Date: July 9, 2024

Time: 2:00 p.m.

Location: Polk County Public Libraries, Saluda Branch

Speaker: Bill Hilton, Jr., executive director of Hilton Pond North: Blue Ridge Birds & Nature, Lansing, NC

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are likely the most common hummingbird species in the world, but there is much to be learned about their life history. Alas, many facts about hummers are clouded by misperceptions and untruths. During his presentation, Dr. Bill Hilton Jr., principal investigator for “Operation RubyThroat: The Hummingbird Project,” will “bust” some common myths about ruby-throats and share exciting results of his work—includingcitizen science hummingbird expeditions to the Neotropics. There will be plenty of time following for questions and answers about these amazing little birds that break all the rules.

Dr. Hilton was twice named South Carolina Science Teacher of the Year and was honored as the state’s Outstanding Biology Teacher. In December 2008 Discover magazine cited him as one of “50 Best Brains in Science” and one of ten top amateur scientists in America. His undergraduate major in philosophy from Newberry College was excellent preparation for his advanced science degrees from Winthrop University and University of Minnesota.

From 1982 to early 2024 Dr. Hilton was based near York, South Carolina, at Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History (www.hiltonpond.org), a non-profit organization he founded on family property. An active field researcher, Hilton banded more than 79,000 birds of 127 species during 43 years just at York. In February 2024 he moved operations to a new site in upper Ashe County, North Carolina, calling it “Hilton Pond North: Blue Ridge Birds & Nature,” where he continues his innovative environmental education, natural history research, and conservation activities.

Dr. Hilton is one of only about 150 people authorized to capture wild hummingbirds and has banded 10,000-plus Ruby-throated Hummingbirds since 1984. He also investigates other aspects of natural history, from pollination to predation and ecological succession to environmental change.

Dr. Hilton led more than 260 U.S., Canadian, Swiss, and Costa Rican citizen scientists on 30 Neotropical hummingbird field expeditions to Central America–all as part of his Operation RubyThroat (www.rubythroat.org). “This Week at Hilton Pond,” Dr. Hilton’s on-going series of information-rich photo essays about nature phenomena in the Carolinas and elsewhere, has a large international following; nearly 800 installments are permanently archived on-line at www.hiltonpond.org.

The Saluda Library Speaker Series programs are made possible thanks to our partnership with the Polk County Public Libraries Systems and a grant from the Polk County Community Foundation.

Contact Pam Torlina, pam@conservingcarolina.org, with questions or for more information.