BIRDING BY STARS
ASTRONOMY NIGHT WITH DR. MICHELLE WOOTEN
JANUARY 16 AT 6PM / ALABAMA AUDUBON
JANUARY 17 AT 6PM / DR. MICHELLE WOOTEN
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Join us for a two-night cosmic adventure like no other as we present our first Astronomy Night at Alabama Audubon.
Featuring a presentation and short night course with the stellar Dr. Michelle Wooten, we invite you to learn about this under-explored bird realm during an event that will examine the mysteries of nighttime bird migration, nocturnal birds, and the importance of a clear night sky.
While most of us sleep, there's an entire world of birds thriving all around us. On January 16, our Program Coordinator Andrew Lydeard will lead a course exploring why traveling under the cover of darkness is the preferred strategy for many of our bird species. We'll learn about how birds navigate at night, the importance of nighttime bird communication, talk about some of our nocturnal Alabama birds, and factors that affect nighttime migration and urban birds.
The following evening we will be joined by our very special guest speaker, Dr. Michelle Wooten, an accomplished astronomer from the UAB Physics Department, who will discuss light pollution, teach us how to use star charts to search for bird constellations, and co-lead a neighborhood walk with Andrew to assess nearby lights and talk about night owls and other birds.
ABOUT DR. MICHELLE WOOTEN
Michelle Wooten, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Astronomy Education in the Department of Physics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. In her position, she invites hundreds of students to the awe-inspiring world of astronomy on a semesterly-basis. Her scholarship is focused on community engagement for the safe and healthy illumination of the nighttime environment.
Dr. Wooten is also a member of Alabama Audubon and is a huge fan of ornithologist, birder, and poet Dr. J Drew Lanham. She writes, “birds and humans alike are benefitted by smart lighting and starry skies.”
NEED-TO-KNOW
LOCATION This in-person two-part event that will be held at the Alabama Audubon Offices and in the surrounding Highland Park Neighborhood. Street parking is available near our offices at 2835 Highland Park Avenue, Birmingham.
SCHEDULE Both evenings (16 & 17) begin at 6pm and will end approximately between 7:30 & 8pm.
ACCESSIBILITY The Alabama Audubon offices are located on the first floor and are fully accessible. There are restrooms located in the building. During our neighborhood walk at the end of the second evening, we will be on sidewalks with some changes in elevation, and visibility in these areas will be low. Please let us know if you require special accomodations.
REQUIRED Participants are required to register online. Please do not request registration for others when submitting your registration.
CANCELLATION & REFUNDS Full refunds will be offered only to those who cancel no less than 7 days prior to the event. A partial refund will be offered only if the night walk is cancelled by Alabama Audubon per inclement weather considerations or emergency. In such an event, we will make every effort to reschedule the event with priority registration for those affected by the cancellation.
EQUITY, DIVERSITY, & INCLUSION
Through more than seventy-five years of conservation work in one of our nation’s most ecologically rich states, Alabama Audubon has seen firsthand how diversity strengthens natural communities. This same principle applies to human communities, which is why our organization is committed to providing equitable and inclusive opportunities for all Alabamians to learn about and enjoy wild birds, their habitats, and the natural world. One of the best ways to support that belief is by valuing and actively seeking to strengthen diversity among our staff, our board, and our membership. To that end, Alabama Audubon welcomes everyone to participate in our work, and strives to make our programs, classes, and events welcome, inclusive, and accessible to all.