Banquet Speaker/Trip Leaders

Mark is the Collections Manager for Ornithology, Department of Natural History at the Royal Ontario Museum. His research interests focus on Ontario breeding birds and shorebird populations throughout the Americas. Mark serves as the ROM liaison for the Ontario Bird Records Committee, and as a consultant for Ontario Birds/Ontario Field Ornithologists. He is the co–coordinator of the Ontario Nest Records Scheme, Program Director of the Toronto Ornithological Club and part of an international team researching Red Knot and other shorebird species in decline. He is also an avid birder and bird photographer in his spare time.

Sarah is a Point Pelee girl at heart, currently working for Parks Canada as the park’s education coordinator. Having spent a good part of her youth birding Point Pelee with her family, she knows the area well.

Josh Vandermeulen is a birder, wildlife photographer, and budding ecologist, finishing his degree at the University of Guelph. He has spent the last few summers studying two species of endangered snakes in the Windsor, Ontario region- a location close enough to Point Pelee National Park to allow frequent early morning or weekend birding trips.

Bruce is an accomplished Ottawa‐based birder who leads field trips locally and internationally, and who conducts instructional classes for birders and would‐be birders alike. He knows the Pelee area and its birds very well.

Over the past 7 years, Ben has honed both his observational and audio skills while accompanying his father on many trips throughout Ontario as well Arizona. For the past 6 years, Ben spends a week at his favourite birding site, Point Pelee National Park, where he has co‐led trips with his father. He a regular fixture along the Carp River and Shirley’s Bay.

Justin Peter works year-round as a Park Naturalist at Algonquin Provincial Park and is a tour leader with Quest Nature Tours. Justin also spends time at Point Pelee each spring, leading birding hikes during the Festival of Birds. Justin especially enjoys pointing out and interpreting interesting bird behaviour to his excursion participants.

Pete is an educator with an extensive background in birding and natural history. He leads field trips for Quest Nature Tours, can usually be found leading trips at Pelee every spring, and is a past field trip leader for several OFO Annual Conventions at Point Pelee.

Steve is an avid birder and bird photographer. He was one of a handful of people chosen to join the highly publicized search for Ivory‐billed Woodpeckers in Florida. He knows the Pelee hotspots very well.

Dean is interested in various conservation programs, including monitoring Prothonotary Warblers, and was contracted to search for breeding Prothonotaries at Holiday Beach, Hillman Marsh and Pelee Island. In 2001‐2003, he led a number of week‐long birding tours for visiting Japanese tourists.

Paul is head naturalist at Windsor’s Ojibway Prairie Provincial Nature Reserve and is a familiar face leading field trips in Point Pelee National Park at past OFO Conventions.

Brett has lived and worked in the areas around St. Clair National Wildlife Area and has great experience birding its local environs. Brett is a Stewardship Coordinator for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and helps the landowners of Essex County with habitat restoration and creation. Brett has led field trips at previous OFO Conventions.

Vicki is a Species at Risk Recovery Specialist working with Parks Canada where she works with recovery teams on species recovery plans, monitoring and recovery. She is also very familiar with the local birding areas of Essex and Chatham‐Kent.

Blake is a Wallaceburg based birder, with great skill and a lot of experience birding in the Rondeau area in particular. If anyone knows where to find good birds in the Rondeau area, it’s Blake.