Details

ONSITE | Tuesday, October 3, 9 - 10:30 a.m.

Instructor: Kevin Burke

$24 Non-member Adult**

(**Arboretum Members receive a 10% discount on all classes.)

Course Capacity: 12

Beginning and experienced birders alike enjoy this quiet walk with an expert guide to learn about our avian neighbors active in the Arboretum Forest year round as well as species passing through on migratory routes. Scheduled during a monthly quiet time in our gardens and on our grounds, participants can turn their full focus to the treetops and tune their ears to beautiful birdsong. Seasoned naturalists and ornithologists frequently reference their "spark bird," the bird that sparked an avid interest to learn more and that now leads to their commitment to protect species increasingly imperiled by climate change and other threats to their habits and habitats. Let our guide arrange an introduction to your spark bird and open your eyes to the wonder of birding. Binoculars are available for loan, and the guide will touch on the range of equipment and apps available. Look for the guide's follow-up list of birds seen and heard on your walk. All proceeds from our classes go to support conservation education at The North Carolina Arboretum.

Kevin Burke is originally from the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. He grew up running around in the woods and trails of Shenandoah National Park, where he spent summers camping and hiking with his family. Kevin was introduced to birding by his grandmother, who pointed out all the feeder birds and helped him identify them. This early exposure to the natural world helped foster a lifelong love of learning and birding! Inspired by his first formal ornithology class at Hocking College in Ohio, Kevin has been birding every day since. He went on to get a Bachelor of Science in Ecotourism and Conservation Ecology from the University of Idaho. He has been leading birding trips in some capacity for almost 20 years, traveling throughout the US, Costa Rica, Ecuador and the Dominican Republic. His birding journey has also taken him to some other spectacular locations including Portugal, Colombia, The Bahamas and Canada. He resides with his family in Hendersonville, where the NC mountains now provide the perfect setting for his growing family to enjoy kayaking, hiking and camping they call home.

Registration and Participation in In-Person Classes through the Arboretum:

• Registration for this class will close two days before the class start date.
• Make sure you enter your email address correctly when registering.
• Registrants will be sent a reminder email the day prior to class with the meeting location, current Safety Guidelines, and additional details.
• Access to more information will be available upon registration via your account's Supplemental Content section (if applicable to your class). To learn how to view this information, please use this helpful guide.

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