EagleFest Schedule

Who’s living in your backyard? Live mammals, mounts, and bones will be used in this lively program about the species found in the lower Hudson Valley. Meet Teatown’s furry animal ambassadors and learn why some animals struggle to survive in our suburban environment, while others thrive and multiply. Leave with an appreciation of the diverse life that surrounds us, and some ways to live in better harmony with wildlife.

Maddy Schroeder is an Environmental Educator and Animal Caretaker at Teatown Lake Reservation. She strives to inspire conservation by teaching the public about native wildlife and encouraging people to live harmoniously with their wild neighbors.

Brian Robinson has been providing wildlife education programs to schools, libraries, and museums since 1993. His animals have been featured on national television shows, alongside Placido Domingo at the Metropolitan Opera in Verdi’s Simone Boccanegra, and at the Explorers Club in Manhattan, among many other places. Brian has a Master of Science degree in Education with a concentration in biology and, in addition to doing wildlife lectures, teaches biology at Saugerties High School. Brian’s presentation features live birds of prey and reptiles and will focus on the amazing adaptations these animals have, as well as their importance in nature. He will also discuss the incredible resiliency of the Hudson Valley and share some local wildlife success stories.

Meet the world’s fastest animal, New York’s smallest owl, and more!

Christine Peyreigne spent her Connecticut childhood rescuing various reptiles and at age 14, used them in educational programs about responsible pet ownership. At 16 years old, she became a licensed apprentice falconer and learned all about the fantastic world of birds of prey. It was through falconry in which her passion and devotion for birds of all kinds were born. At 18 years old, she became licensed with the state of Connecticut and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to rehabilitate injured birds of prey, and subsequently became licensed to exhibit non-releasable birds, now providing a home for 22. Today, Christine’s Critters attend numerous educational talks each year in an effort to spread awareness of actions we all can take for a cleaner environment. In addition, Christine’s Critters intakes over 100 rehab patients annually, and works side by side with avian veterinarians to heal these birds for release back into the wild. Christine graduated from Mercy College in 2020 with a B.S in Veterinary Technology, and has a passion for improving wildlife medicine into the future.

Brian Bradley, a master falconer since 1984, presents educational programs throughout the Northeast with his hawks, falcons, and owls. Brian’s program features live flight demonstrations with his birds of prey.

Ellen J. Kalish is the Founder and Executive Director of Ravensbeard Wildlife Center, a wildlife rehabilitation and educational center that focuses on rescue and release for wild birds. In caring for animals, they promote community awareness, education, appreciation, compassion and acceptance of the circle of life. Ravensbeard Wildlife Center is located in Saugerties, New York and has been successfully running as a non-profit organization for the past two decades. In addition, Ellen also holds a license for Falconry and Education with live raptors. She serves as a board member for the New York State Wildlife Rehabilitation Council (NYSWRC). Ellen has been a student all her life, raising and caring for exotic animals (including monkeys) throughout childhood. “In my lifetime, I’ve learned volumes about the subtle behaviors of animals, and it has been a special honor to work with the Avian Kingdom.”

This unique program offers a close and intriguing look at the hidden lives of owls. Teddy Bradley brings a special focus on swift, silent, and stunning birds of prey who take to the skies as the sun sets. Meet several species of owls from around the world who haunt the woods and learn about the adaptations that make them especially effective nighthunters. We will talk about the magic and legends surrounding these secretive species and learn why they need our help now more than ever.

Who’s on the wing in your neighborhood? Live birds, mounts, and bones will be used in this lively program about the species found in the lower Hudson Valley. Meet Teatown’s avian animal ambassadors and learn about biodiversity, habitat specialists and generalists, and habitat loss.

Maddy Schroeder is an Environmental Educator and Animal Caretaker at Teatown Lake Reservation. She strives to inspire conservation by teaching the public about native wildlife and encouraging people to live harmoniously with their wild neighbors.

Lisa Kelly is Teatown’s Animal Care supervisor and licensed wildlife rehabilitator with a focus on herpetology. She has contributed to turtle research at Teatown, has worked with KT Wildlife to ensure animal safety on work sites, and has extensive experience with the SPCA.

Ivy Kelly is a dedicated long time raptor volunteer. She has been helping with the care and handling of Teatown’s raptors for 25+ years.

Can you tell an eagle from an egret? Learn tips and tricks to get comfortable identifying birds in the field. We’ll review important tools, helpful resources, and test our ID skills together. Test your newfound skills on a bird walk in Croton Point Park! Emily will offer a family walk at 11:30 am.

Emily Edmonds-Langham is Teatown’s Director of Education. She has worked in environmental education for many years at organizations including the American Museum of Natural History, the New York Botanical Garden, and the Native Plant Trust. Emily loves helping new birders find their feet, whether young or old.

