MN Audubon

Since 1979, Audubon Minnesota has delivered conservation results by focusing on three program areas (urban, river, prairie/wetland) supported by science, education, and advocacy.

Birds are an important part of a healthy functioning ecosystem. That holds true not only in remote protected forests or restored prairies but in urban and suburban environments as well. Besides being essential, birds are also beautiful and accessible. For many urban residents, enjoying nature often means watching birds.
Minnesota is located on the Mississippi Flyway - a key migration flyway for millions of birds and hundreds of species. Our lands and waters are especially important to a number of species we refer to as Stewardship Bird. The Golden-winged Warbler is perhaps our premier example. Our state's northern forest region encompasses only 12% of the species' entire breeding range but 42% of its global population.

Mike Billington

Mike Billington is the Education Program Manager at The Raptor Center (TRC). During his 11 year tenure at TRC he has presented over 1,300 live raptor programs, trained nearly 50 different raptors consisting of 13 different species, and he has taught the science of behavior, training and raptor care and management to numerous staff, volunteers, and visiting professionals. He is a former Board member for the International Association of Avian Trainers and Educators (IAATE) where he chaired the Education Committee and helped write questions for the certification exam to be a Certified Professional Bird Trainer. Before joining TRC, he trained as an interpretive naturalist at Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center in northern Minnesota and he taught environmental education for two years as a guest naturalist in Argentina.

Alan Branhagen

• Native Plants of the Midwest: A Comprehensive Guide to the Best 500 Species for the Garden
• The Gardener's Butterfly Book

Julie Brophy

A passionate local birder, Julie currently supports MYBirdClub (Minnesota Youth Bird Club) as an instructor. When she leads walks for kids with MYBirdClub, Julie will uses engaging methods for anyone wanting to learn more about wild birds. With her experience as an assistant for Matt Schuth, you're sure to learn more about the plants, fungi, and other natural occurrences you see along the way.

Don Curle

Don is a local photographer specializing in wildlife photography. His photos are regularly used on the Arboretum's social media pages and posted in the lobby at the Arboretum. He studied photography and graphic design at M.C.A.D and recently retired from a 40+ year career in the printing industry. He is a longtime member and visitor to the Arboretum starting in the 1960s. He has great respect for the Arboretum and the wildlife on the property and will discuss some of that during his presentation of photos taken out here at the Arboretum.

Amy Simso Dean

Founder of MYBirdClub (Minnesota Youth Bird Club), Amy is a birder and parent passionate about connecting with kids’ natural curiosity about birds and nature. MYBirdClub is an after school club that engages elementary students in birding. When she leads walks for kids with MYBirdClub, you’re sure to learn tips and tricks for birding with kids.

Dudley Edmonson

Dudley Edmondson is an author, public speaker and photographer specializing in nature and the outdoors. He is an avid outdoorsman and passionate about getting everyone outside- for birding, photography, hiking, or more! He is the author of "Black and Brown Faces in America's Wild Places". His wildlife photography career spans three decades, and his work has been featured in galleries and in nearly 100 publications around the world.

Carlyn Iverson

Data Visualizer for NOAA: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration. Using data from scientists, satellite photography and other global imagery, Carlyn creates visual presentations including animations, video work, gifs, infographics, and processed photos. You can see the work at Climate.gov

Website www.Climate.gov

Tammy Mercer

As an Interpretive Naturalist at Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden, Tammy is sure to introduce you to beautiful native plants as well as birds, and focuses especially on birding by ear. She started learning to bird by ear so she could enjoy looking for native plants at the same time, and has led birding walks for 16+ years.

Reddy is an Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota, and the Breckenridge Chair of Ornithology. Her lab's research covers a broad range of topics in evolutionary biology including phylogenetics, biogeography, molecular evolution, and conservation. They focus on the evolution of birds using DNA, morphology, and geography, and strive to improve knowledge of biodiversity across the avian tree of life.

Matt Schuth

Matt is an experienced naturalist with decades of familiarity with the Arboretum’s flora and fauna. His walks will take place at our newly acquired Lake Tamarack property; transportation (just a few blocks away) will be provided. This is the time of year for bluebells, Minnesota dwarf trout lily, and mayapple; the early time frame provides the best chance to catch the sights and sounds of yellow rumped warblers, kinglets, thrushes, waterfowl, and a variety of sparrows, and to learn about their nesting and mating habits.

Gregg Severson

Gregg is a birding guide based in Minneapolis. Most of his personal birding in Minnesota is done by bike and transit. If you are interested in birding but want to minimize your environmental footprints, bike birding is a great alternative to using a private car! On this walk, learn more about Gregg's "Big Green Year" in 2019, where the only birds that count are the ones seen by biking, walking, and canoeing from his home! He also helps to run a group called Minnesota Global Birders, which meets monthly to share and learn about international birding travel.

Stan Tekiela

Naturalist, wildlife photographer and writer Stan Tekiela is the originator of the popular state-specific field guides such as Birds of (state name) Field Guide, Wildflowers of (state name), and Trees of (state name). Over the past three decades Stan has authored more than 130 field guides, nature appreciation books and wildlife audio CDs for nearly every state in the nation, presenting many species of birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, trees, wildflowers and cacti.

Steve Weston

Steve Weston has been birding since his youth, and has led bird hikes and lectured on birds for over 20 years. Steve considers himself a naturalist and focuses on plants, insects, and animals as well. Steve has recently been surveying wetlands, frogs, Sandhill Cranes, and breeding birds, and is the Minnesota state coordinator of the Audubon Christmas Bird Counts.
On his walks, he specializes in tips and tricks for bringing the birds to you, so close that you don't even need binoculars. Learn how to make it happen as you explore and discover spring wild birds together.