An Evening With Owls

The Hungry Owl Project presents Evening with Owls on Friday, November 2, 2012 from 6:30 – 9:30 PM. The annual fundraiser, held at the Mill Valley Community Center, features Paul Bannick, the internationally-acclaimed photographer and author of The Owl and the Woodpecker. Paul recently won the prestigious Audubon Magazine Photography Award in the category of Birds and their Habitats, and the Canon Award in International Conservation Photography for his photo of a Snowy Owl in flight. The evening will feature Paul’s engaging multi-media presentation that combines his breathtaking photography with sound recordings and stories from the field, to take his audience into the fascinating world of the two iconic birds that are the subject of his book. Guests can also expect to see the results of Paul’s work documenting last winter’s Snowy Owl irruption in Washington State; the story and Paul’s photos of these magnificent birds were picked up by NBC Nightly News. Tickets for an Evening with Owls are now on sale at www.hungryowl.org and are $75 per person,  $85 after October 19.

Paul currently tours North America as a keynote speaker and presenter on a variety of natural history topics focusing on birds and their habitats. An audience favorite, he consistently fills every venue, with tailored presentations that are different for each event. In 2011, Paul curated an exhibit based on his first book for the University of Washington’s Burke Museum in Seattle. The exhibit, named after the book, was launched at the Burke and enjoyed a successful six-month run there, and is currently traveling nationally.

The bestselling book The Owl and the Woodpecker is informative and beautiful, with stunning photos of owls and woodpeckers in natural and active behaviors, combined with down-to-earth writing describing the ecological connections between the two families of birds. Without woodpeckers, cavity-nesting songbirds and owls would not be able to reproduce. Most birds cannot create their own nesting cavity and are dependent on the excavation skills of woodpeckers, who build new cavities every nesting season.

Mr. Bannick is available for interviews at any time and can be contacted at 206-940-7835 or via email at paul.bannick@gmail.com. Paul especially looks forward to his visit to Marin County for the opportunity to observe and photograph Marin’s colonies of Acorn Woodpeckers.

Evening with Owls is the annual fundraiser of the Hungry Owl Project, a partnership with WildCare. This year’s event promises to be better than ever with wildlife ambassadors including hawks, owls, and bats, and our host, biologist and College of Marin professor (and notorious comedian) Joe Mueller. Appetizers, savories and sweets, wine, beer and soft drinks will be served, and there will be a silent auction, exhibits by local wildlife photographers and artists, raffles and more. Wines from Marin Vineyards and Kendric Vineyards will be featured.

About the Hungry Owl Project
The Hungry Owl Project, www.hungryowl.org, is a partnership with Wildcare, a 501(c) 3 non-profit, www.wildcarebayarea.org. Our mission is to reduce the need for harmful pesticides and rodenticides by encouraging natural predators, through conservation of habitat, erecting nest boxes when appropriate, through research and education, and by providing a resource of help and information on alternative methods of sustainable pest management.

About Paul Bannick
Paul Bannick, www.paulbannick.com is an award-winning wildlife photographer specializing in the natural history of North America with a focus on birds and habitat. Coupling his love of the outdoors with his skill as a photographer, he creates images that foster the intimacy between viewer and subject, inspiring education and conservation. In June of 2012, Paul was awarded the Canon prize in the International Conservation Photography Awards, Paul took first place among professionals in the Birds and Their Habitat category in Audubon Magazine's prestigious annual photography contest. Paul's first book, The Owl and the Woodpecker, published by The Mountaineers Books in October of 2008, continues to be one of the best-selling bird books in North America.