February-April 2026 Speaker Series

Dr. Andy Jones

The February and March Programs will be held via Zoom only. The April program will take place in person and via Zoom at the Cuyahoga County Library - Fairview Park Branch on Lorain Rd. at 7:00 p.m. WCAS members, guests and friends are always welcome in person or via Zoom.

February Program: “Birding: The Comic Book You Get to Live”
Presenter: Killian Sullivan, ABA’s Young Birder of the Year and Ohio’s Birder-extraordinaire
Date & Time: February 3, 2026 at 7:00 p.m.
Location: Zoom only
Description: What if birding were a comic book full of origin stories, epic quests, elusive nemeses, and unexpected superpowers? Killian, ABA’s Young Birder of the Year and possibly the youngest to reach 700 species in the U.S., shares his journey as a graphic novel comes to life. His path has been shaped by mentors, friends, and a birding community who have taught, inspired, and challenged him. Killian’s story shows how birding is more than a hobby - it is a shared adventure where every birder writes their own heroic story.

March Program: “Southeastern Landscapes: Managing for Remarkable Diversity”
Presenter: Dr. Andy Jones, Executive Director of Spring Island Trust and Lowcountry Institute in South Carolina
Date & Time: March 3, 2026 at 7:00 p.m.
Location: Zoom only
Description: The southeastern region of North America is home to many impressive plants and animals, many of which are restricted to this particular region. Why would this warm and humid part of the country be home to so many species? Dr. Jones will review the factors that lead to this high biological diversity, and profile some of the particularly interesting species and ecosystems here. Part of South Carolina’s Spring Island Trust's work is to manage 1,100 acres on a sea island, and he will review the methods and outcomes of recent projects here.
Note: This presentation will not be recorded

April Program: “The Ohio Bird Records Committee”
Presenter: Jon Cefus, Secretary of the OBRC and birder
Date & Time: Tuesday, April 7, 2026 at 7:00 p.m.
Location: In-person and via Zoom
Description: Formed in 1991, the Ohio Bird Records Committee (OBRC) is a nine member independent peer-review panel whose primary function is to evaluate records of rare bird species reported in Ohio. This program will talk about how the OBRC functions, as well as a bit about its history and how that information has been compiled into the Annotated Checklist of the Birds of Ohio publications.