Mark Peck, Nancy Barrett and Jean Iron
From city parks, hidden ravines and the shore of Lake Ontario, the Greater Toronto Area is home to an astonishing diversity of birdlife. Join us for an exploration of Toronto’s birds and the best places to find them. This presentation will highlight the region’s key birding hotspots, seasonal highlights, and the remarkable migration that passes through Canada’s largest urban centre. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced birder, you’ll discover why Toronto is still a great place to bird, at any time of the year.
Speaker Bios
MARK PECK is the President of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) and the coauthor of “A Field Guide to Birds of Ontario” and “Bird Eggs- A Young Naturalist Guide.” In addition, he has contributed as an author and photographer to numerous websites, popular articles, scientific papers and other books. He is also an enthusiastic contributor to several citizen/community science programs. For 41 years Mark Peck was a Collections Specialist in Ornithology at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) until his retirement in 2024.
JEAN IRON is well known to Ontario birders; she was president of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) from 1995 – 2004 and edited OFO News for 14 years. Her special interests are shorebirds, grassland birds, gulls and bird identification. Jean loves the Hudson Bay Lowlands of northern Ontario and has spent many summers as a volunteer surveying shorebirds and waterfowl around James and Hudson bays for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, the Royal Ontario Museum and Canadian Wildlife Service. . Jean is a leader for Quest Nature Tours and has visited French Polynesia, Svalbard – Norwegian Arctic, Belize, Guatemala, Galapagos among other exotic locations.
In 2016 Jean was named a Distinguished Ornithologist by OFO. Jean lives in Toronto and is a member of the Toronto Ornithological Club.
NANCY BARRETT has felt an affinity for the natural world since childhood, which she endeavours to express through her work with the camera. She has travelled to far-flung places but continues to be inspired by the wildlife right here in the green spaces and hidden corners of the big city. She leads walking tours for all levels of birders, particularly those new to birding and those with disabilities. She lives in Toronto, Ontario.
Nancy worked as a medical transcription for 31 years at a community hospital. She belongs to several bird and nature organizations, including as a member of the board at THE TOC (Toronto Ornithological Club), OFO (Ontario Field Ornithologists), and is the VP at the Friends of Sam Smith Park. She tries to give back to the community as a trip leader and through all her volunteer work in those organizations.
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