Date: 1/23/26 11:28 am From: Karla Bloem <000048c984dcee7a-dmarc-request...> Subject: [mou-net] Barred Owl management webinar on Sunday
Here's the next one of the International Owl Center's free expert webinars. It's going to be really cold, so it's a great thing to do inside on Sunday!
Managing Barred Owls to save the Spotted Owl: A longstanding conservation tool
with Janice Reid
Sunday, January 25 at 1 PM Central Time
Janice Reid, a longtime Northern Spotted Owl researcher, will speak about Barred Owl management and its role in addressing the ongoing decline of Spotted Owl populations in the western United States. Reid spent more than 30 years studying Northern Spotted Owls in western Oregon with the Pacific Northwest Research Station and brings deep field experience to this complex and often controversial topic.
Her talk will place current Barred Owl control efforts in a broader conservation context, emphasizing that the use of lethal management to protect vulnerable species is not a new or unprecedented tool. Reid will discuss why Barred Owl management has generated heightened public controversy compared to other species control programs, and what the science tells us about competition, habitat, and the future of the Northern Spotted Owl.
Date: 1/18/26 1:02 pm From: Matt Hoberg <mhoberg1...> Subject: [mou-net] MOU Field Trip: Black Dog Lake and MN River Bottomlands
*February 8* *8 am*
Alyssa DeRubeis will guide a field trip to the Minnesota River bottomlands near Black Dog Lake. This can be a hotspot in the winter months, especially when patches of open water remain, with the possibility of finding lingering waterfowl or gulls along with the expected wintering species of the Minnesota River Valley.
Date: 1/17/26 5:31 am From: Karla Bloem <000048c984dcee7a-dmarc-request...> Subject: [mou-net] free owl webinars coming up
Hi everyone,
The International Owl Center is hosting four webinars in January and February for their Virtual Owl Expert Speaker series. These webinars are free for everyone to watch. Webinars are about one hour long, with up to one more hour for questions. Register to get the Zoom link to join and ask questions, or they will be concurrently streamed to the Owl Center’s YouTube channel.
January 18: Barred Owls eat everything while Spotted Owls lose ground: a genetic perspective on Anthropocene landscapes by Dr. Emily Fountain and Dr. Daniela Arenas
Emily Fountain and Daniela Arenas are scientists at the University of Wisconsin – Madison who use genomics to inform the conservation of Spotted Owls and ecological communities in California, United States. Their talk will address the role of human modified landscapes in the decline of California and Northern Spotted Owls, including but not limited to, the invasion of Barred Owls into the western United States. They will discuss their genetic research on the declining California Spotted Owl in Southern California, as well as the molecular assessment and ecological impacts of the diet of Barred Owls in the Pacific Northwest.
January 25: Managing Barred Owls to save the Spotted Owl: a longstanding Conservation Tool with Janice Reid
Janice Reid, a longtime Northern Spotted Owl researcher, will speak about Barred Owl management and its role in addressing the ongoing decline of Spotted Owl populations in the western United States. Reid spent more than 30 years studying Northern Spotted Owls in western Oregon with the Pacific Northwest Research Station and brings deep field experience to this complex and often controversial topic.
Her talk will place current Barred Owl control efforts in a broader conservation context, emphasizing that the use of lethal management to protect vulnerable species is not a new or unprecedented tool. Reid will discuss why Barred Owl management has generated heightened public controversy compared to other species control programs, and what the science tells us about competition, habitat, and the future of the Northern Spotted Owl.
February 1: One nest box at a time: bringing Barn Owls and kestrels back to Maryland’s working landscapes with Andy Brown and Alex Pellegrini
Andy Brown and Alex Pellegrini from the Maryland Bird Conservation Partnership’s Farmland Raptor Program will discuss their efforts to bring American Barn Owls back to Maryland’s working landscapes. Through nest box installation, systematic monitoring, and targeted field research, they are building a clearer picture of what these owls need to persist in working landscapes. The talk will highlight insights gained from nest box programs, methods for safely capturing and banding adult American Barn Owls, and how these data inform our understanding of survival, movement, and breeding ecology.
