A little birdy told us that North Fork Audubon Society is presenting something special on June 2.
As part of the organization’s 6 p.m. annual general meeting at the Roy Latham Nature Center & Inlet Pond County Park (65275 County Route 48, Greenport), Mary Bertschi, a Southold native turned Rhode Island-based nature photographer and wildlife biologist, will host the opening of Birds without Borders: Bridging the Americas to Protect the North Fork’s Migratory Birds.
This photography exhibit on display through mid-July showcases Bertschi’s work from the North Fork Audubon Society’s trip to Honduras in January.
The group of 12, including board personnel, members and their spouses visited the Central American country to explore a partnership with Aves Honduras, an organization committed to expanding awareness and protection of birds in Honduras.
They spent time in nine of Aves Honduras’ 18 sanctuaries, managed by landowners committed to 20-year agreements in which they can’t sell or develop the land and all farming practices must be conducive to supporting the local bird species passing through or living there. In return, Aves Honduras supports landowners, providing accessible infrastructure for them and their visitors like bathrooms, access roads and educational kiosks.
“The whole goal of this project is basically to preserve and conserve land for birds but incentivize the landowners to protect the land,” says Bertschi.
During this trip, Bertschi, who can typically be found photographing shorebirds, sighted tons of new-to-her species in rainforests.
One of the most interesting parts of the journey was seeing more familiar species in a new space. A favorite photo of hers shown in the 16-piece photo exhibition is a shot of a Baltimore oriole eating tropical fruit.
“It’s really amazing Oliver Komar [president of Aves Honduras] and Peggy Lauber [president of North Fork Audubon Society] are spearheading this project to connect these two sides of conservation,” says Bertschi. “It really showcases how connected conservation needs to be.”
Check out the photo exhibition on June 2 and be on the lookout for other places to view the photos as the North Fork Audubon Society is hoping to bring them into local libraries.
