Not strictly on the subject of bird flu, it is true, but folks in New York City and the surrounds might be interested in attending the Manhattan Bird Club, which claims to support efforts to preserve parrots and birds in the wild, and "seeks to inform and influence people toward a more humane consideration for avians presently in captivity, an unnatural condition for them to be in."

The Club is hosting an event to discuss zoonotic ("transmitted by animals") diseases as they relate to birds—something that all of us concerned with bird flu should be paying a lot of attention to at the moment. Here are the details:

Saturday, April 8th, 1-5pm
Lecture/Presentation
242 E. 53 St, New York, NY (next to Quest Book Shop, between Second & Third Avenues)

Bird Zoonoses
Dr. Amy Hopkins, MD, MPH, PH.D.

Dr. Amy Hopkins, a board certified specialist in both internal medicine and occupational and environmental medicine, will be speaking on 4/8/06 about Bird Zoonoses (illnesses from birds). As both a physician and a parrot companion, this area is of special interest to her, particularly since so little is known about these issues. Her talk will discuss such commonly known entities as psittacosis (parrot fever), exotic Newcastle disease, and bird fancier's lung, as well as some lesser known disorders. Of course no talk on the human-bird interface would be complete these days without a mention of avian flu! This talk will discuss diagnosis, treatment, and control/prevention measures, and a handout will be available as a reference to keep.

Community Conservation
Associate Prof. Patrick Hossay, PhD, M.A.

Can we help protect endangered wildlife and habitat while also building opportunities for impoverished communities around the world? Community-based conservation is an attempt to do just that by creating ways for local villages to benefit from the protection of local habitat and wildlife. Patrick Hossay will be discussing various community-based models of conservation that utilize eco-tourism, fair trade, and other alternatives to build stronger communities and protect precious resources.

Patrick Hossay is an Associate Professor at the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. He develops and advises community conservation and fair trade projects in the Caribbean Basin and manages environmental projects for the international volunteer group Peacework. His latest book, Unsustainable: A Primer for Global Environmental and Social Justice explores the link global environmental and social justice challenges. More information on Hossay and Unsustainable can be found at www.sustainablejustice.org.

Admission: $5
Info: 212-987-8299
Manhattan Bird Club