The reason Colonial Beach has an Osprey Festival is attributable to two individuals. One is Pam Narney, the “Osprey Queen” and regular Ospert blogger on our website. The second individual was Mike Callahan, whose love of raptors of all sorts, ornithological expertise, creativity and enthusiasm propelled us forward. Going on a birdwalk with Mike is fascinating, so we hope you enjoy this virtual birdwalk he’s taking you on in this latest post. (He’ll be live at our 2022 Osprey Festival).
Here’s is some background on Mike that shows how fortunate we have been to be a beneficiary of his involvement with the planning that launched the first festival in 2019 and his on-going contributions to the virtual festivals since then.
Mike Callahan lives in Charles County Maryland and works part time at Caledon State Park as a Park Interpreter. It was his 3rd grade teacher who helped feed the spark of interest in nature and outdoors and led him to his choice of career in the environmental education field. He strives to give back the gift and joy of sharing nature to others.
During the school year, he teaches at Nanjemoy Creek Environmental Education Center. He has been involved with the Colonial Beach Osprey Festival in some way each year, since its beginning.
Mike has been a birdwatcher since his middle school days and his involvement in environmental education is not only a career choice, but a hobby as well. He currently serves as Raptor Conservation Committee Chairman of the Southern Maryland Audubon Society (SMAS), where he monitors Osprey, Barn Owl and American Kestrel nests.
Mike also does a lot to preserve habitat and make our area more beautiful. He is President and Historical Garden Chairman of the Crossroads of Hughesville Garden Club, Member of the Board of Directors of the Friends of Chapman State Park and The Friends of Maxwell Hall. He is the co-chair of the Cobb Island Monarch Mania Butterfly Festival and the Colonial Beach Osprey Festival. He also serves as the Coordinator of the Port Tobacco Christmas Bird Count. In addition to his interest in nature, he is also a volunteer living history and 1st person interpreter.
In his spare time he can usually be found outside native plant gardening, bird watching or interpreting history through portraying historical men from Maryland and Virginia. He has portrayed Gustavus Brown Alexander of King George, VA, George Washington, Bishop James Madison of VA, Pearson Chapman of Mt Aventine in Charles County MD, General William Smallwood of MD, and Bishop Thomas Claggett of MD, and Josias Fendall of MD and VA..