Anne Swaim is Executive Director of Saw Mill River Audubon, a local chapter of the National Audubon Society that is based in Chappaqua, New York. Saw Mill River Audubon owns eight local wildlife sanctuaries, offers more than 200 free public programs and field trips annually as well as classroom programs and field trips, and helps connect people with nature in the Lower Hudson Valley.

Join storyteller Chant Mcleod, accompanied by Over the Waterfall, for stories and songs of Bald Eagles in the Hudson River Valley. He’ll enchant us with musical numbers about this majestic pairing of revived raptor and restored river, celebrating the power of people to make a difference in their backyards. This session will include interactive audience participation – come prepared to get called upon to join his troupe of troubadours!

Chant Macleod is a storyteller, actor, writer, and musician, performing as near as the tri-state area and as far away as Kyoto, Japan. Within the Hudson Valley, he’s most noted for his work with Historic Hudson Valley’s Halloween events, including many years at the historic Philipsburg Manor and Washington Irving’s Sunnyside, as well as co-creating the Tarrytown Music Hall Ghost Tour. His written adaptations of Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, and the legend of Orpheus have been translated into Chinese for use in a university theater program. When not working as a performer, he’s thinking about other ways he could work as a performer.

From the Beatles to Bill Monroe, Steve Kelman and Rafael Stein of Over the Waterfall provide an eclectic blend of bluegrass, blues, rock, country, and traditional music. A mix of Americana with a healthy dose of the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, John Fogerty, Bob Dylan, and the Grateful Dead – to name a few. They perform throughout the Hudson Valley and northern New Jersey area.

Ben will present on Berkshire Bird Observatory (BBO)’s efforts to recover Kestrel populations in the Berkshires and beyond through their American Kestrel Nest Box Project. Though initially a side-project, bringing Kestrels back has become central to BBO’s conservation efforts in the region—these extraordinary pocket falcons deserve full commitment. Considered a species of greatest conservation need in Massachusetts, Kestrels have unfortunately experienced range-wide declines with acute declines across the Northeast. Ben will present on the development of BBO’s Kestrel trail and the early success of the project.

Ben Nickley is a scientist with a passion for birds and the ecosystems they are an integral part of. Always fascinated by nature, he got his start in science at Ohio State University, where he conducted award-winning research. Since then, Ben has travelled across North America pursuing avian field studies for nonprofits, universities, and state governments—picking up his master’s in biology along the way. He is the author of several peer-reviewed articles and has presented his work at international conferences. Helping others connect with the natural world through birds is his forte and central to his mission. As Executive Director of Berkshire Bird Observatory (BBO), Ben focuses on collaborative conservation projects while weaving education and engagement into everything BBO does. He feels privileged to have landed in the Berkshires and could not think of a better place to do the work he loves.

Come hear an overview of how Green Chimneys School – a unique not-for-profit residential treatment center and day school in Brewster, NY – maintains a therapeutic milieu that incorporates animals, plants, and nature-based activities. These support programs are critical in establishing a therapeutic culture and offer effective alternatives for 200 students ages 6-18. This presentation will introduce the program and will give a more detailed background of how a large number of permanently disabled birds of prey and rehabilitation of birds fit into the concept of the school.

Brianna Cox, Floating Animal Caretaker at Green Chimneys, has always had a passion for animals of all kinds. While completing her B.S. in Conservation Biology at SUNY ESF, she worked closely with local wildlife rehabilitators, focusing on birds of prey. After graduation, she found her place at Green Chimneys and now cares for domestic animals and wild birds in rehab while also rehabbing small mammals at home.

David Spillo is the wildlife caretaker at the Green Chimneys Wildlife Center and a federally licensed wildlife rehabilitator. He has worked in the animal husbandry field for 18 years. As a child, Dave loved watching birds at the feeder from his window and fell in love with them at an early age. He also volunteered at the Wolf Conservation Center in South Salem, NY for a short time. While attending college, Dave worked at the Pace Environmental Center taking care of birds of prey and farm animals in between classes. Dave received his BA in Environmental Studies and a MS in Environmental Science with a focus on wildlife management from Pace University. Dave really enjoys working with the students at Green Chimneys and teaching them all about wild animals and rehabilitation.

Raptor Migration and Programs Director for the Hawk Migration Association (HMA), Julie Brown, will speak about HMA’s work and the continental network of hawk watching sites, why collecting spring and fall migration data is important and what we’ve learned about raptor movements and populations. She’ll dive into migration data from hawkwatches around NY, CT and NJ, as well as data from across the continent and what it’s showing us about the health of raptor populations.

