The CDC currently recommends that precautions against COVID-19 be based on the community level of the disease. Orange County is currently at low risk. For more information, visit the CDC website.
Please do not attend meetings if you aren’t feeling well or are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms.
Meeting Dates
General meetings of the Mearns Club are held at 7:00 pm on the second Monday of every month from September through May (except February). At club meetings, a club member or an outside speaker gives a presentation about his or her birding travels or studies.
March 14, 2022: Karen and Annalise Reed—a mother and daughter bird-rehabilitation team based in Chester, New York—will speak about their work and take us on a virtual tour of their facilities to show some of the birds currently in their care. The Reeds have been rehabilitators for almost five years, and Annalise recently earned a federal rehabilitation education permit as well as a falconry permit. They care for injured birds referred to them from the greater Orange County area, and they have an active relationship with the Catskill Animal Sanctuary of Saugerties, New York.
The March meeting will be held at the Blooming Grove Senior Center, 4 Horton Road, Blooming Grove, New York, which is just off Route 94 directly behind the Blooming Grove police station. Parking is available in a separate lot behind the station.
April 11, 2022 (via Zoom): Matthew Young, president and founder of the Finch Research Network, will talk about winter finches, and the benefits of watching finches and birds, as well as what led to the formation of the Finch Research Network and what the research collaboration plans to accomplish into the future.
A link to the Zoom meeting will be sent via Groups.io prior to the presentation.
May 9, 2022: Keeping a Birding Journal, presented by James Van Gelder
A long-time birder and nature advocate, Jim Van Gelder will talk about the value and importance of keeping a birding journal, which he has done for the past seven years. He will show us his own drawings of birds and their activities he records while birding, the premise being that his sketches and journal notes give greater recall and impact to his birding outings. Jim and his wife, Emily, also guide a group of young Orange County birders, and he will discuss how to give young people a good introduction to birding to help them develop a lifelong interest.
June 4, 2022 (rain date June 11): Club picnic at Winding Hills County Park in Montgomery, New York. Meet at 12 noon at the park, which is located on Route 17K just west of the Village of Montgomery. Follow arrows to the picnic area. The club will provide fried chicken, water, and some sodas. Bring a lawn chair and food to share. If you have any questions call Linda (845-496-3021) or Tracy (845-255-6840). Hope to see you there!
Solitary Sandpiper, Stewart State Forest. Photo by Bill Fiero.
Meeting Location
Meetings are held at the Blooming Grove Senior Center at 4 Horton Road in Blooming Grove. The senior center, and its parking lot, are behind the Blooming Grove Police Department.
Program Chair
Are you interested in making a presentation to our club? If so, please contact Program Chair Don Aitchison at jdaitchison73@gmail.com. A small stipend is available for nonmembers.
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