, Mackenzie Fellow, Trinity River Audubon Center

Saving the River, Again

  • Six thousand five hundred confined hogs, 2.5 million gallons of untreated sewage stored in clay lined cesspools then sprayed on surrounding fields of thin soil over karst (caves, springs, underground streams), all this on a major tributary of America’s first National River. This is the story of a six year struggle between industrial agriculture, Farm Bureau, and “property rights” passion vs the people. Participants will learn how the “Save the Buffalo River- Again” campaign prevailed and will discover the secret ingredient that made all the difference.
  • Presenters
    • Jack Stewart, Vice President, Buffalo River Watershed Alliance
    • Pam Stewart, Arkansas Audubon BFY Committee
    • Margaret Young, Hendrix College

River Pathways Mackenzie Fellowship

  • A window into how Audubon Arizona's River Pathway's Mackenzie Fellowship is creating the next generation of conservation leaders, and how the fellowship furthers Audubon's Mission of protecting birds and the places they live.
  • Presenters
    • Daniel Hite, Audubon Arizona, Conservation Outreach/River Pathways Mackenzie Fellow
    • Xulia Suero, Mackenzie Fellow Alumni

BIRDLINK: Plants for Birds Living Sculpture

  • Images and slides reproduced on a poster to show BIRDLINK, its design, and its urban installation. We will use photographs of the three structures in New York City and illustration/rendering/text slides from the website: http://birdlink.world/ NYC Audubon is the fiscal sponsor for BIRDLINK and its creator, artist and nature enthusiast Anina Gerchick. We received a Burke grant in support of the newest public installation in Sara D Roosevelt Park on Manhattan's Lower East Side/Bowery neighborhood.
  • Presenter
    • Kathryn Heintz, Executive Director, New York City Audubon

Trees For Life: Plant 100,000 Trees To Solve County And World Environmental, Social And Economic Problems To Save Our Birds And Us

  • Supported in part by a National Audubon Society Burke Grant, Pelican Island Audubon Society, in a community partnership, aims to restore native trees and reforest and re-green our neighborhoods, reinvigorate street trees and parks, and transform all local landscapes from predominantly turf lawns to natives. We are including minority communities and county schools to plant 100,000 native and fruit trees in the next few years. Our Trees for Life has over 26 supporting organizations, including the County Health Department, University of Florida/County Extension Service, churches, schools, and associations.
  • Presenter
    • Richard H. Baker, Ph.D., President, Pelican Island Audubon Society

Energy Efficiency Retrofits for Low Income Homes — A Cost-effective Way to Reduce Carbon Emissions

  • Orange Audubon Society (OAS) sought to publicize building energy efficiency as a cost-effective, under-emphasized way to reduce greenhouse gases. Using a 2014 Toyota TogetherGreen by Audubon grant, OAS worked with the City of Winter Park to retrofit 29 older low-income homes, 6 churches and a nursery. Since these homes were originally high energy users and residents could not afford retrofits, the program promoted equity as well as reduced the City’s carbon footprint. A13% energy use reduction was documented for representative homes, with a payback period of approximately 5 years. Implementation details will be presented.
  • Presenters
    • Deborah Green, President, Orange Audubon Society
    • Melissa Gonzalez, Education Chair, Orange Audubon Society

See what gift planning can do for YOU

  • Come hear about the resources available to chapters for gift planning fundraising assistance, and the powerful impact this niche form of fundraising can have on our collaborative work. There will also be a gift planning table with materials available throughout the rest of the convention.
  • Presenter
    • Shari Kolding, Director of Gift Planning, National Audubon Society

Recovery for Red-heads!

  • This poster describes a project to study Red-headed Woodpeckers in MN in order to develop best management practices to facilitate their recovery through habitat development and protection.
  • Presenter
    • Keith Olstad, President, Audubon Chapter of Minneapolis

Working together for the benefit of all

  • In the 2018 Year of the Bird, we worked with local agencies to put up Kestrel boxes and establish maintenance of them; fixed an observation deck; and put up educational signs in parks.
  • Presenter
    • Joel Dunnette, President, Zumbro Valley Audubon Society

What is Bird Language?

  • The communication network of birds is vast, complex, and delicate. Pressure to survive, evade predators, and find food has shaped our winged companions’ perceptive and communicative capacities over eons. Even more amazing is that humans can easily tune into communication between birds. This practice is called Bird Language and it reveals the exciting drama in birds' everyday lives. As Audubon’s board member Joe Ellis put it, “Birds talk to one another. We can understand it. And it’s fun!” Bird language provides similar benefits to mindfulness practices, cultivating quiet mind through the connection with birds. The core practice is the ‘Bird Sit’, akin to an outdoor bird meditation. Simply sit in a backyard or park and quietly watch the birds for 10-20 minutes. While we sit, we ask ourselves, "What are the birds doing right now?" and observe their behaviors and vocalizations. This practice reveals the bird's secret lives and how they are driven by predation, feeding, mating and nesting in the landscape. It is a fantastic way for audiences to connect to bird ecology in their backyards and communities. Richard Louv, Audubon Medal Recipient, lauds bird language as one of the most effective nature connection practices in the field. Bird language is especially important for engaging new and younger audiences. It is highly accessible for birders at all levels, starting in pre-school classrooms. Most impressively, it is very effective at engaging Millennials ages 20-30 year-olds, one of Audubon's highest priority audiences. Learn more and start your bird language journey here: https://ca.audubon.org/news/what-bird-language
  • Presenter
    • Molly Tsongas, Digital Campaign Manager, Audubon California

Challenge and opportunity-Mapping Audubon Alaska’s network

  • Alaska is home to millions of birds, and thousands of birders in the Audubon network. However, as the largest state in the U.S. with chapters and the state office dispersed across thousands of miles, maintaining and growing connections across the Audubon network can be challenging. We present a brief history of Audubon Alaska and its chapters across the state, examples of work we have accomplished together, and opportunities to grow our network into the future. We would love feedback on these ideas as we look for new ways to build Audubon’s presence in “The Great Land”.
  • Presenters
    • Natalie Dawson, Executive Director, Audubon Alaska
    • Kassandra Smith, Finance and Operations Associate, Audubon Alaska
    • Max Goldman, Conservation Biologist, Audubon Alaska