NHBA Membership Meetings
Our membership meetings are usually held in the Joslin Classroom at the North Carolina Botanical Garden, 100 Old Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill, on the first Thursday of every month (except June, July, and August). Join us in-person or virtual, depending on the speaker. NHBA hopes to stream in-person meetings live except for the September meeting which is a potluck. The in-person events may change due to uncertainty around COVID variants. Please check our website for updates on meetings: Home Page Announcements. Everyone, including non-members, is welcome! See you at a meeting soon!
We are recording our Zoom meetings, and those recordings will be available a few days after each meeting. Click here for links to these recordings.
List of meeting speakers for the 2025-2026 season
Unless otherwise indicated, meetings will be held in the Joslin Classroom at the NC Botanical Garden, 100 Old Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27517. Most meetings will be hybrid (in-person with a Zoom option). Registration links to join via Zoom will become available prior to each hybrid meeting.
| Date | Time | Speaker | Topic | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 4, 2025 | 6:00 pm | Annual Potluck and Member Slide Show | Slide Show by members | In-person only, Reeves Auditorium at NC Botanical Gardens (NCBG). |
| Oct 2, 2025 | 7:00 pm | Robert Driver, PhD | Sense of smell and birds | |
| Nov 6, 2025 | 7:00 pm | Rick Savage, Carolina Wetlands Association | TBA | |
| Dec 4, 2025 | 7:00 pm | Norm Budnitz | The early years of the New Hope Audubon Society | |
| Jan 8, 2026 | 7:00 pm | Nicolette Cagle | Using acoustic monitoring (types/options/pros & cons) for ecological studies, with a focus on our findings in the Duke Forest and work we’ve started in Oaxaca, Mexico | |
| Feb 5, 2026 | 7:00 pm | Pete Schubert | Managing Invasives | |
| Mar 5 2026 | 7:00 pm | Tom Driscoll | Birding Travels | |
| Apr 2, 2026 | 7:00 pm | Allen Hurlbert | Bird Breeding surveys in the Triangle Area |
Unless otherwise indicated, meetings will be held in the Joslin Classroom at the NC Botanical Garden, 100 Old Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27517. Most meetings will be hybrid (in-person with a Zoom option). Registration links to join via Zoom will become available prior to each hybrid meeting.
Recordings of Our Membership Meetings
| Date | Time | Speaker | Topic | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 4, 2025 | 6:00 pm | Annual Potluck and Member Slide Show | Slide Show by members | In-person only, Reeves Auditorium at NC Botanical Gardens (NCBG). |
| Oct 2, 2025 | 7:00 pm | Robert Driver, PhD | Sense of smell and birds | In-person, Joslin Classroom at NC Botanical Gardens and via Zoom. Join via Zoom link. |
| Nov 6, 2025 | 7:00 pm | Rick Savage, Carolina Wetlands Association | TBA | In-person, Joslin Classroom at NC Botanical Gardens and via Zoom. Join via Zoom link. |
| Dec 4, 2025 | 7:00 pm | Norm Budnitz | The early years of the New Hope Audubon Society | In-person, Joslin Classroom at NC Botanical Gardens and via Zoom. Join via Zoom link. |
| Jan 8, 2026 | 7:00 pm | Nicolette Cagle | Using acoustic monitoring (types/options/pros & cons) for ecological studies, with a focus on our findings in the Duke Forest and work we’ve started in Oaxaca, Mexico | In-person, Joslin Classroom at NC Botanical Gardens and via Zoom. Join via Zoom link. |
| Feb 5, 2026 | 7:00 pm | Pete Schubert | What are invasives, why are they a problem, and what can YOU do about it! | In-person, Joslin Classroom at NC Botanical Gardens and via Zoom. Join via Zoom link. |
| Mar 5 2026 | 7:00 pm | Tom Driscoll | Birding Travels | In-person, Joslin Classroom at NC Botanical Gardens and via Zoom. Join via Zoom link. |
| Apr 2, 2026 | 7:00 pm | Allen Hurlbert | Bird Breeding surveys in the Triangle Area | In-person, Joslin Classroom at NC Botanical Gardens and via Zoom. Join via Zoom link. |
| May 7, 2026 | Raptor Inisghts | In-person only |
You may view recordings of our Zoom meetings by clicking on the links below. These recordings have not been edited. You may click ahead on the time bar at the bottom of the recording window if you would like to skip the short NHBA business meeting that precedes the speaker presentation.
