Event Calendar

Kayaking has become very popular, with several paddling groups taking advantage of the many opportunities on Southwest Michigan rivers.  Combining this paddling popularity with the recent GoPro-like digital camera technology allowed for collecting data on the bird activity along these river corridors. Using experiences from recent kayak-based surveys of the St. Joseph, Dowagiac, and Kalamazoo Rivers, Dr. McLaughlin will discuss how GPS-enabled action camera video and audio collected during paddle trips can help inform and tell others about birds that are present in Michigan’s riverine habitats.

Dr. Doug McLaughlin is the Executive Director of the Kalamazoo River Watershed Council. He has over 30 years of experience as a water resources scientist and practitioner. Dr. McLaughlin obtained his Doctor of Philosophy in Land Resources from the Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. While there he conducted his research in the Water Chemistry program, evaluating environmental and engineered changes in polychlorinated biphenyls found in contaminated river sediments. Doug also holds a Master of Science degree in Aquatic Biology and a Bachelor of Science in Biological Resources Management from the University of Wisconsin at Green Bay. He worked for 15 years as a Principal Research Scientist at the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc., where he developed national expertise in the science needed to support water quality criteria and standards. More recently, he worked as a senior scientist and science advisor at Kieser & Associates, LLC, in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Doug is also currently the Founder and President of WaterWays|SEM, L3C, a low-profit limited liability company focused on improving and sustaining water resources through broad stakeholder engagement in water-related science, education, and management activities. His favorite undergraduate class was ornithology, and he has been looking for feathered creatures through binoculars and a camera lens ever since.

We hope you'll join us on Monday, April 22, at People's Church, 1758 North 10th Street, Kalamazoo. Come at 7:00 PM for some refreshments and socializing. Snacks and beverages will be provided. The one-hour program will start at 7:30. Masks are recommended but not required in the church. Handicap parking and access is at either the front or the rear entrance.

We will have a simultaneous Zoom link to the meeting for those who can’t make it or feel uncomfortable as yet to attend in person. This link will be emailed shortly before the meeting. We will also be recording the meeting for later viewing.