www.wellsreserve.org/news/2006-06-06_kress.htm

PUFFIN EXPERT TO SPEAK AT WELLS RESERVE

WELLS, MAINE - On Thursday, June 22 at 7 pm, Dr. Stephen Kress presents "Saving Endangered Seabirds: Lessons from Puffins and Terns" at the Wells Reserve at Laudholm Farm. The presentation is free with Wells Reserve admission, but donations are accepted. Reservations are not needed. Please bring a mug for free organic coffee or tea. For information, call (207) 646-1555.

Dr. Kress, Director of the Audubon Seabird Restoration Program, discusses the exploitation of Maine seabirds for food and feathers and discusses how his work has led to the recolonization of puffins and terns to historic nesting islands in the Gulf of Maine. Eastern Egg Rock, a tiny island off midcoast Maine, is a case study. Kress will explain how his team has recolonized the island with Atlantic puffins and common, Arctic, and roseate terns. Today the colony hosts more than 5,000 nesting seabirds including all species known to historically nest at the island.

Dr. Kress will also share results from some of his other successful restoration projects, such as work to restore common murres in California following the Apex Houston oil spill, Caspian tern and salmon conflicts on the Columbia River, and efforts to save the endangered cahow, national bird of Bermuda, from rising oceans and hurricanes.

Stephen Kress is vice-president for bird conservation for the National Audubon Society and manager of the Society's Maine Coast Seabird Sanctuaries. As Director of Audubon's Seabird Restoration Program, he develops techniques for managing colonial nesting seabirds such as puffins, terns, storm-petrels, albatrosses, and other species.

He received his Ph.D. from Cornell University and is currently a Research Fellow at Cornell where he teaches a popular course in Field Ornithology. He is a former director of the Audubon Camp in Maine and was ornithology instructor at Hog Island for many years. Among his many books on birding and backyard wildlife management, he is author of The Audubon Society Guide to Attracting Birds, Bird Garden, The Audubon Society Birder's Handbook, Audubon Birdfeeder Guide, Saving Birds, Project Puffin, and the Golden Guide Birdlife, as well as many scientific papers on seabird biology and conservation.

This is the second in the Wells Reserve's 2006 lecture series. Next in the series is a photographic essay on New England's wild animals with Ron McAdow on July 27.

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