SATURDAY WALKS // SATURDAY TALKS // SUNDAY WALKS // SUNDAY TALKS
A Bit About Norcal Bats
Saturday, 10am, Building 69, Mare Island, Main Stage
LIVE ANIMAL PRESENTATION by Corky Quirk, Norcal Bats
www.norcalbats.org​
Mary Jean (Corky) Quirk is the founder of NorCal Bats, an organization that provides care for injured bats and educational programs for libraries, school, nature programs, fairs and other events throughout the region. Corky has been working intensely with native bats since 2004 and has educated thousands of people. She works with injured and orphaned bats, returning them to the wild and keeps a captive colony of non-releasable bats for use in education.
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She is also an experienced environmental educator who got her start with Camp Fire Boys and Girls. She has an undergraduate degree in natural resource planning and interpretation from Humboldt State University. She teaches three days a week at Yolo Basin Foundation, a wetland education program in the Sacramento Valley, in addition to her work with bats.
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Girls Who Save the Planet: Careers That Make an Impact
Saturday, 10:30-11:45am, Building 69, Mare Island, Workshop Zone
WORKSHOP for 8th-12th grade Solano county students
Led by Sarah Lynch, Principal Biologist, Monk & Associates.
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Sarah M. Lynch is the Principal Biologist, Owner, and CEO of Monk & Associates, Inc., where she brings over two decades of professional experience in wildlife biology, wetlands ecology, and endangered species permitting. Throughout her career, she has led complex biological assessments and multi‑agency permitting efforts across the Bay Area, Santa Rosa Plain, and Central Valley, earning a reputation for scientific rigor and practical, solutions‑focused guidance.
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Sarah holds advanced federal and state authorizations that place her among a select group of biologists qualified to work directly with California’s most sensitive species. Her credentials include a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 10(a) recovery permit for California red‑legged frogs, vernal pool branchiopods, and California tiger salamanders, as well as recognition as a Service‑approved salt marsh harvest mouse biologist. She also maintains a California Department of Fish and Wildlife Memorandum of Understanding for these same listed species. A graduate of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.
Girls that Save the Planet workshop
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For 8th‑Grade Girls and Up — Presented by Monk & Associates
This empowering workshop is designed especially for 8th‑grade girls and older students who are curious about science, nature, and real‑world environmental careers. Led by the Sarah Lynch of Monk & Associates, a woman‑owned environmental consulting firm, and other respected subject matter experts, this session invites young participants to explore how their interests can grow into meaningful work that protects California’s most sensitive habitats.
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Students will discover the many creative and accessible pathways into conservation, ecology, and biology—from high‑school volunteering and community college programs to university degrees, certifications, and hands‑on field experience. The workshop breaks down real job roles in environmental consulting, showing what each position does and how students can begin preparing now.
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Through interactive activities—including a career‑ladder matching game, field‑tools exploration, and a mini case study on marshland restoration—participants will see how different environmental careers contribute to wetlands protection, endangered species recovery, and sustainable community planning.
This session encourages every student to recognize that there is no single “right” way to enter this field. Curiosity, persistence, and a willingness to explore are the first steps toward becoming a scientist, planner, restoration specialist, or even a future firm owner.
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Registration is encouraged, as space is limited and materials are provided for hands‑on activities.
Join us to meet inspiring women biologists, learn about real career paths, and discover how your passion for the planet can become a powerful future.
Yellowbilled Tours
Saturday, 10:50am, Building 69, Mare Island, Main Stage
FEATURED TALK by Rich Cimino, Guide and owner of Yellowbilled Tours
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Rich Cimino Guide and owner of Yellowbilledtours now in its 25th year. Rich has years of birding experience in Northern California. I am inspired by the joy of birding and the fun it brings, while appreciating nature for the value it brings to our lives. I have a strong interest in citizen science, and eBird has opened new habits for my birding style and tour leadership. My interests include habitat conservation, photography, sustainable and organic gardening, and Ecotourism, which are all woven into my field trips. Conversation about these topics helps us craft a friendship.​
Native Bird Connections
Saturday, 11:40am, Building 69, Mare Island, Main Stage
LIVE ANIMAL PRESENTATION by Jenny Papka, Native Bird Connections
www.nativebirdconnections.org
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Jenny has a Bachelor's degree with honors from UC Davis in Environmental Interpretation. She has been involved with wildlife since 1988, first with Lindsay Museum for 13 years, and currently with Native Bird Connections for 25 years. Native Bird Connections is permitted with the State and the Federal Fish and Wildlife Departments as well as USDA to conduct educational programs within Northern California. NBC supports 9 non releasable raptors as educational partners.​
How to Plant Native Trees to Attract Insects & Nesting Birds
Saturday, 12:30pm, Building 69, Mare Island, Main Stage
FEATURED TALK by Joseph Furnish, Ph.D., retired Regional Aquatic Ecologist, U.S. Forest Service
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This presentation will focus on how to plant native trees to attract insects & nesting birds to your yard. Joseph Furnish earned degrees in biology from Beloit College in Wisconsin and Cal Poly- Humboldt in Arcata, CA and a doctorate in entomology from Oregon State University in Corvallis, OR. He served as a math-science teacher for the Peace Corps in the Kingdom of Tonga in the south Pacific from 1972 to 1974. From 1990-2015 he was Regional Aquatic Ecologist for the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service’s Regional Office in California, Oregon and Washington, where he helped develop techniques for water quality monitoring, and conservation of threatened and endangered aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates. Since retirement in 2015, he has volunteered as a docent at the Jepson Prairie vernal pool reserve near Dixon and for local high school environmental education programs in the North Bay.
