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Holland Audubon Club program
Most ‘pets’ require daily attention, lots of food, extra space and time in our lives which can seem demanding, however, Penny has a secret she’s going to share. Join Holland Audubon Club as we learn the joys and benefits of Purple Martins, friendly and entertaining aerial acrobats, the largest of the swallows, they are the perfect backyard pets. Purple Martins prefer raising their young in colonies close to humans—and the species found east of the Rockies (Progne subis) no longer nests in natural cavities. These lovely, dark-colored songbirds with feathers of a purple sheen are one hundred percent dependent on humans for nesting houses or gourds for breeding. While thousands of Purple Martin “landlords” provide that housing, in the Great Lakes area, in particular, Purple Martin numbers are declining sharply. Penny will share what you can do to attract Purple Martins to your home and effectively manage a colony. While helping this native songbird that is in danger, your reward will be enjoying, up close, their entertaining chick-rearing routine, flying expertise, and bubbly, cheerful twitters.
Penny Briscoe has been a Purple Martin landlord for 38 years, hosting the same successful long-standing colony on Barton Lake just south of Vicksburg. Penny is a Purple Martin mentor for the nation-wide Purple Martin Conservation Association and has earned Master Naturalist designation through the Michigan Conservation Stewards Program, MSU Extension Services, and is actively involved in establishing a native plant habitat on the Briscoe properties. A retired public high school educator, Penny has enjoyed teaching others about Purple Martins and colony management, and has been volunteering her time in Michigan by encouraging more landlords in order to increase Michigan’s Purple Martin population. More recently she has been working with Michigan Audubon in this endeavor.
