Monthly Presentations
2026-2027
HOPE CHURCH
77 West 11th Street, Holland
7:00 PM -- Commons Hall
Social Time: 6:30 PM
All programs are free
Click here for a program brochure and membership application
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Sep 8 |
No Birdbrains Here: The Latest on Bird Learning,
Instinct and Intelligence Susan Schneider, PhD, Western Michigan University A fascinating thing has been revealed: birds can learn from consequences, as we and many other species can. Baby chicks learn to peck accurately, wild mockingbirds learn to recognize individual people, and pigeons have learned to categorize art and music. Even instinctive behaviors like imprinting can be more flexible than scientists used to think, and songbird song appears particularly malleable. Join Holland Audubon Club at our season opener as we explore bird learning and intelligence, from everyday foraging, to learning through observing, to tool use. Susan will share her keen knowledge on how such adaptability may be critical as wild birds attempt to adjust to the many threats they face today and how scientists also take advantage of this powerful learning ability to help save endangered species. A poignant, timely program you’ll find intriguing and not to be missed. A behavioral and biopsychologist, Dr. Schneider is an expert on learning principles, with many academic publications. She’s also an avid birder and field trip leader. A Kalamazoo Audubon Board member, Schneider has served on the boards of four Audubon chapters and been president of two. Her award-winning book, The Science of Consequences, covers basic learning principles, their role in nature-nurture relations, and their broad range of applications. It was a selection of the Scientific American Book Club. A member of the psychology faculty at Western Michigan University, Schneider is currently focused on applying learning principles to the climate crisis. |
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Oct 13 |
The Splendor Next
Door: Finding Birds Close to Home Steve Jessmore, Photojournalist |
| Nov 10 | In Search of
Michigan Birds: Recent Highlights behind the Lens John Fleming, Photographer, instructor |
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Dec 8 |
Insights into Owl
Research: Michigan’s Upper Penninsula and Beyond Nova & Chris Neri, Owl Researchers & Photographers |
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Jan 12 |
Ken Cook’s ‘Best of’ Photos Ken Cook, Wildlife Photographer and World Traveler |
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Feb 9 |
Birding in Borneo Steve Hamberg, HAC President and World Traveler |
| Mar 9 |
The Comeback Continues: Great
Lakes Piping Plover Recovery Sarah Saunders, Conservation Biologist, National Audubon Society |
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Apr 13 |
Chimney Swift Conservation in
Michigan Chad Machinski, Michigan Audubon |
| May 11 | Tales from
the 50-50-50 Birding Road Curtis Dykstra, Ottawa County Parks Naturalist |