Friday  April 23rd
6:30pm – 9:00pm Only $15
Old Town Cottonwood Civic Center

“The Perils and Pitfalls of Birding”

This event will be held in Old Town Cottonwood. Prior to the Keynote, you may enjoy dinner in one of several restaurants within easy walking distance to the event. Coffee and desserts will be waiting for you at the reception.

Enjoy this humorous narrative about the many mistakes, accidents, and embarrassing situations Bill Thompson III has experienced in his 30+ years as a bird watcher. He urges the audience to avoid these same perils and pitfalls and even offers tips for how to do so. This light-hearted talk pokes fun at how we bird watchers have our own language, dress code, and food references. It’s guaranteed to generate laughs or Bill claims he will clean the binoculars of everyone present.

Bill Thompson III is the editor of Bird Watcher’s Digest, the magazine founded by his parents 30 years ago. He is the author of many books about birds and nature, including, most recently, The Young Birder’s Guide to Birds of Eastern North America. Bill has led birding trips all across North America and has spoken or performed at more than 100 birding and nature festivals.

Born in Pella, Iowa, Bill encountered his spark bird there at the age of 8, when a snowy owl flew into the Thompson family’s front yard. In more than 25 countries and on five continents he has watched birds, but the American red-headed woodpecker is his favorite.

In 2008 Bill was awarded a Service Citizen Award from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service for his contributions in making the National Wildlife Refuge system more bird and birder-friendly. He was also awarded the Robert Ridgley Award for Excellence in Ornithological Publications from the American Birding Association. In 2009 he was nominated for a “Heart of Green” award by thedailygreen.com for his work in fighting Nature Deficit Disorder by helping introduce kids to bird watching.