Join the NGBC and John Rawinski for a special presentation of Birding Hotspots of South-Central Colorado! Here is a little more information about John:

John J. Rawinski has enjoyed the study of birds and birding since his early school days. The joy of birding began during a 6th grade school field trip to Wachusett Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary in Massachusetts where a Northern Goshawk dove repeatedly at the students in the group. That incident made a lasting impression.

Since that time, John has birded and done bird photography in South and Central America, Mexico; and in North America from Alaska to Florida, Maine to California. He has been keeping bird records in the San Luis Valley, Colorado for over 35 years.

John has served on the Colorado Field Ornithologists Board of Directors and on the Colorado Records Committee. He served as a committee member for the Colorado Important Bird Areas project. John contributed to both Colorado Breeding Bird Atlas projects. He has led field trips for American Birding Association, Colorado Field Ornithologists, Mesa Verde Bird Festival, Audubon and many birding trips in the San Luis Valley. He has organized a number of birdathons which have raised funds for local food banks and conservation organizations. He is the developer of the San Luis Valley Birding Network, which promotes bird conservation and sharing of bird sightings in the San Luis Valley.

In 2008, John published a book titled "Birding Hotspots of South-central Colorado", which is a do-it-yourself guide to the best birding hotspots in the San Luis Valley.

While he shares a love of all kinds of birds, he has specialized in the study of owls and has been co-author on a number of publications regarding Boreal Owls. He documented the first Boreal Owls in the San Juan mountains of southwest Colorado, and co-discovered the first record for Boreal Owl in New Mexico, taking the first photographs ever of Boreal Owls in New Mexico.

John has presented numerous environmental education programs to school children, civic groups and organizations promoting the conservation and protection of owls. John is a retired soil scientist for the US Forest Service and lives in the San Luis Valley with his wife Lisa and two daughters. He currently works as a naturalist at the Zapata Ranch near Mosca, Colorado.