CLSTHNA005 - The Great American Flyway: Gulf Coast Bird Migration
Two great birders and naturalists join forces to bring to life the wonders of Gulf Coast bird migration along the great American flyway. The Rice University campus is a stopover site for thousands of birds on their northward spring migrations. Microhabitats throughout the campus draw a vast array of birds such as painted buntings, purple martins, green herons, scarlet tanagers, rose-breasted grosbeaks, great blue herons, roseate spoonbills and more than 250 other bird species. In this interactive class, learn about the natural history of birds, bird migration, identification, habitats, how you can support birds and much more. Weather permitting, the class will include two bird-watching sessions on the Rice campus, featuring a new bird observation deck at Harris Gully designed in partnership with the School of Architecture. The course includes a Saturday field trip to High Island on the Bolivar Peninsula. Beginners and experienced birders alike are welcome.
Course Details
Glenn Olsen, B.A., serves on the board of the Houston Audubon Society and is past president of the Native Plant Society of Texas, where he co-founded the Wildscapes program. As a passionate naturalist he has taught classes for the Houston Botanic Garden, Mercer Arboretum, Houston Audubon, the Texas Master Naturalist Program, the Katy Prairie Conservancy, and other gardening and nature organizations. Mr. Olsen has completed the Master Gardener Program and the Texas Master Naturalist Program. He leads tours at the top birding festivals in Texas. Mr. Olsen is the owner of GO Birding Ecotours and leads birding tours throughout the U.S., Central and South America. He and his wife are the owners of GO Native Landscaping, a company that specializes in creating habitat gardens for birds, butterflies and pollinators.
Cin-Ty Lee, Ph.D., is the Harry Carothers Wiess Professor of Geology in the Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences at Rice University. He received his Ph.D. from Harvard University and his B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley. His research focuses on volcanoes, continent formation and the making of ore deposits. Dr. Lee is also a lifelong naturalist and has written numerous articles on the field identification of birds. He has dedicated his spare time to documenting the flora and fauna of Rice University, recording 228 species of birds and over 500 species of insects since 2002. Dr. Lee has also developed an On Demand course series for the Glasscock School on the Nature and Geology of U.S. National Parks.
On Campus
This course will be delivered on campus / in person. Parking and room information will be sent prior to the class start date.
Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Rice University; The Gulf Coast Bird Observatory; Houston Audubon Society
Participants are responsible for their own transportation to the field trip. Binoculars (8 x 42 or 10 x 42) are recommended but not required for bird-watching. Campus bird-watching days will involve about a mile or less of walking.