Meet Our Walk Leaders
The Headlands Birding Festival birding walk guides are experienced local birders who know the best spots to see migrating species along Lake Erie. Look for their light blue shirts labeled “Volunteer” as they lead guided walks through Headlands Beach, the Mentor Marsh area, and beyond. Each guide brings years of birding experience and a deep passion for helping participants spot and identify birds throughout the festival – learn more about them below.
If you are interested in being a walk leader for the festival, please fill out this application.
Abigail Mossbruger
I’ve worked as a naturalist at Lake Metroparks for five years, where I discovered birding through my colleagues and have had many birding adventures since! I have honed my skills and continue to learn with each outing. I enjoy many outdoor activities and bringing the natural world to the community. There’s always something to see and discover in nature, so let’s get out there and go birding!
My spark bird was a Red-tailed Hawk, and my favorite birding spot is anywhere I can hear a Wood Thrush singing.
Adam Preston
I have been an avid birder for nearly 15 years, combining a passion for birds with an adventurous spirit. Many of my birding adventures have been shared with my wife, Sarah Preston, as we’ve explored birding hotspots across the United States and traveled internationally in search of species new to us. Together, we enjoy the challenge of planning trips around exceptional birding destinations and experiencing the unique birds and habitats each region has to offer.
Red-bellied Woodpecker is my spark bird. Belted Kingfisher is my favorite bird.
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Alison Imhoff
I have always had a passion for animals and nature. Once I started working for the City of Mentor Natural Resource Division in 2023, my passion for birds grew from learning and participating in Migratory Bird Banding at the Mentor Lagoons Nature Preserve. Since then, I have banded and handled hundreds of birds while honing my warbler ID, teaching others, and educating the public about the science, importance, and wonders of bird banding and migration.
Favorite bird: Belted Kingfisher
Amanda Hoffman
I grew up here in Lake County, but became a tour guide in Alaska on a wildlife excursion where I fell in love with birds! My husband and I were both laid off during COVID, so we started birding like it was our full-time jobs. Over the last 6 years, we’ve traveled the country in search of our feathered friends, but recently settled back in Mentor. It’s been a pleasure to become part of the birding community here!
My spark bird was seeing an Arctic tern in AK when I was a tour guide. Their migration journey is incredible!
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Andrew France
I am a Northeast Ohio native who has done most of my birding on and near the lakefront, but I have also traveled to Minnesota, Florida, Arizona, different parts of Ohio, and other exciting destinations to bird! I have birded for nearly 9 years and greatly enjoy all facets of this rewarding way of life.
My favorite bird is the Snowy Owl, and my favorite birding location is Howard Marsh Metropark.
Anna Henry
Hi, I’m Anna! I’m a 26-year-old wildlife educator and content creator on a mission to share my passion for all things wildlife related- in hopes that it inspires that same passion in others. I’ve worked in the wildlife field professionally for the past two years, with the bulk of my work being with birds of prey. The owls are my favorites!
My spark bird and favorite bird are the same – Barred Owls! Working with them is one of the most incredible things I’ve ever experienced; they have so much personality.
Bill Sedivy
I have been traveling and birdwatching in the U.S. and Central America for more than 40 years. Born and raised in Geauga County, OH, I have guided river trips and birding tours in the U.S. and Costa Rica for nearly three decades. A former journalist, I’ve also worked hard in non-profit conservation management and as a ranger for the US Forest Service. Since my retirement in 2015, I have been leading birding tours in Costa Rica for Aventuras El Ceibo in Turrialba.
My favorite birding location is Headland Dunes State Nature Preserve – my spark bird was the Eastern Towhee.
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Blackbrook Audubon Society
Blackbrook Audubon is the local chapter of the National Audubon Society covering Lake, Geauga, and Ashtabula counties in Ohio. We promote conservation and restoration of ecosystems with emphasis on birds and habitat through education and advocacy. We hold monthly speaker programs from September through May with a picnic in June. Birders of all skill levels are welcome at any of our walks and field trips.
Please see www.blackbrookaudubon.org for more details.
Caitlyn Skilton
Hi, I’m Caitlyn! I’m a biologist from Northeast Ohio. I work with ODNR at Portage Lakes State Park. I earned my Bachelor of Science degree from Kent State, where I studied zoology & photojournalism. I’ve worked on various projects, including hummingbird behavior research, producing a chimney swift video exhibit, bird window collision prevention, and working with injured raptors at a sanctuary. I’m an avid birder, am passionate about conservation, and love helping others get excited about nature.
hummingbird/currently Portage Lakes and Firestone Metropark/Northern Flicker
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Christo Rein
An affinity for nature is something I’ve always had—it’s in my blood. Being outdoors with my senses attuned to what’s around me not only brings me joy, but it’s also very grounding for me. Although I’m a relatively new birder, learning more every day from experienced birders has certainly helped hone my skills. Achieving high bird-species counts isn’t my goal in birding; simply observing a bird in its natural habitat is. Relocating back to Ohio in 2023, my love for the outdoors has grown even more.
