Programs
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PBC programs are designed to engage both beginning and long-time birders with educational topics about birds and other nature-related topics. Speakers are experts in their fields and present such varied topics as ornithological field research, conservation initiatives, species profiles, and birding travelogues.
PBC programs typically take place on the third Thursday of the month, October through April, at 7:00 pm. Adjustments to the date may be made for individual programs, such as those sponsored jointly with the T. Gilbert Pearson Audubon Society. |
All programs are held at the Kathleen Clay Edwards Family Branch Library, 1420 Price Park Drive, Greensboro, 27410
PBC programs are free and open to the public.
PBC programs are free and open to the public.
Programs for 2025-2026
Thursday, October 16, 2025Michael Motsch, The Lives of CassowariesMike is the head cassowary keeper at the Greensboro Science Center.
This is a joint program with the T. Gilbert Pearson Audubon Society. Thursday, November 13, 2025Exploring Guilford County’s Preserves with Park Supervisor John GladstoneBirding and other wildlife observations are perfect low impact activities for Guilford County’s Preserved lands. Let’s explore locations, size, and special features to some of Guilford County’s most beautiful natural resources.
John has worked as the Park Supervisor for Guilford County since 2014. He started his time at the Guilford County Farm during the transition from Prison to Park. John still keeps an office at the County Farm, but also manages all of Guilford County’s Preserves, so he travels the county quite frequently. John enjoys his family, hiking, camping, outdoor education, and basically anything outside. This is a joint program with the T. Gilbert Pearson Audubon Society. Thursday, January 15, 2026Nesting Habits of Penguins, with Doug DeNeveWe tend to think of penguins nesting on the ice in Antarctica, but that’s not always the case. Penguins actually nest in colonies in a number of different southern hemisphere locations. Each location presents a set of challenges that are specific to that colony. In this program, we will explore how penguins overcome these challenges and raise their young in colonies in three separate locations, on three different continents.
Doug DeNeve has been birding and photographing wildlife around the world for over 45 years. His travels have taken him to more than 40 states, over 30 countries, and all seven continents. He and his wife Pam have been active in Piedmont birding circles since the mid-1990’s. They have also volunteered to assist on numerous field research projects, including monitoring nests and collecting data in penguin colonies in South Africa and Argentina. Thursday, February 12, 2026All About Purple Martins, with Courtney RousseauLearn about the biology of the purple martin, what makes them unique songbirds, as well as attraction and colony management techniques.
Courtney Rousseau is the President and co-founder of the North Carolina Purple Martin Society; an organization she helped establish in 2010 alongside Tim Francis. In 2021, she helped incorporate the Society as a nonprofit, further solidifying its mission to promote purple martin conservation and educate the public about these remarkable migratory birds. Courtney manages one personal and three public martin colony sites in Wake County, and she provides consultation for two additional public sites in other parts of the state. She also mentors numerous new martin landlords annually and leads coordinated martin banding events in Raleigh. Her collaborative spirit has fostered strong partnerships with local birding and wildlife organizations in North Carolina. In recognition of her contributions to environmental education and conservation, Courtney has received the John Connors Conservation and Environmental Education Award from Wake Audubon Society and the Conservation Service Award from South Wake Conservationists. Originally from Greenville, North Carolina, Courtney is a graduate of NC State University. She is employed as an Environmental Educator at Agape Center for Environmental Education in Fuquay-Varina, NC. This is a joint program with the T. Gilbert Pearson Audubon Society. |
Thursday, March 19, 2026When Birds Follow People: Birds Are Where They Are, with Dr. Chris MarshWhat do White Pelicans, Barred Owls, Bachman Sparrows and Gray-headed Swamphens have in common? Dr. Chris Marsh will share the stories of 10 species of birds that have responded to the changing North American landscape during the past 150 years. The characters in these stories include the good, the bad, the comical, and the finicky.
Marsh grew up in Raleigh, NC where he was active in the Raleigh Bird Club and Carolina Bird Club. After earning a B.S. degree in Zoology at NC State, he earned his doctorate at Oregon State University, where his research focused on shorebirds as intertidal predators along rocky shores. After a 2-year stint teaching at Brevard College, he was a professor at Coastal Carolina University in Conway SC from 1984-1998. Here, he collaborated with the S.C. Dept of Natural Resources, conducting shorebird surveys at Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, and later served as one of the 13 regional directors of a National Science Foundation grant that worked to improve math and science education in public schools. From 1998 to 2022, he was the Executive Director of the Spring Island Trust, an environmental non-profit located in Beaufort (B-YOU-FORD) County, SC. During his tenure there, he helped cofound the S.C. Master Naturalist Program and the Port Royal Sound Foundation. Soon after his retirement, Chris and Barbara, his wife for almost 50 years, moved to Winston-Salem in 2022. Currently, he is on the Forsyth Audubon Board and is one of the co-instructors for the Northwest Piedmont Master Naturalist Program. This is a joint program with the T. Gilbert Pearson Audubon Society. Thursday, April 23, 2026Hummingbirds in North Carolina, with Susan CampbellHistorically, the state of North Carolina has been home to an abundance of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds from April through September. The breeding distribution and ecology of this species was poorly understood until relatively recently. Furthermore, it has come to light that our state also plays host to Western species of hummingbirds, mainly in the colder months of the year. The collection of reports and photos as well as banding of winter hummingbirds has painted a fascinating picture of an unexpected phenomenon. Come learn about the big picture as it relates to these tiny birds across NC currently. Methodologies behind data collection will be explored and plans for future research will be discussed. Also learn how you can contribute to this long-term, statewide effort.
Susan received her MS in Zoology from North Carolina State University in 1995 and has been a Research Affiliate with the NC Museum of Natural Sciences since 2005. More recently, Susan was a co-founder and now is the Science Director of the Cape Fear Bird Observatory. She has been studying hummingbirds statewide since 1999. The work has involved dozens of volunteer assistants and hundreds of hosts—all of whom are invaluable “citizen scientists.” |