LEWISTON — The Stanton Bird Club of Lewiston and Auburn will meet at 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 2, in room 285 at USM Lewiston-Auburn College, 55 Westminster St. The subject will be “Vernal Pools and Amphibians,” presented by Bryce Hach, who will speak on their significance to this area.

Two birding trips are also planned for April. The first one, Saturday, April 21, is “Birding on the Riverwalk and Downtown Lewiston.” The second field trip will be on Tuesday, April 24, the first of this year’s Lewiston/Bates Bird Walks. Meetings and field trips are free and open to everyone.

Hach, development director of Maine Audubon, grew up in Colorado, showing enthusiasm almost from birth for reptiles and amphibians and their conservation. He first became a science teacher and, later on, became a national leader in high school chemistry education.

In addition to serving as development director, Hach teaches a graduate course in nonprofit and public management at the Muskie School, the University of Maine’s public policy school. Hach is also a graduate and active member of the Maine Naturalist Program.

The Saturday, April 21 Stanton Bird Club field trip to the Riverwalk will meet at 8:30 a.m. at the Promenade Mall, 855 Lisbon St. Meet at the end of the parking lot by Staples across from Marquis Signs.

After carpooling to the Riverwalk, participants will search along the river for ducks, gulls, possibly a hawk, peregrine or eagle, as well as local song birds. An assortment of hawks may be returning by that date. The trip, planned to return about 11 a.m., will be led by Dan Marquis. For more information, call him at 207-513-8213.

The second field trip is the first of a set of five early morning bird walks in the Bates College area. The walks will meet at 6 a.m. each Tuesday and offer a way to see returning song birds. The walks begin at the front of Hathorn Hall on the Bates College campus and go past Mt. David to Riverside Cemetery and down to the river. The trip will return by circling Lake Andrew. The trip is planned to return by 8:30 a.m. The walk leaders include Judy Marden, Steve Reed and Doug Boyd. For questions, call Steve at 207-319-6630.

Anyone interested is invited to meet at the steps of Hathorn Hall.

FMI: Check Facebook or www.StantonBirdClub.org.

Peregrin Falcon on Franco Center steeple