KIDS
CRAFT!
So Many Ways to Be a Bird
Saturday, 1:00pm, Building 69, Mare Island, Workshop Zone
WORKSHOP by Constance Anderson, Author & Illustrator
So Many Ways to Be a Bird
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Constance Anderson is an award‑winning children’s author and illustrator known for creating imaginative, visually rich books that spark curiosity about the natural world. Her work blends lyrical storytelling with bold, expressive artwork, inviting young readers to observe, wonder, and connect with the creatures around them.
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Her book So Many Ways to Be a Bird celebrates the incredible diversity of bird life, encouraging children to notice how birds move, communicate, build, and thrive in their habitats. Through playful language and vibrant illustrations, Constance helps young audiences see birds not just as animals, but as fascinating neighbors with remarkable adaptations. A longtime advocate for early literacy and nature‑based learning, Constance frequently partners with libraries, schools, and community organizations to inspire children to explore science through art and storytelling. Her presentations are engaging, accessible, and full of creative energy—perfect for sparking a love of birds and the outdoors.​
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Her latest picture book, So Many Ways To Be a Bird:
Solano County Birds & West Nile Disease
Saturday, 1:05pm, Building 69, Mare Island, Main Stage
FEATURED TALK by Bret Barner, District Biologist and Miguel Cardenas, District Manager
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Bret's presentation will be about The Important Role Birds Play in the West Nile Virus Transmission Cycle. Bret Barner is the Biologist at the Solano County Mosquito Abatement District and has been in this role for 7 years. He has served in the mosquito and vector control industry for a total of 14 years. Miguel Cardenas is the District Manager at the Solano County Mosquito Abatement District and has a combined total of 20 years experience in the mosquito and vector control industry. Both Bret and Miguel work to protect public health from arboviruses such as West Nile virus and malaria.
Mare Island Naval Hospital: A History, 1864–1957
Saturday, 1:40, Building 69, Mare Island, Main Stage
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT by Thomas L Snyder, MD, Captain, Medical Corps, U.S. Navy (Retired), author
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Tom Snyder is a retired urological surgeon and naval officer. Following a venerable medical tradition, he has written medical history - that of the Navy’s first hospital, at Mare Island. He will talk about the story at the Mare Island Migrant Bird at the Expo. He grew up in rural New York State and did his undergraduate work at Lafayette College in Pennsylvania. Soon after completing his study of medicine at the Albany (NY) Medical College, he served three years’ active Navy duty, including 2 years as a GP at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey. Upon finishing residency in Chicago, he happily returned to California, where he and his family settled in Vallejo. After a long and happy practice with Kaiser-Permanente, he retired in 2003. Tom also continued his service in the Navy Reserve, retiring in 1997 at the rank of Captain.
Birds of the California Delta
Saturday, 2:15pm, Building 69, Mare Island, Main Stage
FEATURED TALK by Aaron N.K. Haiman, Senior Environmental Scientist, Wildlife Conservation Board, A Birding Naturalist
@abirdingnaturalist
Aaron N.K. Haiman volunteered from a young age with bird research organizations before receiving a BS in Environmental Science from UC Berkeley as well as MS degrees in Avian Science and Animal Behavior from UC Davis. Aaron guides bird walks, mentors high school students in ecology and sustainability, leads a youth bird-a-thon team, gives presentations on birds and habitat restoration, and is active on social media and YouTube using the handle "A Birding Naturalist". He works for the State of California and lives in West Sacramento.
I am a life-long birder, and I have followed this passion to jobs, science communication, and authorship! Join me for a talk that will showcase some of the amazing birds and habitats of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
Around the World in 80 Birds
Saturday, 2:50, Building 69, Mare Island, Main Stage
FEATURED TALK by Dr. John Glover, MS, DO, Professor Emeritus, Touro University California
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Natural history has been an interest since I was a kid when I collected rocks, caught butterflies and explored the pastures and creeks where I grew up in Palo Alto. My first camera was a Kodak Brownie Starmite and now I use a Canon mirrorless camera. My undergraduate degree is in Natural History Interpretation and then after two graduate degrees in biology and 7 years teaching a variety of biology topics at several colleges I decided to go to medical school. Exploring different ecosystems around the world has become my retirement and birds have been a focus, while also enjoying any other animals and plants that catch my attention.
In the Shadow of the Bridge: Birds of the Bay Area
Saturday, 3:25pm, Building 69, Mare Island, Main Stage
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT with Dick Evans and Hannah Hindley
​Dick Evans (photographer) and Hannah Hindley (author/writer) collaborated on the book In the Shadow of the Bridge: Birds of the Bay Area.
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Hannah Hindley is an award‑winning writer, naturalist, and nature guide whose work explores the relationships between people, wildlife, and place. She is the author of the poetic narrative text in In the Shadow of the Bridge: Birds of the Bay Area, pairing her lyrical prose with Dick Evans’ photography to illuminate the natural and cultural histories of Bay Area birds.
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Her writing brings depth and emotional resonance to the book, weaving stories of adaptation, migration, and ecological change. Guided by insights from Point Blue Conservation Science, Insley’s work highlights both the beauty of the region’s birdlife and the conservation challenges they face—from habitat loss to climate‑driven shifts in the Pacific Flyway.​​
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Dick Evans became interested in photography as a graduate student at Stanford University and continued his practice throughout a fifty-five-year career in the global metals industry that took him all over the world. San Francisco always remained home base, though, and he now lives in the city with his wife, Gretchen. Evans is the author of the photography books San Francisco and the Bay Area: The Haight-Ashbury Edition, The Mission (an Indie Book Award Finalist), and San Francisco’s Chinatown.