2024-2025 Season
NHBA Monthly Meeting – May 8, 2025
Cecil Frost, Birds, Fire and the Sixth Extinction
NHBA Monthly Meeting – March 6, 2025
Courtney Rousseau, The Purple Martin Society, Purple Martins in North Carolina
NHBA Monthly Meeting – February 6, 2025
Rachelle Roake and Scott Carter, How to Create Bird Habitat: Plants, Feeders, Nest Boxes, Glass, Oh My!
NHBA Monthly Meeting – January 2, 2025
Josh Dominicali and Matthew Archibald, From Wasteland to Wonder
NHBA Monthly Meeting – December 5, 2024
Deja Perkins, The Importance of Space and Place for Birds, Science, and Communities
NHBA Monthly Meeting – November 14, 2024
Barbara Driscoll, Leave Your Leaves and the Bird Friendly Habitat Program
NHBA Monthly Meeting – October 3, 2024
Thomas Reed, Amphibians of the Piedmont
2023-2024 Season
NHAS Monthly Meeting – May 2, 2024
Barbara Driscoll, Managing native plant landscapes in the Piedmont
NHAS Monthly Meeting – April 4, 2024
Jin Bai, Ecological legacy effects of redlining on urban landscapes and bird communities in Durham, NC
NHAS Monthly Meeting – March 7, 2024
Norm Budnitz, Island Biogeography–Evolution of Birds in the Galapagos and the Lesser Antilles
NHAS Monthly Meeting – February 1, 2024
Stephen Hall and John Petranka, Backyard Moths and Beyond
NHAS Monthly Meeting – January 4th, 2024
Judy and David Smith, photos from recent birding adventures.
NHAS Monthly Meeting – December 7, 2023
Dr. Stephen Nowicki, Duke University: “Angry Birds: Adventures understanding aggressive signaling in sparrows.”
2022-2023 Season
NHAS Monthly Meeting – May 4, 2023
Barbara and Tom Driscoll, Where Penguins Roam, an Antarctic Adventure
NHAS Monthly Meeting – April 6, 2023 (partial recording)
John Gerwin, “The Uwharrie Mountains of NC: some highlights of geology, biodiversity, and conservation.”
NHAS Monthly Meeting – March 2, 2023
No recording.
NHAS Monthly Meeting – February 2, 2023
EB Brown, Project Pando
NHAS Monthly Meeting – December 2, 2022
Seema Sheth, “Species ranges in a changing world.”
NHAS Monthly Meeting – November 3, 2022
Norm Budnitz, “Birds and Evolution–Natural Selection, Sexual Selection, Kin Selection and Altruism”
We had some technical difficulties in making this recording. To skip those sections, you may click through to the following time markers:
Tom Driscoll’s introduction of Norm–8:40 to 10:40. Norm’s presentation starts at 14:40.
NHAS Monthly Meeting – October 6, 2022
Gregory Basco, “Conservation Photography–Telling a Story through the Lens”
2021 – 2022 Season
NHAS Monthly Meeting – May 5, 2022
Ron Sutherland, Wildlands Network, “Could red wolves help boost declining bobwhite quail populations in the Southeast?”
NHAS Monthly Meeting – April 7, 2022
Madison Ohmen, North Carolina Wildlife Federation, “The Butterfly Highway Program and Pollinator Habitat”
NHAS Monthly Meeting – March 3, 2022
Lauren Pharr, North Carolina State University, “Population Biology of the Red-cockaded Woodpecker”
NHAS Monthly Meeting – February 3, 2022
Olivia Munzer, NC Wildlife Resources Commission, “Bats: Friends Not Foes”
NHAS Monthly Meeting – January 6, 2022
This meeting was not recorded for technical reasons. We apologize.
