Thursday, March 3, 11am – 12pm
Virtual Presentation: Basics of Birding–A Rapidly Growing Hobby | Presenter: Tyler Ficker
Birdwatching is becoming a more popular hobby at a faster rate than ever! With the rise in people spending more time at home, many have turned to their backyard and local birds for enjoyment. For some, this continued to a fully-fledged hobby of birding. Whether you enjoy the birds at your feeders or travel the world, birds offer something for everyone. In this presentation, we will discuss some of the different ways people make birding their own as well as answer some common questions for newcomers to the hobby. Questions include “What optics are right for me?”, “How can I learn where to find even more birds in my area?”, and “How can I best prepare to learn birds in a new area I’m traveling to?”. There are so many different ways to approach this enjoyable and open-ended hobby! 

Tyler Ficker Bio: Tyler found his passion for birding when his 4th grade teacher incorporated bird identification into the science curriculum. Tyler completed his undergraduate degree in the School of Environmental and Natural Resources at The Ohio State University. He was president of The Ornithology Club at Ohio State for two years. Tyler is a founding member of Lights Out Buckeyes—part of Ohio Lights Out, a network of programs aimed at making urban landscapes (in this case, the Ohio State campus) safer for migratory birds. He is an award-winning presenter at environmental, wildlife, and birding conferences. He also worked as a field technician for the Ohio Division of Wildlife surveying grassland species. Tyler is a professional photographer and tour guide for Sabrewing Nature Tours, so he is likely behind his camera when not looking through his binoculars. He loves birding his home state of Ohio, especially during migration season, but is experienced in birding areas from Alaska to the tropics.