Backyard Birding with Jim McGinity

Come join us for a fun, interactive overview of birding in your own backyard!  The program will cover the basics of bird identification, tools for success and how you can bring the birds into your backyard.  We will end with a beginning birding quiz to test your skills at identifying common (and some not so common) birds.

Speaker Information:
Jim McGinity, Environmental Resource Teacher & Master Bird Bander

Learning Gate Community School

Mr. McGinity is a biologist and environmental educator with a life-long passion for birds.  He started bird watching at the age of seven and has shared his love of birds with people of all ages while working at nature/environmental centers in four different states (Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin and Florida).  He began a migratory bird banding station in Milwaukee and has participated in a number of research and citizen science projects involving birds. In 2011, he began a migratory bird banding station in west central Florida (Dunedin) where he bands for 6 weeks every spring and fall.  He is very interested in communicating the importance of native plants and healthy ecosystems to resident and migratory birds.  A native of Indiana, Mr. McGinity has lived in Dunedin for 12 years where he enjoys exploring Florida's natural areas including paddling rivers/streams and bird watching on our beautiful beaches and in Hammock Park.  

After an over 20-year career as an environmental educator in the non-formal world at nature/environmental centers in four states, he now is working in formal education at an environmental charter school (K – 8). He is very interested in collaborating with researchers, educators and banders around the state of Florida to contribute to our knowledge of neotropical migrants and how we can collaborate to conserve them for future generations.