Drake Museum Winter Academy program will focus on birds

From staff reports

Drake Well Museum and Park will hold a Winter Academy via Zoom at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9, and the interactive program by Jeffrey Hall will focus on “Birds of Venango County.”

Hall, a retired biology teacher, is president of the Bartramian Audubon Society and an active member of Seneca Rocks Audubon Society.

His photographs and articles have appeared in several publications and nature-related websites.

For more than four decades, a group of birders has been observing, documenting and studying local birds. Their efforts culminated in the publication of “Birds of Venango County” in 2020 by Gary Edwards with collaboration from Hall.

Drawing on his own experiences as well as the book and illustrating his points with his photographs, Hall will present facts and stories about the birds, highlight some of the birds that are “specialties” of Venango County and introduce some of the rare birds that visit the county only occasionally.

Museum educator Sarah Goodman said “last year, folks really appreciated the opportunity to virtually learn and discover during the months when physical access to the museum was limited due to the weather. This virtual format allows visitors the opportunity to learn from the comfort of their homes.”

Registration is required and is free. Donations will be accepted.

To register, people may email ra-phdrakewell@pa.gov to receive the Zoom meeting link.

Additional information about the Winter Academy is available at www.drakewellmuseum.org, by calling (814) 827-2797 or visiting Drake Well Museum and Park on Facebook.