Kim Gaffett of The Nature Conservancy led a multi-generational group of bird lovers in her bird banding program at the Ocean Viewproperty Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. “We had two-and-half years old all the way up to grandparents in their 70s,” Gaffett said.She has been catching, banding, and releasing birds at the Ocean View property for 20 years. This summer, due to Covid restrictions, her groups are limited to 20 participants who signed up in advance. She had a bonus session on Wednesday morning to give more people the opportunity to participate, and will have informal “drop-in” sessions on Tuesday mornings moving forward. Participants can hold the birds, listen to their heartbeats, and help with the banding. And perhaps most importantly, the participants get to spend some time with one of Block Island’s foremost nature experts. Gaffett said: “No matter the age of the person, we can make the program fit their level.”This is most certainly true, as people come back for this program year after year as they grow up. One young volunteer from Maryland, who vacations with his family on Block Island every August, has been coming to the bird banding program with Gaffett since he was
