Guest Speaker

From Declines to Recovery: A Half Century of Changes in Migratory Songbird Abundance on Block Island Illustrated talk drawn from more than 50 years of bird banding data from Block Island Banding Station – where each fall, thousands of young songbirds pass through on their first migration south. Presented virtually

Atlantic Coast Piping Plovers: 40 Years on the Road to Recovery Illustrated talk on the fascinating ecology and behavior of one of our most notable local shorebird species. Presented virtually April 26, 2026 by wildlife biologist, Maureen Durkin. Hosted by HLFM director Pierce Rafferty. Piping plovers have been the

Nibbling on Native Plants in Your Back Yard and Beyond Illustrated talk on various species of native edible wild plants suitable for adding to your landscape, or nibbling on as you encounter them in other locales – presented virtually April 19, 2026 by Russ Cohen, author of the book Wild

Firefly: A Solar Electric Boat Illustrated talk on the innovative solar-electric vessel, Firefly, presented virtually April 12, 2026, by Don Baugh, President and Founder of Upstream Alliance, and Ronnie Vesnaver, Director of Regional Programs and Partnerships. Hosted by HLFM director Pierce Rafferty Firefly will be the first U.S. Coast

Taking Manhattan Illustrated talk on the birth of New York City, presented at the Museum September 28, 2025, by Russell Shorto, author of The Island at the Center of the World. Hosted by HLFM director Pierce Rafferty Russell introduces us to “Taking Manhattan” his new riveting narrative that chronicles

Insights into the Hidden Lives of Terns and Gulls Illustrated talk on current research activities on neighboring Great Gull Island presented at the Museum September 14, 2025, by Dr. Peter Paton, Professor, Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island. Hosted by HLFM director Pierce Rafferty Great Gull

Dialogues: Harriet Brickman & Jenny Dixon Artist Harriet Brickman sat down with Jenny Dixon, former Director of the Noguchi Museum, August 22, 2025, to revisit Passages: Beach Forms, a site-specific public artwork Brickman created on South Beach, Fishers Island, in 1980. Their conversation explores the work's origins, its connection to

Fort H.G. Wright and the Defense of the Race Illustrated talk on the history of Fort H.G. Wright, presented at the Museum August 31, 2025, by Terrance McGovern, author of eight books on fortifications and long-time officer of the Coast Defense Study Group. Hosted by HLFM director Pierce Rafferty

Birds at Rest Illustrated talk, presented at the Museum August 24, 2025 by noted ornithologist and author, Roger Pasquier, about how birds have evolved unique sleep habits to match their intensely energetic lifestyle. Hosted by HLFM director Pierce Rafferty Everybody enjoys watching birds during the daytime, but what do

Understanding the Global-to-Regional Climate Driven by Atmospheric CO2 Illustrated talk presented at the Museum August 3, 2025 by John P. Jasper Ph.D., Molecular Isotope Technologies, Niantic, Conn. Hosted by HLFM director Pierce Rafferty. With geochemical experience in natural sciences spanning the last forty-five years, Dr. John Jasper will present