Meetings

NYSBS Annual Conference September 21st, 2024

“Bluebirds & the Creatures Around Them”

Before you read about our exciting 2024 conference “Bluebirds & the Creatures Around Them”, you need to MARK YOUR CALENDAR for May 2nd & 3rd, 2025 for the next NYSBS Annual Meeting to be held in Ithaca. On the 3rd, the meeting for the public will begin in the meeting room of Cayuga Blu Hotel starting at 8:30. After lunch we will travel to the Lab of Ornithology for the rest of the afternoon for various activities.

Five Rivers Environmental Center in Delmar was the location for the 2024 NYSBS Conference which we called –“Bluebirds & the Creatures Around Them”. If you haven’t been to Five Rivers, you should put it on your list of places to visit. It is a fantastic facility! And you may be as lucky as we were to see a Bobcat!! (See Photos Below)

The three speakers for the day were informative, entertaining, and inspirational. Joellen Lampman-AKA the “Tick Lady”—made us all aware of the dangers of ticks as well as how to protect ourselves from tick diseases. Genevieve Salerno’s, “Hope is the Thing with Wings” spoke about her rehabilitated Barred Owl- Mellow. We learned all about how Mellow came to be with Genevieve and his rehabilitation. She spoke about the challenges & joys of working to rehabilitate injured animals. John Rogers—a founding father of NYSBS—shared “Bluebirds and More”. It was a heart-warming, inspirational presentation that left attendees appreciating the wonder & magnificence of nature.

During our Board Meeting, the Officers & Directors for 2025-2026 were elected. Four new members to the Board were also elected to serve. Welcome James Cagle, Wendy Engelbrecht, Ken Ventry for 2025-2026. Diane VanBuren was elected to fulfill the remaining time of one of our Board members so her term will run 2024-2025.

Two deserving individuals received our recognition awards. Read about Judith Thurber receiving the Fran Hanes Award and Angela Baron receiving the Herman Bressler Award within this quarterly “Bluebird News”. Both recipients are now listed on the web Awards page so check that out.

Please note that the NYSBS 2025 Annual Conference, will be changing to the month of May. The meeting will begin at the Cayuga Blu Hotel at 2310 N. Triphammer Rd with the NYSBS Board Meeting Friday, May 2nd. Saturday, May 3rd will begin in the meeting room at Cayuga Blu Hotel for the public. After lunch, we will travel to the newly renovated Lab of Ornithology to spend the rest of the day participating in various activities and exploring what the facility has to offer. Details will be included in our “Bluebird News” Spring Edition. But mark your calendars now for Friday, May 2nd NYSBS Board Meeting & Saturday, May 3rd Public Annual Meeting to be known as “Bluebird Celebrations-Springing into Birding”.