Join John Thompson and Jamie Deppen for an evening bird walk at the Thorn Preserve. The walk will explore the diverse habitats of the Thorn Preserve from upland meadows to streamside woods. We will have the opportunity to see and hear grassland birds, forest birds, and birds of a riparian corridor, during the heart of the birds’ breeding season.

John Thompson joined the Catskill Center for Conservation and Development staff as Catskill Regional Invasive Species Partnership (CRISP) Coordinator in 2016. John is collaborating with partners to develop prioritized invasive species management plans; coordinating invasive species eradication projects; and leading education and outreach programs on invasive species, natural history and ecological management. John is currently Secretary of the Natural History Section of the Ecological Society of America, Vice-President of the John Burroughs Natural History Society Board of Directors and a Trustee of the John Burroughs Association Board of Directors. John earned an MS in Geology at University of Pennsylvania and a BS in Environmental Conservation from the University of New Hampshire.

Jamie Deppen is the Environmental Monitoring and Management Alliance (EMMA) coordinator based at Vassar College. She received a BS in Biology from SUNY New Paltz and an MS in Resource Management and conservation from Antioch University, New England. She has worked in the Hudson Valley for ten years studying biodiversity and endangered species and working with local government conservation commissions. Currently, she works with scientists, land managers, and conservationists across the Hudson Valley to standardize monitoring protocols and increase environmental engagement. In her free time, she enjoys watercolor painting and nature photography.