Beyond Your Backyard- Meet Your Feathered Wildlife Neighbors on Zoom, Thursday, January 8

Join Michelle Campanis, education coordinator with the UT Arboretum, and Stephen Lyn Bales, naturalist/author, for the First Thursday Supper Club via Zoom on January 8, 7 p.m. EST. In this “habitat hunting” program, you’ll learn the amazing array of birdlife that lives and hides in your own yard. Prepare to be amazed!

We’re all familiar with the birds in our backyards, but you don’t have to venture too far afield to find the species that live hidden in other habitats. Do you want to learn what these species are and where to look for them?

We will explore those birds that prefer the open grasslands – meadowlarks, kestrels, and blue grosbeaks. Cuckoos, buntings, and great horned owls prefer the woodlands. If you are looking for ospreys, eagles, and herons, our abundance of lakes is where they reside. That uniquely odd devil-diver, the pied-billed grebe,  can be found during winter in lakes, rivers, and wetlands.

The class is free, but you must register to receive the Zoom link and recording to watch at your own convenience. Register at utarboretumsociety.org under Programs. 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. This program is cosponsored by the UT Arboretum Society (UTAS) and The American Museum of Science and Energy (AMSE).

The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society (UTAS) is the arboretum’s volunteer organization and will celebrate 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.

To learn more about the Arboretum Society, go to website here.

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