The in-person portion of the meeting will be held at the Academy of Natural Sciences, BEES classroom (3rd floor).
Meeting agenda:
7:15 PM: Zoom opens
7:30-8 PM: Club business
8 PM: Presentation followed by questions (might start earlier if club business finishes earlier).
Please register for the meeting whether you will be attending in person or via Zoom. Then watch for the meeting link in your email. Disregard the meeting link if you will be attending in person.
Bringing Back the Purple Martin
Speaker: Will Krohn (in-person)
Purple Martins are the largest species of swallow in North America, and in the east, they nest almost entirely in human-constructed nesting cavities. Purple Martins are unique among our cavity nesters, given that they nest colonially, or in large groups. Since 1970, Purple Martins have declined by approximately 38%, but recent conservation efforts are bringing the Purple Martin back. Will Krohn, an avian ecologist and graduate student at the University of Delaware, studies Purple Martins, specifically how young birds move between and select colonies for nesting. Over the course of the talk, you’ll learn all about Purple Martins, from their fantastic migrations and nesting habits to identification and how you can attract them to your own backyard. You’ll also get to learn about Will’s research and what it means for the conservation of this species into the future.
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Will received his B.A. from Colgate University in 2023, where he double-majored in Biology and Environmental Studies. After graduating, Will worked as a technician on various avian research and conservation projects around the country, working with taxa ranging from Common Loons to Yellow-breasted Chats. In 2025, Will started his Master’s in Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware’s Aeroecology Lab. His research investigates natal dispersal, or the movement of young out from the colony of hatching, and selection and use of the artificial colonies that Purple Martins rely on. Will plans to continue working in the field of avian research and conservation after graduation, whether that be by pursuing a PhD or working as a wildlife biologist. In his free time, Will enjoys birding, rock climbing, hiking, and anything else that gets him out in nature.