Artemis Eyster is a lifelong birder and experienced educator. As the course leader, Artemis brings six years of experience as an educator, facilitator, and backcountry guide. In each setting, she prioritizes helping participants develop an understanding of the natural world through direct experience. Artemis supports participants through creating and maintaining a positive learning environment where people feel welcomed and supported. Artemis is honored to lead this workshop in the spirit and memory of Bruce Lombardo, whom she assisted in running this workshop in 2015.
While growing up in Southeast Michigan, Artemis spent several hours each day learning about the natural world through nature journaling and attending interpretive hikes with local naturalists. Artemis deepened her understanding of the natural world while studying Geosciences at Princeton University. These academic and outdoor experiences set the foundation for her to teach others about local flora, fauna, and ecosystems, and also instilled a keen understanding of natural phenomena and how to communicate scientific concepts.
Relying on her science background, Artemis nurtures the connection between people and nature through experiential education programs. Her experiences include working at an environmental high school in Wisconsin, serving as an environmental education AmeriCorps member at a non-profit in Colorado, guiding a wilderness therapy company in Colorado and Utah, and leading canoeing trips in Minnesota. Currently, Artemis is the coordinator for the Environmental Center at Fort Lewis College, in Durango Colorado.
In addition to leading the past two Birds by Song courses. Artemis’ birdwatching facilitation experience includes leading birding programs in Minneapolis for the Minneapolis Parks Department and the Urban Bird Collective. Artemis also volunteers her time to contribute to citizen science efforts and has participated in the Cornell Lab of Ornithology project feederwatch, Ann Arbor breeding bird surveys, and sixteen Christmas Bird Counts across five states. When Artemis is not outside, she creates art, plays fiddle, and serves as a hospice volunteer.
In this course, Artemis combines her knowledge of birds, experience as an educator, and skills as a group facilitator to help you have a successful learning experience.
David Ackerman fell in love with birds and their songs while attending Hocking College in the early 90’s. He worked as a naturalist in Michigan, Ohio, and California before embarking on a degree in Wildlife biology at Humboldt State University. During the summer months, he worked in the Six Rivers National Forest as a field biologist conducting Marbled Murrelet surveys and passerine point counts which, in forests with trees well over 100 feet tall, required the ability to identify birds by song.
After moving back to Ohio, starting a family, and helping to run the family business, birding was always the remedy for staying connected to nature in an increasingly chaotic world. Dave served on the board of the Ohio chapter of The Sierra Club for several years, co-chairing the Forests and Public Lands committee, conducting breeding bird surveys for the U.S. Geological Survey, and joining various Audubon groups for their field trips and Christmas Bird Counts. In recent years he’s found a new outlet for sharing his passion and knowledge of nature with the Arc and its amazing community of staff and volunteers. “There’s nothing better than being in the woods with my fellow ‘Nature Nerds’ and learning from them. It feeds my soul.” The focus of these excursions will be on the breeding birds of the region with some discussion around differentiating similar-sounding songs of differing species.
Teri Gilligan is a lifelong nature enthusiast and she enjoys participating in group learning activities. Teri is a lifelong bird enthusiast and an excellent teacher who is eager to share her skills with all birders of experience levels. Teri has assisted on previous birds by song courses and has shared volunteers her expertise to facilitate many events at the Arc of Appalachia. Teri’s overbrimming optimism, enthusiasm for life, and genuine love for people make her presence at every event unforgettable.