Bird Helping Hero: Bridget Butler

Bridget Butler has spent the past 16 years teaching people to appreciate and conserve nature and how to help birds in New England.  She has worked for New Hampshire Audubon, Massachusetts Audubon, Stone Environmental Schools of New England, Audubon Vermont, and the Hog Island Audubon Camp in Maine.  She is true-blue Audubon.  One time she scraped her knee and instead of blood, little blue Audubon egrets flew out!

As the Conservation Education Director for Audubon Vermont, Bridget helped develop a Forest Bird Initiative, which engages rural landowners in protecting and managing their forests for songbirds, including a Birder's Dozen list of suggested Birds to Help.  In addition to conducting landowner workshops, Bridget helped put together fact sheets on the Birder's Dozen, as well as a two page guide to Bird Friendly Forest Management Practices.  You can listen to a podcast of Bridget discussing the Forest Bird Initiative on At the Crossroads.  A story about some landowners participating in this project is online at Audubon Magazine.

While at Audubon Vermont, Bridget was also a pioneer in bird-related podcasting.  Past editions of her BEEKS--A Birding Geek's Radio Delight on Vermont Public Radio are available as podcasts here.  You don't have to listen very long to appreciate her enthusiasm and love for birds and people--a winning combination for anyone trying to get others involved in helping birds.

During the Summer of 2008, Bridget left Audubon Vermont to serve as the program director at the Hog Island Audubon Camp in Maine.  At the end of the camp season, Bridget returned to Vermont, where she has set up her own Bird Diva blog and is continuing her enthusiastic work on behalf of birds. We'll be hearing much more from Bridget in the future!