Speaker Bureau Topics & Bios
The St. Paul Audubon Society Speakers Bureau can provide a speaker for your organization’s meeting. Topics include birds and bird watching, the environment, creating bird habitats, ecology, energy conservation and many others.
Topic Details:
Energy
The Five Reasons Why Clean Renewable Energy Is So Critically Needed – Louis Ascher (bio)
Many people are aware that global warming is a critical reason for the need for clean renewable energy. There are at least four other strong reasons including: acidification of the oceans from CO2, health reasons such as mercury contamination from burning coal, national security and economics. The talk will begin with some basic energy information such as a discussion on the available renewable and non-renewable energy sources. It will then proceed to the five critical reasons stated above.
Louis created this talk because people tend to focus on global warming and forget that there are other strong reasons for renewable energy. Global warming deniers often focus only on global warming and claim that it does not exist. People need to realize that we are faced with multiple serious hazards from the use of non-renewable energy sources! Louis has a thought-provoking and yet very humorous approach.
Renewable energy or clean energy? – Don Arnosti (bio)
content to followBirds and Bird Watching
Introduction to Bird Watching – Clay Christensen (bio)
This talk is meant for the beginning birder or casual birder. Covers bird identification, binoculars, field guides, conduct in the field and keeping track of your sightings. [link back to topic list]
Bird Identification Tips – Clay Christensen (bio)
This talk will help any birder, beginner or topic experienced, learn what to look for when identifying a bird. Covers how and what to look for, groups of bird species, tricky identifications, using your field guide, binoculars, other resources.
Yard Birds – Clay Christensen (bio)
This talk covers birds you’d typically find in your yard and how to attract them. Covers feeders, seed choices, dealing with squirrels, supplying water, shelter and identification tips.
Landscaping for Birds
My Yard is For the Birds – Clay Christensen (bio)
Elements of the yard that make it attractive to birds, including shelter, food, water, nesting and roosting sites.
Attracting Birds to Your Yard – Karen Eckman (bio)
Since 2003, Karen has added native flowers, ferns, grasses, and shrubs to her suburban yard – an important dimension to attracting birds to my yard year around. She would love to share her love of birds with you.
Bird Species and Identification
Sharp-tailed Grouse– Clay Christensen (bio)
Join Clay as he describes his trip to Crex Meadows, Grantsburg, Wisconsin, to see the sharp-tailed grouse do their mating dance.
In Defense of Crows – Clay Christensen (bio)
Crows often get a bad rap. This speech will cover the corvid family, their family life, the “dark side,” and other topics. There’s a good deal of humor, too.
Nature Photography
Photographing Owls – J. Arthur Anderson (bio)
Although this Powerpoint presentation covers a broad range of Minnesota owl species, it primarily describes the speaker’s efforts over the past 5 years to document the reproductive cycle of a single family of Great Horned Owls.
A Tour of Yellowstone National Park – J. Arthur Anderson (bio)
This presentation is geared to individuals who want to know the “what, where and when” details about Yellowstone National Park. The speaker guides participants through the park using maps and photographs. The presentation also covers the Grant Teton National Park as well.
A Tour of the Badlands – J. Arthur Anderson (bio)
This presentation is geared to individuals who want to know the “what, where and when” details about the Badlands National Park. The speaker guides participants through the park using maps and photographs. The presentation also covers information about the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands and Custer State Park.
Nature Photography : Capturing the Moment – J. Arthur Anderson (bio)
This presentation provides an overview of the art of nature photography. The speaker will present information on camera technique, nature photography equipment, the challenges in photographing subjects in the wild, finding photographic opportunities, and the ethics of photographing nature.
Travel
A Bird Trip to Ecuador– Clay Christensen (bio)
This talk is a compilation of several trips to Ecuador. It features excellent bird photos, especially hummingbirds, and scenery, flowers, other spectacular birds and the Antpitta Whisperer.
Conservation
Mississippi River flyway bird conservation – Don Arnosti (bio)
A river of birds follows America’s greatest flyway right past our door, twice annually. The health of the river and adjoining lands is vital to migrating Tundra Swans, 40% of the continent’s ducks and countless millions of migrating warblers. Audubon is working to improve water quality, protect river habitats from invasive Asian Carp, and restoring bottomland hardwood forests from Minnesota to Lousiana. Learn more about these efforts – and how you can join in.
Sulfide mining in Minnesota – Don Arnosti (bio)
Sulfide ore mining for copper, nickel, gold and platinum threatens the Boundary Waters Wilderness and Lake Superior with centuries of toxic run-off. Such mines in humid environments leach toxic metals such as mercury, and sulfates which threaten Wild Rice, vital to people, and Canvasback Ducks. Learn the latest on plans to mine, and efforts to protect our water – and wallets from centuries of toxic drainage.