NHAS Monthly Meeting – December 2, 2021
Stephen Hall, “NC Biodiversity Project”
NHAS Monthly Meeting – November 4, 2021
Johnny Randall, NC Botanical Garden, “Natural History of the Morgan Creek Valley”
NHAS Monthly Meeting – October 7, 2021
Olya Milenkaya, Warren Wilson College. “Shimmy, Shine, Shout: How Birds Get Their Message Across”
NHAS Monthly Meeting – September 2, 2021
Annual Member Slide Show.
2020 – 2021 Season
Andrew Hutson, “Protecting Birds and the Places They Need”
NHAS Monthly Meeting – April 8, 2021
Jeff Pippen, “Monitoring Butterflies for Change: North Carolina and across the Continent”
NHAS Monthly Meeting – March 4, 2021
Matt Jones, North Carolina State University. “Tree identification—how birds use trees (especially during migration), and what trees would be good for our yards.”
NHAS Monthly Meeting – February 4, 2021
Bo Howes, Triangle Land Conservancy. “The Importance of Conservation Land for Our Feathered Friends.”
NHAS Monthly Meeting – January 7, 2021
Calhoun Bond, Jr. “The Oldest Bird: What we can learn from two fossils (Anchissaurus and Archaeopteryx).”
NHAS Monthly Meeting – December 3, 2020
Joe Donahue. “Evolution of Wild Bird Carving According to Joe.”
NHAS Monthly Meeting – November 5, 2020
Lesley Starke, NC Dept. of Agriculture, Plant Conservation Program. “Important Plant Areas of North Carolina.”
NHAS Monthly Meeting – October 1, 2020
Nick Harper. “In Nature’s Image: How farmers can work with nature to achieve better results for humans and wildlife.”
2025-2026 Season
NHBA Monthly Meeting – Febuary 5, 2026
Pete Schubert, What are invasives, why are they a problem, and what can YOU do about it!
NHBA Monthly Meeting – January 8, 2026
Ross McKinney Jr., The Galapagos, Evolution in Action
NHBA Monthly Meeting – December 4, 2025
Norm Budnitz, The early years of the New Hope Audubon Society
NHBA Monthly Meeting – November 6, 2025
Rick Savage, Carolina Wetlands Association
NHBA Monthly Meeting – October 2, 2025
Robert Driver, PhD, Sense of Smell in Birds
2024-2025 Season
NHBA Monthly Meeting – May 8, 2025
Cecil Frost, Birds, Fire and the Sixth Extinction
NHBA Monthly Meeting – March 6, 2025
Courtney Rousseau, The Purple Martin Society, Purple Martins in North Carolina
NHBA Monthly Meeting – February 6, 2025
Rachelle Roake and Scott Carter, How to Create Bird Habitat: Plants, Feeders, Nest Boxes, Glass, Oh My!
NHBA Monthly Meeting – January 2, 2025
Josh Dominicali and Matthew Archibald, From Wasteland to Wonder
NHBA Monthly Meeting – December 5, 2024
Deja Perkins, The Importance of Space and Place for Birds, Science, and Communities
NHBA Monthly Meeting – November 14, 2024
Barbara Driscoll, Leave Your Leaves and the Bird Friendly Habitat Program
NHBA Monthly Meeting – October 3, 2024
Thomas Reed, Amphibians of the Piedmont
2023-2024 Season
NHAS Monthly Meeting – May 2, 2024
Barbara Driscoll, Managing native plant landscapes in the Piedmont
NHAS Monthly Meeting – April 4, 2024
Jin Bai, Ecological legacy effects of redlining on urban landscapes and bird communities in Durham, NC
NHAS Monthly Meeting – March 7, 2024
Norm Budnitz, Island Biogeography–Evolution of Birds in the Galapagos and the Lesser Antilles
NHAS Monthly Meeting – February 1, 2024
Stephen Hall and John Petranka, Backyard Moths and Beyond
NHAS Monthly Meeting – January 4th, 2024
Judy and David Smith, photos from recent birding adventures.
