Pam Torlina, land protection specialist for the Pacolet Area Conservancy (PAC), will present “Spring Migration of Songbirds through the Southeast” on Wednesday, Feb. 20 at the Tryon Depot at 1 p.m.

Torlina’s presentation will focus on the annual cycle of spring migration by songbirds through the southeast, the amazing feats these animals perform to ensure their species’ survival through the generations, and highlighting some of the species that will start arriving in our area soon, bringing bright color and cheerful song to the area, sure signs of the renewal of spring.

After the presentation, guests will be invited to get an up-close look at nests, feathers and even bird specimens (it is illegal to possess any part of a migratory bird without the proper permitting, and PAC is permitted by the federal government to collect and possess bird specimens to be used for educational purposes).

Torlina, a biologist, has been with PAC serving as the land protection specialist for almost seven years. She has more than 15 years of experience as a field biologist, naturalist and outdoor educator. She has worked with the South Carolina State Park Service, the City of Greenville Parks and Recreation-Youth Bureau, the New York State Office of Parks and Recreation and Historic Preservation, and Haliburton Forest and Wild Life Reserve, in Haliburton, Ontario, Canada. She has performed annual migratory and breeding bird surveys, surveys on nocturnal owls, hawks and woodpeckers, presented educational programs on birds for adults and children, conducted nest searches and nest record data in the U.S. and Canada, participated in data collection for the most recent Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas, and volunteered with a licensed bird bander over the past several years.

– article submitted by Wyndy Morehead