Clean water and clean air issues (mercury impacts on loons and eagles, etc.) – Don Arnosti (bio)
It has become fashionable to bash government regulations and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as needless impediments to jobs and freedom. Learn about the Clean Air and Clean Water Act, enacted under Richard Nixon, and still awaiting final implementation, 40 years later. Discuss what clean air and water mean to you, and how we might achieve them.
Forest conservation and related issues – Don Arnosti (bio)
Minnesota’s northern forests are breeding-central to dozens of species of warblers, as well as such iconic species as the Bald Eagle. Our bottomland forests along the Mississippi River Flyway host concentrations of breeding cerulean and prothonotary warblers, as well as Red Shouldered Hawks. Minnesota has led the nation over the past twenty years in developing forest management guidelines to introduce science into forest management. Forest certification such as "FSC" (Forest Stewardship Council) standards have allowed consumers to reinforce better forest practices via their purchases, while providing Minnesota’s paper companies a competetive edge in global markets.
Agricultural policy and reforms to conserve grassland birds and provide clean water and wetlands – Don Arnosti (bio)
Corn and soybeans cover more than 90% of Minnesota’s agricultural lands. Many of these acres are drained and tiled to speed water off these lands, often carrying loads of chemicals, fertilizers and silt – which choke our rivers and causes the "Dead Zone" in the Gulf of Mexico. Grassland and wetland birds such as the Sandhill Crane, Mallard Duck and Bobolink need wetlands and grasslands to breed, while our rivers need more of these lands to hold and filter water before it enters them. Learn what Audubon members are doing to protect birds nesting in hayfields. Learn how you might be able to "shop your values" in the near future, by buying Bird-Friendly Beef.
Minnesota & National environmental policies and politics – Don Arnosti (bio)
Hear about the latest ideas from Congress and the Legislature in Saint Paul – good and bad – concerning bird conservation, wetland and forest protection, clean water, clean air, energy and climate. Don has been deeply involved in environmental lobbying for more than 20 years and has numerous entertaining, enlightening and shocking political tales to tell.
Recycling and waste management – Don Arnosti (bio)
What we waste tells a lot about our society. Valuable metals and plastics are dumped or burned (releasing toxic by-products into our air) while we scar our earth looking for more metals and gas. Why are we in this situation? Can we do anything to ramp up reuse, recycling and composting – while moving closer to creating Zero Waste? Is this utopian, or within our reach?
Speaker Bios
Louis Ascher, President of the St. Paul Audubon Society. Louis was a Researcher and Statistician during his 39 year 3M Company career. He created and presented countless classes on statistical, mathematical and procedural subjects that focused on the scientific approach. Over the last 25 years, Louis has had a very strong interest in the area of renewable energy and has thoroughly researched that subject. After retiring, Louis devoted more time to pursue the area of renewable energy. He volunteers in organizations that deal with habitat conservation, climate change and renewable energy.
Clay Christensen, a bird watcher with over 20 years’ experience. Former President and Member of the Board of the St. Paul Audubon Society. Field trip leader, conducts bird counts and surveys, writes the “Birdman of Lauderdale” column for the St. Anthony Park “Bugle”. His articles have appeared in “Minnesota Birding” and the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. He has attained the level of Advanced Toastmaster and has given talks to many different groups.
Don Arnosti, has held a variety of positions with Audubon Minnesota and the National Audubon Society over the past twenty years, including Minnesota State Director, Board Member, chapter volunteer and his present position of Policy Director for Minnesota and the Mississippi River Flyway. Don has been instrumental in the crafting and implementation of landmark legislation including Minnesota’s Wetland Conservation Act, and numerous forest policies leading to better forest management under guidance of the Minnesota Forest Resources Council. Over the years, Don has also worked for Clean Water Action, Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. He has a degree in Biology from Lawrence University. His wife Meg and he have raised three fine children – all interested in camping, hiking, travel and culture – as they are.
Karen Eckman, has been fascinated by birds from her early childhood in South Dakota. She renewed her y interest as an adult when she won a pair of binoculars and discovered Redpolls instead of the House Sparrows in her yard. In 1977, she I took her first guided nature trip to Costa Rica and was hooked. Since then, she has been on guided bird trip vacations to many different countries.
To learn Minnesota birds after she retired in December, 2002, she joined St. Paul Audubon Society’s Education Committee. They gave Karen a small scholarship to a teacher’s workshop at the Audubon Center of the North Woods. Then for several years, she volunteered in the elementary schools teaching bird ID classes and leading neighborhood bird walks using the MN Ornithologists’ Union Youth Mentorship kit. Two ornithology classes at the University of Minnesota helped also.
J. Arthur Anderson is an avid and accomplished nature photographer. He is a frequent contributor to nature-oriented publications (e.g., “Minnesota Birding”) and his photographs have been used for educational purposes by state and federal parks. John is a trained educator and was a school teacher. He has been called upon to make frequent public presentations in his current position (past 23+ years) working for the Department of Human Services. John has presented at various camera clubs and at the International Festival of Owls.
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