CARLINVILLE – Even though Mark Glenshaw has spent much of his life studying owls, he knows they can be tough to spot.
“I’ve talked to people in their seventies and eighties who tell me they’ve never seen an owl in their lives,” said Glenshaw, an award-winning naturalist known for his observation of owls. “Owls are just so hard to find. I want to help others find owls and learn as much as possible about them, just as I have.”
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Glenshaw will present “How to Find an Owl in Your Neighborhood” at the Carlinville Public Library on Thursday, March 30 at 5:30 p.m. The free, one-hour program is designed to help residents locate and identify various owl species near home.
In his program, Glenshaw will discuss which species of owls are the most easy to see or hear, where and how to look for owls, what sounds to listen for, and the importance of research and collaboration.
“I’ll share as much as I can about finding owls to help people do what I do,” remarked Glenshaw, who lives in St. Louis. “The methods I use to find owls really work. I’ve talked to many naturalists who do the same things I do.”
Glenshaw and his fascinating owl studies have been covered by media outlets around the area. He delivers around fifty programs a year, mostly in Illinois and Missouri.
The program in Carlinville is a return for Glenshaw, who also appeared at the library last April for a well-attended discussion of Great Horned owls of Forest Park in St. Louis. He was originally scheduled to deliver his talk on neighborhood owls in Carlinville last November, but was forced to cancel due to serious illness.
“I’m happy the Carlinville library wanted to reschedule me,” said Glenshaw. “I’m really excited about coming back there, and interacting with the audience. The Carlinville talk is a big one on my list.”
Glenshaw also leads over seventy “owl prowls” for small groups in Forest Park each year. Information on his prowls can be found at https://forestparkowls.blogspot.com and on both Instagram and Twitter at @forestparkowls.
His programs are for all ages, and emphasize what Glenshaw calls “the four ‘e’s -- energetic, engaging, entertaining, and educational. But education is the most important one. I want people to have a fun time that stimulates their interest.
“I call it ‘citizen science,’” laughed Glenshaw, “because anyone can study science in a rewarding and fruitful manner. It doesn’t matter where you went to school, what your job is, or anything else. Anyone can do what I’m doing, and I try to model that in my work.”
For more information on Glenshaw and his neighborhood owls program, contact the Carlinville library at 217-854-3505 or mail@carlinvillelibrary.org.
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