NHAS Monthly Meeting – December 7, 2023
Dr. Stephen Nowicki, Duke University: “Angry Birds: Adventures understanding aggressive signaling in sparrows.”
2022-2023 Season
NHAS Monthly Meeting – May 4, 2023
Barbara and Tom Driscoll, Where Penguins Roam, an Antarctic Adventure
NHAS Monthly Meeting – April 6, 2023 (partial recording)
John Gerwin, “The Uwharrie Mountains of NC: some highlights of geology, biodiversity, and conservation.”
NHAS Monthly Meeting – March 2, 2023
No recording.
NHAS Monthly Meeting – February 2, 2023
EB Brown, Project Pando
NHAS Monthly Meeting – December 2, 2022
Seema Sheth, “Species ranges in a changing world.”
NHAS Monthly Meeting – November 3, 2022
Norm Budnitz, “Birds and Evolution–Natural Selection, Sexual Selection, Kin Selection and Altruism”
We had some technical difficulties in making this recording. To skip those sections, you may click through to the following time markers:
Tom Driscoll’s introduction of Norm–8:40 to 10:40. Norm’s presentation starts at 14:40.
NHAS Monthly Meeting – October 6, 2022
Gregory Basco, “Conservation Photography–Telling a Story through the Lens”
2021 – 2022 Season
NHAS Monthly Meeting – May 5, 2022
Ron Sutherland, Wildlands Network, “Could red wolves help boost declining bobwhite quail populations in the Southeast?”
NHAS Monthly Meeting – April 7, 2022
Madison Ohmen, North Carolina Wildlife Federation, “The Butterfly Highway Program and Pollinator Habitat”
NHAS Monthly Meeting – March 3, 2022
Lauren Pharr, North Carolina State University, “Population Biology of the Red-cockaded Woodpecker”
NHAS Monthly Meeting – February 3, 2022
Olivia Munzer, NC Wildlife Resources Commission, “Bats: Friends Not Foes”
NHAS Monthly Meeting – January 6, 2022
This meeting was not recorded for technical reasons. We apologize.
NHAS Monthly Meeting – December 2, 2021
Stephen Hall, “NC Biodiversity Project”
NHAS Monthly Meeting – November 4, 2021
Johnny Randall, NC Botanical Garden, “Natural History of the Morgan Creek Valley”
NHAS Monthly Meeting – October 7, 2021
Olya Milenkaya, Warren Wilson College. “Shimmy, Shine, Shout: How Birds Get Their Message Across”
NHAS Monthly Meeting – September 2, 2021
Annual Member Slide Show.
2020 – 2021 Season
Andrew Hutson, “Protecting Birds and the Places They Need”
NHAS Monthly Meeting – April 8, 2021
Jeff Pippen, “Monitoring Butterflies for Change: North Carolina and across the Continent”
NHAS Monthly Meeting – March 4, 2021
Matt Jones, North Carolina State University. “Tree identification—how birds use trees (especially during migration), and what trees would be good for our yards.”
NHAS Monthly Meeting – February 4, 2021
Bo Howes, Triangle Land Conservancy. “The Importance of Conservation Land for Our Feathered Friends.”
NHAS Monthly Meeting – January 7, 2021
Calhoun Bond, Jr. “The Oldest Bird: What we can learn from two fossils (Anchissaurus and Archaeopteryx).”
NHAS Monthly Meeting – December 3, 2020
Joe Donahue. “Evolution of Wild Bird Carving According to Joe.”
NHAS Monthly Meeting – November 5, 2020
Lesley Starke, NC Dept. of Agriculture, Plant Conservation Program. “Important Plant Areas of North Carolina.”
NHAS Monthly Meeting – October 1, 2020
Nick Harper. “In Nature’s Image: How farmers can work with nature to achieve better results for humans and wildlife.”
Love Wildlife? Give Back.
New Hope Bird Alliance depends on the community to help fund meetings, educational resources, and conservation efforts. Make a donation* to help protect North Carolina’s wildlife for years to come. Thank you for your support!
*Donations are tax-deductible to the full extent provided by law.