Beakuency welcomes Drew Hopkins, an environmental educator and project coordinator at New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. He is leading the Alan Devoe Bird Club’s Shrike Search on Sat March 2, and tells us about this cute little bird’s brutal hunting behavior. He also shares the joy of nurturing students’ curiosity in wildlife through programs he facilitates at the Five Rivers Environmental Education Center in Albany, and his unique way of approaching Big Year, a personal challenge among birders to see as many species as possible within a calendar year.

Also on the show: music by English poet and musician Molly Drake, a sparrow-inspired composition by a 10-year-old Hudson Valley based artist Violet Upham-Smith, a swift song by Bristol UK-based folk musician Rachael Dadd, and a sparrow song by Canadian folk quartet Stranger Still.

Five Rivers Environmental Education Center
Friends of Five Rivers
Alan Devoe Bird Club

"Beakuency" invites the local community to be inspired by the joy, beauty, and wisdom bird enthusiasts find in the nature of our neighborhoods. Every episode features an interview with local bird people, plus a freeform mix of sound made by birds and humans inspired by birds, and “Birds of Wave Farm,” a field recording journal from Wave Farm, in Acra, New York. Hosted by Mayuko Fujino. Playlists and photos for the previous shows: https://beakuency.tumblr.com.