We are very pleased to announce a very special Saturdays with a Scientist program on May 16th, “Coffee with the Birds”! Tori Martel a local birder and bird photographer from Muskegon, Michigan will lead the presentation.

One of Tori’s favorite spots to go birding is the Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve where she has seen and documented 160 different species of birds! See some of her pictures below.

Tori absolutely loves birds and whenever she has a moment of free time, she can usually be found birding. She has always had a love and appreciation for nature and wildlife and found her true passion for birds about 6 years ago. She set up multiple bird feeders in her backyard and instantly was drawn to seeing all the different bird species that visited them.

She began to photograph the birds she saw and what started off as a casual backyard bird watching hobby quickly snowballed into a full-blown bird obsession!

Birds bring her so much joy and have taught her to slow down and appreciate the little things all around her. In this crazy, hectic world, birding helps to keep her grounded. She loves sharing her passion with her family and friends and always looks forward to finding and learning about new birds.

Now Tori would like to share her knowledge of birds with the local community, and we are very pleased she will be kicking off the 2026 season of Saturdays with a Scientist.

In addition to Tori’s presentation there will also be free coffee and snacks! Aldea Coffee is generously donating some of their delicious coffee for this event. If you want to bring your favorite coffee mug, feel free to bring it along!

The fun kicks off at 11am at the Ron Brown Education pavilion. Don't forget your binoculars!