Backyard Birds Workshop

Bird song fills the woods, meadows, and wetlands of New Jersey in spring. Migrant birds are passing through and breeding birds are just returning for another summer season. We will take a walk during birding’s most productive month and learn more about these spectacular species.  Join naturalist Ben Barkley from the Somerset County Parks Commission’s Environmental Education Center at the Van Duyn-Van Wickle House to teach us all about our lovely little backyard buddies.  This is a hands-on, outdoor workshop in which you will learn about the fundamentals of backyard birdwatching, basic identification skills, what to feed backyard birds, as well as where and when to place your feeders.

Ben Barkley was born in New Jersey, and from a young age has been interested in the natural world around him.  Early on his parents instilled in him a love of international travel as they visited places like the Galapagos Islands, Spitsbergen, and Costa Rica.  In Costa Rica Ben fell in love with birds, and this newfound passion for birding became a huge part of his life.  Ben attended Cornell University as a Natural Resources major and spent 5 years working at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.  In college he developed a love for education and teaching others about birds, and after college Ben began working at the Environmental Education Center at Lord Stirling Park, which is part of the Somerset County Park Commission.  He has been working there for seven years.

This event will be held on Sunday, May 26, 2024 from 2-4 pm at the historic Van Duyn-Van Wickle House, 1289 Easton Avenue, Somerset, NJ (at the foot of DeMott Lane next to the canal and Rutgers Prep).  (Note: there are no facilities at this location.)  The fee for attending is $12 for members (tickets available 3/25) and $15 for non-members (tickets available 4/8).  This event is for ages 12 and over, and minors must be accompanied by an adult.  Please email us to reserve payment at the door.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at tmf.org.1289@gmail.com.