Living Bird-Friendly Series At Southport's Pequot Library This Month

Information from Pequot Library:

FAIRFIELD, CT — Pequot Library is pleased to launch its Living Bird-Friendly series on April 12 and 13. The series, free and open to the public, includes remarks from Fairfield First Selectman Bill Gerber on April 13 at 10:30 a.m. and a host of presentations designed to inspire community action on behalf of birds, for the joy and beauty that they bring to all of us.

Living Bird-Friendly will provide more information about how to live more “bird friendly”, including eliminating window collisions; decreasing light pollution; planting native plants and flowers; and following bird-friendly pest control strategies. According to Pequot Library Adult Programs Manager Charlie McMahon, “Pequot Library is proud to take a leadership role on this important topic by convening area experts who can teach us all about how to best care for our environment and natural world. This series follows International Dark Skies Week (April 2-8), and is planned as part of the library’s ongoing climate and environment crisis initiative. Last year we hosted the ‘Lights Out Panel,’ and this year, we’re thrilled to further that mission.”

The 2024 program hosts and committee members would like to devote this talk to the memory of Flaco, the New York City Eurasian owl that captured the public's imagination, who died as a result of an avian virus as well as lethal levels of four different kinds of rat poison from eating poisoned rodents on the city streets. We aim to use this series to help raise awareness of the threat of rodenticides to our raptor populations.

Pequot Library has paired with 11 local advocates and nonprofits, creating programs for participants of all ages. For example, children will delight in the Owl and Hawk Encounter: Meet Amazing Nighttime Neighbors on April 13 at 10:30. This activity, featuring live birds, will be led by representatives from Connecticut Audubon Society and the Fairfield Pollinator Pathway.

"It brings people joy to see bluebirds in their yard or hear a robin sing–or catch a glimpse of a hummingbird or a screech owl, but it's not easy for birds these days. They face so many different perils,"said Meredith Barges, co-chair of Lights Out Connecticut. "This series is all about giving people the tools and knowledge they need to turn their yards into safe, colorful, vibrant places where birds can thrive."

Other programs will explain how to make your home or business safer and more inviting for birds. Each session will feature a short presentation by experts followed by hands-on learning about the practical aspects of making your home a safe haven where birds can thrive. In the process, gain a greater understanding of the different threats that our native birds face in Fairfield and across Connecticut.

Community partners involved in this series include Fairfield Forestry Committee, Lights Out Connecticut, Dark Sky, UrbanScapes Native Plant Nursery, Mow Green, Connecticut Pesticide Reform, Fairfield Pollinator Pathway, Aspetuck Land Trust, Connecticut Audubon Society, and Sustainable Fairfield.

ABOUT LIGHTS OUT CONNECTICUT: Lights Out Connecticut is a nonprofit project of the Menunkatuck Audubon Society working across Connecticut to pass meaningful nighttime lighting policies and increase public understanding of light pollution's harms for migratory birds and local ecosystems. We organize residents, businesses, and schools to turn off or dim nonessential lights during peak bird migration with our online pledge. For more information, visit www.lightsoutct.org.

ABOUT FAIRFIELD FORESTRY: Appointed by the Town Tree Warden, the Forestry Committee, founded in 2006, is charged with promoting stewardship of Town-owned trees and assisting the Tree Warden with the implementation of the Town’s Community Forest Management Plan. The committee pursues its mission by: providing public events and programs to encourage participation in the Community Forest Management Plan; providing opportunities for the general public to give feedback regarding the Community Forest Management Plan; conducting studies at the direction of the Tree Warden; providing advisory assistance to the Tree Warden; pursuing grants and other sources of funds to advance the Community Forest Management Plan; and encouraging and supporting the participation of residents and neighborhood groups for implementing the Community Forest Management Plan.

— Flyer via Pequot Library