Keynote Speaker

Mel Walters

Mel Walters is a dedicated wildlife biologist who is known for his many contributions to bird conservation, most notably through his long and successful career with Puget Sound Energy (PSE). Widely known at the company as ”The Bird Guy,” Mel has been instrumental in the development of environmental and wildlife programs at PSE, particularly its nationally recognized Avian Protection Program, which is the first and most successful Avian Protection Program in the Northwest.

Through his keynote presentation Bird on a Wire, Mel will share the steps PSE has taken to fly high in being bird friendly and a leader in its field in making our communities better and safer for birds.

Find out why birds are vulnerable to powerline hazards, such as electrocution and wire strikes, and what is being done through the Avian Protection Program to prevent them from injury and death.  Learn about what you should do if you come across an injured bird due to an electrical wire contact and what other organizations are working to rehabilitate and protect birds in our communities.

Featured Artist

Laurel Mundy

Laurel Mundy is a natural science illustrator and birder based out of her tiny home in the woods of rural Snohomish County. She became a birder after studying ecology in undergrad and working with spotted owls for the first few years after graduating—introducing her to a life of field work and intimately getting to know an imperiled species

Her work, mostly featuring birds of the western United States, is inspired by her trips around her home state and the west—and a desire to capture the unique personality of each species and place. She hopes folks will enjoy the whimsical nature of her artwork, while also learning a thing or two about what we can do to help protect our native wildlife and ecosystems. Since studying Science Illustration in graduate school, she has continued to mix creating artwork with time spent outdoors, working with biologists to create illustrations highlighting ecology and conservation issues. She has worked with organizations and institutions such as the National Park Service, Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, Seattle Audubon Society, The Wildlife Society, and many others. Click here to learn more about Laurel and to see her work.

Live Webinar Speakers (in 2021)

While we anticipate our 2022 Festival will be in-person and on-the-ground, we provide the following to give you an idea of what to expect in our 2022 in-person event.

Richard Crossley

Richard Crossley is an internationally acclaimed birder, photographer and award-winning author of The Crossley ID Guide series and co-author of The Shorebird Guide. His stunningly illustrated guides provide a wealth of visual information of birds and their various behavior as seen in their natural habitat providing a revolutionary real-life approach to bird identification. His latest book, The Crossley ID Guide: Western Birds, is expected in print March 2021, along with the co-authored Ornitherapy: For Your Mind, Body, and Soul. Crossley has contributed to most major birding publications, is frequently heard on radio, and is a highly sought-after public speaker. Join in a live webinar with Richard as he shares his background and perspective on birding worldwide, as well as learn how to vastly improve your ability to identify birds whether a beginner or an expert!  Learn more about Richard at crossleybooks.com., thecrossleyidbootcamp.com

Holly Merker

Holly Merker is an 18-year cancer survivor who credits ornitherapy as a powerful tool in her arsenal of weapons in fighting cancer and restoring health of mind and body. An environmental educator, she employs birds and nature to achieve mental, physical, and emotional wellness for the people she works with. Holly has co-authored the book Ornitherapy: For Your Mind, Body, and Soul (Crossley Books, 2021) Holly has been a birding instructor for National Audubon, Red Knot Outfitters Birding Guides, and the American Birding Association. She serves as the Pennsylvania State Coordinator for Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s eBird.org. Holly will be offering two live webinars during the festival: Ornitherapy: Learn about the benefits and how to incorporate Ornitherapy into your daily life and Opportunities in Making Impacts in Understanding Bird Populations and Migration  using eBird. Learn more about Holly at: ornitherapy.com

Sue Cottrell

Sue Cottrell has studied birds of prey and guided outdoor trips for more than 30 years including trapping and banding raptors. She is the founder of Raptor Studies Northwest, a 501(c)3 organization devoted to the education of the public, and conservation of raptors in the Pacific Northwest. She will be providing a live webinar: Introduction to Raptors of NW Washington. Her presentation will introduce you to the field characteristics and behaviors of the most common species of raptors found in Northwest Washington in order to learn to identify them as well as find the best locations to get outside and view these amazing birds! Learn more at https://raptorresearchnw.org/

Amy Eberling

Amy is the founding Director of a nonprofit called The Salish Sea School and is fiercely passionate about cultivating student leaders in marine conservation through unique and purposefully tailored programs on or near the water. These programs are designed to bring marine science and research alive in ways that inspire personal conservation.

Marine birds and seabirds were “love at first flight” for Amy as she began to experience the multitude of incredible marine birds that rely on the Salish Sea. Her goal is to teach students about these amazing marine birds and bring students into the bird conservation conversation. This includes an intense focus on and development of a student research project on the endangered Tufted Puffin population at Smith Island.

Amanda Colbert

Amanda Colbert works as the Education Assistant for the nonprofit Orca Network, connecting people to the whales of the Pacific Northwest. She is also a co-educator with The Salish Sea School. In both capacities, Amanda strives to educate people of all ages about the diverse marine wildlife in the Salish Sea and the importance of providing them safe and healthy habitats.

Through obtaining her marine naturalist certification, Amanda was also introduced to this region’s avian world, and she found a fast love for birds! In the last four years she’s become an avid birder and is learning to identify birds not just by sight but by sound, as well. Amanda has led boat-based tours for school groups in Puget Sound as well as aboard Snow Goose for North Cascade Institutes’ pelagic trip that generally takes place in the fall. Amanda is assisting The Salish Sea School in gathering survey and behavioral data on the endangered Tufted Puffins that breed at Smith Island.

Joe Meche

Joe Meche is an avid birder, wildlife photographer and writer. A founder of the festival and a favorite speaker at Wings Over Water for the last 17 years, He will be providing a live webinar presentation: A Bird’s Eye View of Their Nests. Through his intimate observation and photography of nesting birds, Joe will discuss and illustrate a variety of nests and elaborate on the concept of man made nesting boxes. In addition, you can take a recorded virtual walk with Joe along a 2 mile loop along the waterfront of Blaine Harbor to learn about the variety of birds of this most northerly Important Bird Area (IBA) of Washington State. See the festival schedule for more details.