Speaker Series

Critters and Cocktails : A Lecture Series at CBEC
January – April 2020

Join us for the 2020 season, which will feature a series of talks on wildlife of the Chesapeake Bay Region.

The program will be held in CBEC’s Education Building in Grasonville, MD. The lectures will be held on Thursdays
with refreshments & beverages starting at 6:30pm and the actual presentation from 7-7:45pm.

Cost will be $10/session for CBEC Members;
$15/session for Non-Members.

SAVE Money by prepaying for all 4 sessions!

Thursday, January 23rd Judy Wink: What’s Up with Whitetails

This presentation will be delivered in the dynamic “storytelling” format that only CBEC’s Executive Director, Judy Wink, can master! Learn of the natural history of White-tail deer from cradle through grave. Judy Wink who worked extensively with deer for the Pennsylvania Game Commission will present some common and little known facts about the critter. There is, also, always some humor associated with our 4-legged backyard neighbors. This presentation will uncover the bumpin’, humpin’ and stumpin’ behaviors. You will like it!

While earning undergraduate and master’s degrees in education, wildlife biology, environmental studies, and wildlife management administration, Judy Wink kept an eye out for ways she could make a difference in society and the environment. Becoming professionally involved in the education and conservation fields, pushing green products and green systems for sustainability, and nurturing her lifelong passion of ornithology kept her focused and on course.

Spanning five decades, Wink’s work brought her to a number of Pennsylvania locales where she held positions at conservation and environmental education centers including the PA State Game Commission. She also taught in the Pennsylvania public school system and at Cedar Crest College in Allentown.

Thursday, February 20th JF Therrien: Krazy Kestrals

After completing an academic internship with Hawk Mountain in the fall of 2002, JF returned nine years later as Senior Research Biologist. He now leads the Sanctuary’s research projects in the Arctic and is also involved in several studies including the movement ecology of New World Vultures and Peregrine Falcons across the Americas.

When he’s not monitoring the long-term American kestrel nest-box program or helping with the migration counts from the Sanctuary’s lookout, JF can be found teaching statistics to Sanctuary trainees and enjoying life with his wife and two young children.

Thursday, March 26th Vicki Paulas: Foxy Fervor

CBEC’s Assistant Director, Vicki Paulas, is passionate about all things wild! She is an outdoor educator, photographer and habitat restoration specialist who has dedicated the last 25 years to teaching the next generation of environmental stewards. During her career, Vicki has shared her knowledge and enthusiasm about wildlife with over half a million students of all ages.

Check out Vicki’s newly released book, “A Foxy Way to Learn Your ABC’s”, in the CBEC gift shop. The book is geared towards 3-9 year olds and teaches children the natural history of the Red Fox through poetry and photography.

Thursday, April 23rd Mike Raupp: Awesome Insects

In a world full of perils, some of nature’s smallest creatures have evolved some of the most clever and bizarre strategies for survival. We will meet giants of the insect world, Australian Walking Sticks and Giant Leaf Insects, and learn how they escape the hungry beaks and jaws of predators. We will learn why insects of exceeding beauty may also be the deadliest catch for would be predators. Come explore the awesome migration of imperiled monarchs and discover why periodical cicadas appear synchronously by the trillions but only after spending 17 years underground.

Mike is a Fellow of the Entomological Society of America. He has authored more than 250 scientific and lay publications and delivered more than 1300 presentations. A regular guest on NPR, Mike has appeared on all major television networks in this country and several abroad and has been featured on National Geographic, Science Channel, Jay Leno, and Dr. Oz. His “Bug of the Week” website, www.bugoftheweek.com and Youtube channel www.youtube.com/user/BugOfTheWeek reaches several thousand viewers weekly in more than 200 countries. His most recent book “26 Things that Bug Me” introduces youngsters to the wonders of insects and natural history.