You can make a donation to support this project by clicking here <https://marylandbirds.org/donate> . Please indicate in the comment section that your donation is for the Farmland Raptor Program.
February 8: Where the owls go: methods and insights from Short-eared Owl research in Maryland with Andy Brown and Alex Pellegrini
Andy Brown and Alex Pellegrini from the Maryland Bird Conservation Partnership’s Farmland Raptor Program will present their ongoing research on Short-eared Owls in Maryland, focused on understanding winter habitat use, movement, and behavior in fragmented agricultural and grassland landscapes. Their work aims to address key knowledge gaps for a species that remains difficult to study and conserve. The talk will highlight preliminary insights, methodological challenges, and opportunities for collaboration to better understand and protect Short-eared Owls in the Mid-Atlantic United States.
Date: 1/16/26 3:13 pm From: Stephen Greenfield <tapaculo47...> Subject: [mou-net] Minnesota Global Birders, online: birding Panama
The upcoming virtual meeting of the informal Minnesota Global Birders' group will feature MOU member Alyssa DeRubeis' presentation on a birding trip to Panama. The prime targets were its spectacular eagles but they also recorded many other species in this link between South America to Central America and the north.
Thursday, January 29th, from 7 to 9 pm CT.
You can get more information and register for the presentation with Eventbrite at one of the links below:
After you register, you will receive instructions on how to connect to the Zoom session, and reminder emails afterwards. (NOTE: if you register and do not get a confirmation email from Eventbrite, or have other questions, please send me an email.) -- Stephen Greenfield Minneapolis <tapaculo47...>
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FYI- Audubon is starting (restarting?) a marsh bird monitoring program, so sharing this info in case any of you or others you know of anyone interested in participating. By all means, please share this notice.
Date: 1/10/26 8:07 am From: Matt Hoberg <mhoberg1...> Subject: [mou-net] Volunteer as a Trip Leader for the MOU
If your New Year's resolution involves birding more and sharing bird joy with others, please consider volunteering with the MOU as a field trip leader!
This is a great opportunity to get out in the field and give back to the organization. Being an "expert" is not required, as long as you know the birds at your chosen site and are willing to help participants have a great experience.
Getting started is as simple as picking a location and date to lead a trip - it could be a favorite patch in the local area or somewhere further afield.
Please reach out to me at <fieldtrips...> to start the conversation.
Happy birding, Matt Hoberg MOU Field Trips Committee Chair
Date: 1/2/26 9:03 am From: Anthony Hertzel <axhertzel...> Subject: [mou-net] Passing on a request
Sent to MOU recently:
- - -
Hello,
My name is Candace Stenzel and I'm a contractor for the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center's Shorebird Science and Conservation Collective - a partnership of scientists and practitioners working to advance shorebird conservation across the Western Hemisphere.
I’m reaching out because we’re partnering with the Minnesota Board of Soil and Water Resources to develop outreach materials (including a printable pamphlet and a web-based version) focused on creating shorebird-friendly habitat across Minnesota. As part of this effort, I’m looking for shorebird photos taken specifically in Minnesota to include in these materials.
If anyone from the MOU has any shorebird photos taken in Minnesota that they'd be open to sharing, we'd love to hear from them! We'd of course credit their names in the materials.
Thanks so much for considering!
Date: 1/1/26 7:37 am From: Matt Hoberg <mhoberg1...> Subject: [mou-net] MOU Field Trip: Blue Lake January 24
*January 24: Blue Lake (Scott County)* 9 am
Join Andy Forbes for a winter birding session at a popular spot in the Twin Cities Metro, Blue Lake Sewage Lagoons. The lagoons themselves hold duck species throughout winter where seasonal and regional rarities are often found. The surrounding woods/field/marshes could also be hosting passerines and raptors. For more information and registration (required), visit the registration page <https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F48A9AC2FA5FFCE9-60913921-blue#/>.
