Hawaiian Birds Are Lecture Topic Sept. 30

09/23/2014 

Wildlife photographer and Hawaiian resident Jack Jeffrey shows his passion for birds through his award-winning images and by being an advocate for their protection.

 “I’d rather believe that through my photography, I am providing an emotional link between humanity and the birds,” Jeffrey said.

His dedication to avians has been honored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Endangered Species Recovery Champion Award, the National Sierra Club 2002 Ansel Adams’ Award for Conservation Photography, the Nature Conservancy of Hawaii Kako’o Aina Award, the Hawaii Audubon Society Conservationist of the Year Award and the Hawaii Chapter Sierra Club Conservationist of the Year Award.

Jeffrey will share his ideas and experiences Tuesday, Sept. 30, at SUNY Cortland. His talk, “Hawaii’s Birds: Their Problems, Protection and Preservation,” begins at 7 p.m. in Sperry Center’s Johnson Lecture Hall, Room 106.

The presentation, which represents the annual Connie Wilkins Bird Lecture of the Lime Hollow Center for Environment and Culture, is co-sponsored by the center and the College’s Biology Club.

Geared to a general audience, the event is free and open to the public.

For more than 30 years, Jeffrey has studied birds throughout the Pacific Region, specifically Hawaii.

“Photography has become a passion, almost an obsession for me,” Jeffrey said. “Every time I head out to photograph, different opportunities present themselves.”

Jeffrey’s camera has captured images that have appeared in Smithsonian, Birders World, National Wildlife, Pacific Discovery, the National Geographic Canon Endangered Species Series, as well as textbooks and calendars.

Not only does Jeffrey enjoy observing and photographing birds, but he also believes in helping to preserve and protect them. He hopes that with his photographs, Hawaii’s natives and visitors can also appreciate and love these creatures that are on the edge of extinction.

“Millions of years of isolation and evolution in Hawaii have created birds, plants and invertebrates that are dependent on one another for food and reproduction,” he said. “For the past 40 years, Hawaii’s forest birds have provided me with opportunities to learn a great deal about their everyday life. The Hawaiian Honeycreepers represent the wonders of evolution. 

“Sadly, at least eight species that I have seen and photographed over the years are now extinct, and others are on the brink of extinction,” he said. 

“As co-habitants on our planet, I believe that we have an obligation to conserve the remaining species to provide future generations with opportunities to also experience and appreciate the amazing creatures.”

The annual lecture was established by the Lime Hollow Bird Club in 1988 in honor of the club founder Connie Wilkins. Lime Hollow is a non-profit organization and offers hiking trails, public nature and educational programs, and adventure day camps for youth.

For more information, contact Steven Broyles, biological sciences professor and department chair, or contact Peter Harrity, associate director of the Lime Hollow Center for Environment and Culture (LHCEC), at 607-662-4632.

Prepared by Public Relations Office intern Victoria Lewis