Every spring, millions of birds travel the Atlantic Flyway, one of four major North-South routes for migratory birds in the Americas. Along the way, they need to stop for food, water, and rest— and Block Island, Rhode Island, provides. In this episode, producer Ben James takes us to this special place where we meet master bird bander Kim Gaffett. She is the latest in a long line of women citizen scientists whose work on Block Island has instilled a powerful culture of bird study and conservation, stretching back over a hundred years.

Related Resources:50 Years of Bird Banding - Block Island TimesThirsty Birds “Burn the Engine” in Flight - NPRBlock Island - The Nature Conservancy in Rhode IslandBlock Island ConservancyThe Bird Lady of Block Island, Miss Elizabeth Dickens - BlockIsland.comFlying Transformers: Birds Gear Up for Migration

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Credits

Host & Senior Producer: Ari DanielProducer: Ben JamesEditor: Caitlin Pierce, Rough Cut CollectiveAudio mix: Rob Byers, Johnny Vince Evans, and Michael Raphael, Final Final V2Theme song and original music: Ian CossAdditional music: Blue Dot SessionsContent Director: Allison WilsonAudio and Video Editor: Sam JohnsonFact-checker and Digital Producer: Conor GearinArtwork: Clint McMillen at Braincloud Design

Threatened  is a production of BirdNote. Learn more about the BirdNote team.