PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Hoffmann Bird Club (HBC) of Berkshire County was founded in Pittsfield in 1940, and on Monday, Sept. 8, the club will celebrate its 85th Anniversary at Berkshire Community College, 1350 West Street, Pittsfield.  

 

Social hour will start at 6:00 PM, with the meeting and programs starting at 7:00 PM in Susan B. Anthony building, 1st Floor.  The event will be complete with a birthday cake, and presentations from several HBC Members.  The event is free and open to the public. 

 

There will be a brief meeting, and mini programs to follow.  On the roster are:

 

Dick Ferren, who will introduce us to his new book, "The Birds of Rhode Island."

 

Ferren is a former professor of Life Sciences at BCC, and recipient of the 2020 "Distinguished Naturalist" by the Rhode Island Natural History Survey. There will be a limited number of these books will be available for sale.

 

Zach Adams, who will discuss his new book, "The Birds of New England."

 

Throughout his career in conservation— working with National Audubon, Mass Audubon, and Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy, and now Trout Unlimited— Adams' knowledge and enthusiasm have helped hundreds of people connect with birds.

 

Chip Blake, HBC's current president, who will tell us about "The History of Birding in Berkshire County."

 

Blake has lived in Berkshire County for almost three decades, exploring every corner of it as a naturalist and birdwatcher. He is the author of The Birds of Berkshire County, to be published later this year by the Nuttall Ornithological Club. Earlier, he served for 25 years as the editor of Orion magazine.

 

Steven Miller, HBC Vice President, Website and Social Media

 

Steven Miller will preview the new Hoffmann Bird Club archive, containing bird sightings, field trip reports, and other historical documents from the club's 85 years of birding the Berkshires. This physical archive will be housed at the Berkshire Athenaeum in Pittsfield and a digital archive will be available on the website this fall.