Presque Isle Audubon Monthly Programs

PIAS holds programs on the third Friday of each month from September through June, excluding December and January. Meetings are currently being held online via Zoom and occasionally also in person at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center. ​Everyone is invited!  You do not need to be an Audubon member to attend and enjoy one of these informative, educational, and fun programs.

All PIAS Programs are recorded and later uploaded to the Presque Isle Audubon YouTube Channel.

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Upcoming Programs:

Friday, November 21, 2025

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Fostering Forest Bird Habitat and Ecosystem Resilience through Management

(a 4-year study by the National Aviary and Foundation for Sustainable Forests)

Presented by Dr. Steven Latta and Dr. Annie Maloney

In the right setting, forestry is a valuable tool to improve ecosystem health and function on conserved lands. The Foundation for Sustainable Forests (FSF) uses active management to restore or maintain forest resilience through activities such as the intentional opening of small gaps, known as "group selections", in a mature forest canopy. They also select trees to harvest that keep large, healthy trees in the forest, while removing weaker or ailing trees. This practice allows light to reach the understory where there is promising native regeneration. In 2020, Presque Isle Audubon had FSF perform group selection and harvesting of diseased ash trees in our Laura Olsen Memorial Sanctuary to improve the habitat there for songbirds.

National Aviary researcher Dr. Steven Latta has partnered with FSF to explore the impact of this forest management approach on two groups of birds of conservation concern: early successional species, and species requiring interior forest habitats. In this presentation, he and Dr. Maloney outline the characteristics of FSF's forest management for an uneven-aged stand of trees, and delve into Dr. Latta's findings after four years of study of birds using these managed forests.

Dr. Steven Latta is the Director of Conservation and Field Research at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh. A native of Northern Michigan, he served for 4 years as Director of the Latin American Program at Point Reyes Bird Observatory (California) before moving to the National Aviary in 2006. He has authored several books on the birds of Hispaniola, and published more than 175 articles and book chapters. He also enjoys teaching and training young biologists in field research techniques. 

Dr. Annie Maloney has worked with the Foundation for Sustainable Forests in Spartansburg, PA since 2016, and wears many hats in support of the Foundation's mission to conserve forested land and promote sustainable management practices. She is currently the Executive Director of FSF.  Annie holds a PhD in Forest Ecology from Boston University and a B.S. in Natural Resources from Cornell University. 

This is a hybrid program. Join us in-person at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center, or virtually via Zoom. Program starts at 7 PM; doors will open at 6:30 for refreshments and socializing. To attend virtually, check back on this PIA website the day of the program for an active link.

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ZOOM LINK

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Stay tuned for these upcoming programs:

National Aviary Ornithologist Bob Mulvihill will enlighten us about the Aviary’s research on Fostering Forest Bird Habitat and Ecosystem Resilience through Management.