Julie Brown is the Raptor Migration and Programs Director at the Hawk Migration Association. Before joining HMANA in 2009, she migrated throughout the US and tropics working as a field biologist primarily with raptors, focusing on human impact studies, migration research and behavioral studies. She received her BS in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Maine and received her MS in Conservation Biology from Antioch University New England where she studied Peregrine Falcon migration in Costa Rica for her thesis. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband, whom she met hawkwatching, and her two bird-loving children, a flock of chickens, her dog and lots of fruit trees. She is a volunteer counter at the Pack Monadnock Raptor Migration Observatory each fall.

Have you ever been looking through your binoculars or spotting scope at a group of birds on the water and asked, “What am I looking at right now?” This workshop will go over the basics of North American waterfowl ID, as well as how to identify northeastern ducks, geese, and swans at a distance. Additionally, we will cover where to find specific species and pertinent information about their natural history.

Jacob Reiter is the Conservation Center Manager for Pace University’s Suburban Biodiversity Conservation Center where he oversees the daily operation of the Center’s property and its associated programs. Jacob is a graduate of the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry with a B.S. in Wildlife Science, NY licensed wildlife rehabilitator, and member of the American Ornithological Society and International Wild Waterfowl Association. Additionally, Jacob serves as a contributing author for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Birds of the World database.

Thom Almendinger (he/him), Teatown’s Director of Stewardship, has led transformative initiatives over the course of his career, implementing comprehensive stewardship programs that balanced conservation with sustainable land use practices, with a special focus on habitat restoration for ground-nesting birds.

Kyle Bardwell (he/him) has been an avid birdwatcher in the Hudson Valley since his early teens. He is now a board member of Putnam Highlands Audubon Society, as well as an active member of Saw Mill River Audubon, and the Ralph T. Waterman Bird Club. Kyle helps as an eBird reviewer for NYSOA Region 9, which covers the Southern Hudson Valley.

Melina Cronin (she/her) is an avid nature photographer and birder. She enjoys sharing her work through her Instagram: my.perspective.by.Melina and Facebook: My Perspective – Photography by Melina Cronin.

Emily Edmonds-Langham (she/her) is Teatown’s Director of Education. She has worked in environmental education for many years at organizations including the American Museum of Natural History, the New York Botanical Garden, and the Native Plant Trust. Emily loves helping new birders find their feet, whether young or old.

Cristina Lalama (she/her) is a horticulture professional focused on plants, ecology, and sustainable landscapes, with a background in conservation and ecological resource management. From the Andean Mountains to the parks of New York City, she helps cultivate resilient green spaces and community stewardship, inspiring trust in her dedication to environmental well-being. She co-created Alas Latinas, a bilingual birding initiative that welcomes Spanish-speaking families into nature through guided walks and hands-on learning.

Akilah Lewis (she/her) has served as the secretary of the Feminist Bird Club, co-organizer for Black Birders Week, and the NYC Bird Alliance’s Young Conservationists’ Council. In her free time, Akilah enjoys visiting green spaces, volunteering, and making charcuterie boards.

Oliver López (he/him) is a bilingual environmental educator, ecological program designer, and visual storyteller from Ecuador who creates inclusive, place-based programs connecting land, culture, and community. His storytelling approach invites the audience to see the land through new perspectives, fostering engagement and curiosity.  He co-created Alas Latinas, where he leads Spanish- and English-language bird walks and produces simple learning tools that make birding accessible to first-time birders and families. Alas Latinas is a bilingual community birding project that connects culture, conservation, and community through Spanish- and English-language bird walks, beginner-friendly bird ID tools, and hands-on nature education.

Alma Padilla (she/her) hails from the west Texas town of El Paso, and recently put down roots in Ossining after a decade in The Bronx. She earned her degree in biology from Cornell University, and for years, she worked in conservation field work throughout the western U.S. Alma later returned home and began a teaching career as a high school special educator in science. She was a founding member and a current Volunteer Outings leader with the NYC chapter of Latino Outdoors. As Teatown’s Community Outreach Coordinator, Alma seeks to use her experiences to help demystify the outdoors to newcomers, to identify and help break down barriers to nature, and to plant the seed of stewardship in all participants. Above all, she strives to use her culture and language to demonstrate that we all belong in nature, to nature, and thus share responsibility for it.

Lynn Salmon (she/her) is a retired environmental scientist. Now Lynn birds, geocaches, and curls in Westchester County. She currently serves as the treasurer of Saw Mill River Audubon.

Anne Swaim (she/her) is Executive Director of Saw Mill River Audubon, a local chapter of the National Audubon Society that is based in Chappaqua, New York. Saw Mill River Audubon owns eight local wildlife sanctuaries, offers more than 200 free public programs and field trips annually as well as classroom programs and field trips, and helps connect people with nature in the Lower Hudson Valley.

Larry Trachtenberg (he/him) has been a member of the Board of Directors of Saw Mill River Audubon for more than a decade and has been an eagle “spotter” at George’s Island for every EagleFest since its beginning.