Author Archives: Bill

Intro to Foraging – with Dan Gardoqui – Sunday, Oct 2nd

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Are you curious about wild foods and foraging during this season of abundance? Does uncertainty and concern stop you from sampling healthy, wild foods? Come spend a morning at the Wells Reserve with forager and expert naturalist Dan Gardoqui of Lead with Nature. On Sunday morning, Oct 2nd, from 9 till noon, YCA is pleased to co-host this program with the Wells Reserve. We’ll stroll the fields, forests and shorelines, all the while connecting with the wild plants, trees, fungi and more with all of our senses. Participants should be prepared to walk a few miles, dress for the weather, … Continue reading →

A video of our September 2022 program: 11 Days in the Galapagos – with Laurie Pocher

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This program was presented on September 13, 2022 at the Wells Reserve. To watch the program, please click on the image below to watch it on this page, and you can also click on “Watch on Youtube.” (We also recommend clicking on the little white square in the bottom right corner of that viewing screen to convert the image to “full screen”). For a full description, you can scroll down to the original post for the program. The audio quality on a few video clips did not reproduce well in the Zoom broadcast, so we’ve post those clips below so … Continue reading →

“11 Days in the Galapagos” with Laurie Pocher, Tuesday, September 13th – In-person and by Zoom

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On Tuesday, September 13th, at 7 p.m., York County Audubon is pleased to host Laurie Pocher who will present a program on the Galapagos.  This program will be held in-person in the Mather Auditorium at the Wells Reserve, and will also be available for viewing via Zoom. This will be our first in-person program in over two years, and we hope you can join us! The program will be held in the Mather Auditorium at the Wells Reserve at Laudholm. The entrance to the Wells Reserve parking lot is off Skinner Mill Rd in Wells, and the auditorium is in the … Continue reading →

Wildlife Track and Sign by the Sea – with Dan Gardoqui

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Many people think of “tracking” as something best done when snow is on the ground, but the sands of Laudholm Beach reveal the stories of a diverse array of birds, mammals and invertebrates. On Saturday morning, July 16th, from 7:30 – 10:30 a.m., YCA and the Wells Reserve are pleased to host a seaside workshop that will help to reveal such signs and tales. Join Certified Wildlife Tracker and Maine Guide Dan Gardoqui for an enlightening morning of decoding stories in the sand. Participants will need to walk about 3 miles and spend time on uneven surfaces. Please bring your … Continue reading →

Birding Backpacks are now at a library library near you!

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York County Audubon has established a Birding Backpack program that donates complete birding kits to local libraries.  After a successful trial at the Kennebunk Free Library, we are now engaged in an effort to make these available to libraries throughout York County. This project is being done in memory of one of our dearest friends and colleagues, Pat Moynahan.  She was a treasure of the Maine birding community and so much more, as rare a bird as any she ever found in the field.  She served on the York County Audubon Board of Directors for 25 years.  We are honored … Continue reading →

A Video of our May 2022 Program: What’s that Bird I’m Hearing? with Doug Hitchcox

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This program was presented on May 17, 2022. Please click on the link below to watch the program. You can also scroll down to the original post on this program for a full description.Unfortunately, due to internet difficulties at Doug’s location, the program ended abruptly, though he did get through most of it. We may record and post an “epilogue” to complete it.

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Bird Songs – a Zoom Program with Monica Grabin – Tuesday, June 21st

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Bird Songs? No, not the songs birds sing, the songs she sings about them. Monica Grabin, a folk singer from way back, has known many songs about birds for years, but it was Pat Moynahan who first got her started writing songs of her own about birds and those who love them. Some are funny, some are celebratory, but almost all are close parodies of songs many of you will be familiar with. Accompanying herself on guitar and banjo, Monica will share the stories behind the songs while also honoring the memory of Pat Moynahan and her endless enthusiasm for … Continue reading →

Annual Election of Officers and Directors

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The Nominating Committee has presented a slate of Officers and Directors to the YCA Board, and that slate has been approved by the Directors:  Bill Grabin, President, Laurie Pocher, Vice President, Kathy Donahue, Treasurer, and Monica Grabin, Secretary, as well as the following slate of Directors: Dan Gardoqui, David Doubleday, Doug Hitchcox, Joyce Toth, Marian Zimmerman, Marion Sprague, Mary Bateman, Seth Davis

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Birding by Ear Workshop – with Dan Gardoqui – Sunday, April 24, 2022

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Expert bird mimic Dan Gardoqui will help you connect with birds you can’t see by getting to know their songs and calls (as well as what they’re saying). In this workshop, we’ll do a little exploring on foot, but a lot more listening with our ears. Dan can help you learn the calls by mimicking them for the group as you hear and see the actual birds in the field. If you’re experienced with visual bird identification, this course will be a good next step in building your birding skills. Dan Gardoqui has been studying naturalist skills, wildlife tracking, bird … Continue reading →

What’s That Bird I’m Hearing? – a Zoom program with Doug Hitchcox on Tuesday, May 17th

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Take your birding to a new dimension, literally! Learning to identify birds by their songs or calls will help you find more birds, and aurally read the landscape. In this program we’ll focus on the skills to identify and recognize different vocalization, rather than just playing hundreds of recordings, but there will be plenty of examples! On Tuesday, May 17th, at 7 p.m., York County Audubon is pleased to host YCA Board member Doug Hitchcox who will present this program on “birding by ear.”   Doug is the Outreach Coordinator for the Maine Bird Atlas and Staff Naturalist for Maine Audubon. … Continue reading →

Hummingbirds – Recent Research and Spectacular Species We Have Met – a Zoom program with Dana and Bob Fox – Tuesday, April 19th

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Lifelong birders Dana and Bob Fox, who have traveled extensively on 6 continents and visited more than 40 countries, will present this program which focuses on a magnificent group of birds: the hummingbirds. A male Ruby-throated Hummingbird at the Fox’s NH cabin – photo by Steve Whitebread Studies have given us insights into the wonders of hummingbirds. This talk will provide information including: what is a hummingbird, how they did they evolve, how do their nectar gathering and pollination activities compare with bees and butterflies, what do they eat besides nectar, what are their feeding techniques, what is torpor, how … Continue reading →

Become a Native Plant Volunteer! March 16th deadline.

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As you probably know, our native plants are threatened by various trends including human encroachment, the spread of non-native species, and climate change. The Native Plant Trust, located at Garden In the Woods in Framingham, Massachusetts, has an opportunity for volunteers all over New England, including here in Maine, to document and preserve our native vegetation. Attached is a flyer describing the program run by the Native Plant Trust, and a brief description of what volunteering entails. If you have a passion for plants, you might want to consider applying for this program. The deadline is March 16, and you … Continue reading →