Staerkel Planetarium to Present Birdwatching Lecture

Parkland Planetarium Hosts Local Birdwatcher, Jeffrey Bryant

Local avian enthusiasts are invited to join the William M. Staerkel Planetarium at Parkland College for a lecture on birdwatching.

On Wednesday, March 9 at 7 p.m., Jeffrey Bryant will present "Birds: It's Not About What but Where." Tickets are $2 or free for Friends of the Staerkel Planetarium.

Bryant, an avid birder, visits several locations around east central Illinois to observe and photograph various species. For this lecture, planetarium producer and Bryant's wife Waylena McCully will present hundreds of his photos on the dome, along with bird's-eye views of the terrain where the photos were taken. Attendees may recognize several parks and preserves around Champaign County and other nearby locations.

Bryant earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in physics at Ball State University, researching variable star systems. As part of his work for Wolfram Research, he composes blog posts about visualizations of astronomical phenomena using the Wolfram Language.

Please visit parkland.edu/planetarium for the show schedule or call 217/351-2568 for information about booking the dome.