The Rindge Conservation Commission will host a presentation titled “Birds of Rindge in Every Season” on Saturday, Jan. 17, at 10:30 a.m. at the Rindge Recreation Center, 283 Wellington Road.
The program will be led by birdwatching enthusiast Dr. Nora Hanke and will highlight bird species found in Rindge throughout the year. The Conservation Commission will also announce its 2025 Conservationist of the Year during the event. The presentation is free and open to the public and is timed to help participants prepare for the upcoming Great Backyard Bird Count.
Hanke is a daily birdwatcher who has documented more than 135 bird species that live in Rindge either year-round or seasonally. Her observations have focused on town conservation lands, particularly Converse Meadow and the Contoocook Marsh Conservation Complex.
Hanke holds a master’s degree in environmental studies from Antioch University New England and has worked as an avian field technician in several states, including with the U.S. Geological Survey’s Breeding Bird Survey at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Maryland. She is a volunteer with eBird New Hampshire, a project of the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology and New Hampshire Audubon, and previously practiced medicine.
As a follow-up to the presentation, the Conservation Commission will offer a moonlight hike on Saturday, Jan. 31, at 7 p.m. at Tetreault Park on Rand Road west of U.S. Route 202. Participants will look for Great Horned Owls and Barred Owls, which are active at night as they prepare for breeding season.
The Great Backyard Bird Count, cosponsored by the Audubon Society and the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, will take place Feb. 13–16. Information will be available at the program on how to participate.
For more information about the Rindge Conservation Commission or upcoming events, email rindgeconcom@rindgenh.gov.