‘Is Bare-naked Birding for You?’: A Zoom presentation September 3

Posted by Melanie Staten | Aug 28, 2026 | Our Town Outdoors | 0

‘Is Bare-naked Birding for You?’: A Zoom presentation September 3

A tall, lanky blue-gray bird standing on the shoreline or in water, a Great Blue Heron. Photo by Betty Thompson

It’s not what you think. Many of us watch birds feeding in our backyards but when you “go birding,” you leave your home and go elsewhere to find birds. When you go on that adventure, the new fad is to do it “bare-naked.” What is that? It simply means leaving your binoculars and cellphone behind because you’ll be using your wits and knowledge to identify the birds you find.

Experienced birders have a formula. It’s called the GISS of the sighting or the “GISSSSSS.” This stands for the General Impression of Size, Shape, Shade, Sound, Season and Setting of the bird.

Join education coordinator Michelle Campanis and naturalist Stephen Lyn Bales via Zoom for “Bare-naked Birding” when they will talk about the “GISSSSSS” of birding. This September Nature Supper Club presentation is hosted by the UT Arboretum Society and the American Museum of Science and Energy (AMSE). The free class is Thursday, September 3 at 7 p.m.

The class is free, but you must register to receive the Zoom link. To register, go to Programs – The University Of Tennessee Arboretum Society. If you are unable to watch at the scheduled time, the program will be recorded and sent to everyone who registers. Closed captions are available. For questions or registration issues contact Michelle at mcampani@utk.edu.

This Thursday Nature Supper Club presentation is co-sponsored by the UT Arboretum Society (UTAS) and the American Museum of Science and Energy (AMSE) as part of their ongoing Citizen Science Birding Program.

The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society (UTAS) is the arboretum’s volunteer organization and is celebrating its 61^st year in 2026. UTAS was formed in 1965 to support and enhance the University of Tennessee Arboretum. UTAS is the longest standing volunteer organization in the University of Tennessee system statewide.

The Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center celebrates its 62nd anniversary in 2026. It is one of the ten University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture AgResearch and Education Centers located throughout Tennessee. The Institute of Agriculture also provides instruction, research and public service through the UT Herbert College of Agriculture, the UT College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch and UT Extension offices, with locations in every county in the state.

Melanie Staten is a public relations consultant with her husband, Vince.

About The Author

Melanie Staten

Melanie Staten spent many years in Washington, D.C., working on Capitol Hill as a press secretary, at the White House as deputy assistant press secretary and at the Chamber of Commerce of the U.S as director of legislative and political issues. She was a general assignment reporter at WBAL- Baltimore and worked ten years as a reporter for a Manassas, Virginia newspaper. She was director of public relations for Westminster at Lake Ridge in Lake Ridge, Virginia. After moving to Knoxville, she became director of communications for the Amputee Coalition of America and later director of communications for the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. She is publicity chair for the UT Arboretum Society and a board member of the East Tennessee Society of Professional Journalists. She was a performer and manager for the Front Page Follies. Melanie is a graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Communications.

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