Our Daily Show Interview! Forest Park Owls: Hiding In Plain Sight at Hayner on 2-21 at 2
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
ALTON - The Hayner Public Library District will host a special program focused on Forest Park’s owls.
At 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, at Hayner’s Alton Square Mall location, community members are invited to learn more about local owl populations at a lecture titled “Forest Park Owls: Hiding in Plain Sight” by Mark H.X. Glenshaw. An award-winning naturalist, Glenshaw has been studying great horned owls at Forest Park for two decades. He will talk about the birds, their behaviors and his observations.
“I think one of the biggest things they’re going to come away with is that this is all in our backyard, and not just Forest Park, but all over the place,” Glenshaw said. “I’ve seen owls in every corner of the St. Louis Metro region. Illinois, Missouri, suburban, urban, rural, big, small, you name it.”
Glenshaw regularly hosts “Owl Prowls” through Forest Park, allowing him and his guests to observe the owls at night. He spends a lot of time in Forest Park watching and documenting the owls, many of whom he has named. At his lecture at Hayner, he will share some of his photos, videos and stories about the owls he has come to know.
He shared one story about Charles, a 21–22-year-old great horned owl who is currently courting May, so named because it’s a “May-December romance,” Glenshaw explained. He said the owls are still deciding whether or not they are going to mate and nest together.
Glenshaw has studied Charles for 19 years, and he has watched him develop relationships with several female owls, named Tess, Sarah and Samantha (a “Sex in the City” reference, Glenshaw joked). He noted that great horned owls are “monogamous as long as possible,” and many of them experience their own personalities, partnerships and conflicts.
“In Forest Park, we have the Muny. We have the Shakespeare Festival,” Glenshaw said. “No offense to those fantastic institutions, but we have drama in Forest Park all year long.”
Forest Park welcomes 15.5 million visitors every year, but people rarely notice the owls, hence the lecture’s title. “Hiding in Plain Sight” refers to the fact that the owls are always around us, but, because they’re nocturnal, we don’t often see them.
Glenshaw is excited to share his observations with other people. The lecture is open to all ages, whether you’re a bird enthusiast or a novice bird watcher.
Glenshaw emphasized that anyone can study nature like he does. He hopes people walk away from the event with a deeper appreciation for the wildlife in Forest Park and their own backyards.
“Anyone can do this,” he added. “I’m just a regular guy. Anyone can study nature in a very rewarding manner. It doesn't matter how you make your living, if you went to school, what you studied in school, where you went to school, how tall you are, what car you drive. Anyone can study nature.”
For more information about “Forest Park Owls: Hiding in Plain Sight,” click here. The program is free but reservations are encouraged. Call 1-800-613-3163 to reserve your spot. For more information about Hayner Public Library District, including upcoming events, visit their official website at HaynerLibrary.org.
More like this:
