Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Discover birding in Costa Rica

Kathleen Cameron to give a presentation at library

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By SABINA DANA PLASSE
Express Staff Writer

Courtesy photo by Nancy Whitehead Kathleen Cameron will give a multimedia presentation on birding in Costa Rica at The Community Library in Ketchum.

Kathleen Cameron calls herself a birding enthusiast. Her fascination with avian creatures began when she agreed to accompany a friend on a birding trip while in Ohio.

"I thought birding was not very interesting and geeky, but I gave it a shot," she said. "While driving to the birding destination, I wanted to stop and look at deer. We stopped, and I saw a sandhill crane, and I was really surprised."

Cameron said she became addicted to bird watching because it is peaceful and promotes positive mental well-being. Since her first spotting of sandhill cranes, she has traveled to see birds throughout Idaho, twice to Costa Rica and to several Hawaiian Islands, Alaska, Texas, Mexico, the Caribbean, France and Scotland.

"As my love for birds grew along with the love of their behavior, I became more interested in birding and started to video and photograph them," Cameron said.

Cameron's most recent trip to Costa Rica included 11 people and stays at eco-lodges. She said a connection to birds is important because they are messengers of nature.

"Birding enhances people's understanding of nature," she said. "Costa Rica is a good place to learn about birds and nature because of the high level of biodiversity it offers, and it's a very fun place to visit."

Cameron said Costa Rica has 800 to 900 species of birds, in rainforests, cloud forests and tropical dry forests.

Cameron will give a multimedia presentation called "The Idaho-Costa Rica Majestic Feathers Connection," about her most recent Costa Rica trip, at the Community Library in Ketchum on Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 6 p.m.

Sabina Dana Plasse: splasse@mtexpress.com