Grassland Bird Trust News & Stories

We have lift-off! The siren call of a growing, brighter light has launched thousands, nay, millions of long-haul flights. And although triggered by the sun, most of these journeys are flown in darkness, guided by the moon and stars. These are the eco-friendliest of all eco-friendly flights, powered by insects, seeds, and fruit, and some […]

Read Roberta Kravette’s notes on the birds that winter in the Fort Edward, NY grasslands. She provides a great description of the birds that winter here, where to find them, and the best time to spot them. In addition, there are some incredible photos by bird and wildlife photographer Gordon Ellmers of Northern Harriers, American Kestrels, Barred […]

Solar panels threaten the endangered Short-eared Owl and other grassland birds and their habitat: Hill Country Observer (Dec 2022/Jan 2023): Threatened and endangered Washington County grassland birds collide with renewable energy Times Union (Dec 27, 2022): Solar arrays threaten vanishing grassland birds in Washington County Look Media Resource (Dec 26, 2022): Grassland Bird Trust chairman […]

Listen!   There is something in the rustling leaves. As our colorful, boisterous, fair-weather friends head south, others breeze in. And this season means fewer distractions and less camouflaging foliage! For me, photo ops are a big autumn bonus. The season’s burnished reds, oranges, and golds with autumn’s amber-tinged light make stunning backdrops for avian photography. […]

Thanks to the hard work of Grassland Bird Trust (GBT) leaders and volunteers Ron Renoni (past GBT president), Keith Swensen (current GBT president), Mark Janey, and Tom Federlin, GBT was able to secure funding to work on invasive species management on its land. The funding was acquired from the Capital Region PRISM, a Partnership for […]

Summer in the Grasslands! The chirps and croaks and buzzing of a million unseen creatures floating on the clover-scented breeze foretell the return of friends old and new. To arrive back to our grassland they made amazing treks some across open ocean and perilous stretches of industry. They dodged skyscrapers and faced inclement weather, food […]

Birds are not the only species to migrate south in the cold weather. This past January, nine enthusiastic Grassland Bird Trust supporters followed some of our favorite species south on The Costa Rica 11-Day Birding Tour to Benefit the Grasslands! Our group stepped out of the cold, grey north-east winter and into the bright warm […]

On September 25, 2021, Grassland Bird Trust hosted a member-only event at Chestnut Ridge Farm. Birders of all levels came to the farm to improve their birding skills with retired DEC Chief Ecologist and artist Steve Sanford. Hear about the morning events from Steve himself: “We all savored the warmth and sunshine of a spectacular […]

GBT board members (Kathy Roome, Keith Swensen, Todd Scheuermann, and Paloma Spina), executive director Laurie LaFond, and office manager Bernadette Valentino-Morrison gathered for the annual board retreat on September 18 and 19, 2021 in Cambridge, NY. This retreat was a special treat for everyone involved, providing the board and staff with an opportunity to work […]

Grassland Bird Trust (GBT) signed an agreement in May to lease 44 acres of GBT’s land to Eden Renewables, a developer of pollinator-friendly, biodiverse community solar farms based in Troy, NY, for the next 20 years. With GBT’s help, Eden will maintain this land for the sole purpose of maximizing its value as habitat for […]