Fun facts: my favorite bird is the Belted Kingfisher; I remember hearing its call even before I knew what this remarkable species was. The Zimmerman Trail in the Mentor Marsh is my favorite birding location.
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Cole DiFabio
With over 15 years of birding experience in Ohio, I am well-versed in field identification by sight and sound. I enjoy seeing as many species as possible while out birding, but also spending time studying the birds as well. When guiding or birding with others, it is my goal to get everyone great looks of even better birds! Good birding!
Resplendent Quetzal
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Connor Fox
I am the founder of FoxC Birding, a Southwest Ohio–based guiding service focused on helping birders of all levels sharpen their skills in the field. A passionate and dedicated birder of over 20 years, I completed an ambitious goal of observing over 600 species across just six trips in the lower 48 during 2024. When not birding, I manage a Wild Birds Unlimited in West Chester and Springboro, Ohio. I also enjoy spending time with my wife, cat, and backyard birds.
Anytime I get the chance to bird in SE Arizona, I am a happy guy.
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Corinne Duffy
I began birding in 2023 when I worked at Headlands Dunes State Nature Preserve with the help of many kind birders. I became dedicated to the hobby after beginning work banding birds with the City of Mentor in 2024. Now, I try to make time for birding everywhere I go!
My favorite bird is a cedar waxwing because they look airbrushed!
Debbi Schuster
I started birding with my father as a child. He built bird feeders for anyone who wanted one. Family vacations always had a field guide in the car. Since that beginning, I have acquired a life list of 1234 birds nationally and internationally. I enjoy sharing my love for birds and wildlife with everyone. I especially love getting new birders out into the field to make new discoveries.
My favorite birding locations are Wake Robin Trail, Headlands SP, The Rookery, from my kayak at Headwaters, LaDue Reservoir, and Mosquito SP.
Gabi Boothe
Hi! I’m Gabi, and I’m a Mentor high school student and a Part-time barista. I enjoy anything outdoors, including hiking, biking, birding, and general photography. I really enjoy watching and finding raptors, specifically owls. I’m trying to get into rehab services in the future and hope to help out in more rescues.
My spark bird is the Barred Owl! I enjoy birding at headlands and Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Jane Davenport
Hi, I’m Jane!
I currently work as a Naturalist with the Ohio State Parks, and you can find me leading programs at East Harbor, Maumee Bay, and Marblehead Lighthouse State Parks. I was born and raised along Lake Erie and have fond memories of looking for Bald Eagles and their nests with my dad growing up. As a naturalist, I enjoy leading birding walks and hosting stationary harbor birding with visitors to the parks. I particularly love observing wetland birds.
If you ask me which bird is my favorite, you’ll get a list of 8 😉 I love a green heron! My favorite song belongs to the Swainson’s Thrush!
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Jim Cihula
I was born and raised in Northeast Ohio, and I credit my love of nature – animals, insects, and birds (most importantly) – to my mom, who shared the same passion. I’m primarily a local birder, though I venture out of the area occasionally. My camera often joins me in the field, and I’ll admit I can sometimes take a better picture of a bird than identify it. I’m relatively new to birding (about 4 years), but now I at least know that a seagull is not a real bird.
My favorite bird is an Eastern Bluebird.
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Jim Smallwood
I’m a 1981 graduate of Hocking State College School of Natural Resources. I spent 41 years in the field of Natural Resources Law Enforcement. I retired as Lieutenant of the Patrol Division of the Lake Metroparks Ranger Department in 2016. My love for birding started in 1981 after taking an Ornithology course at Hocking State College. I bird the Headlands Area regularly. I have guided in Ohio and for the Biggest Week in American Birding.
Favorite birds are the shorebirds / Favorite Park is Headlands Beach State Park / My spark bird was a Pileated Woodpecker.
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Joel Throckmorton
I am a naturalist and biologist for the city of Mentor with 16 years of field experience. Avian research and habitat restoration are my specialties. I lead the city of Mentor’s bird banding station and assist with banding hundreds of Purple Martin young at the Mentor Lagoons each year. I plan to chase birds in Japan within several years.
One of my most memorable experiences was getting a golden-crowned warbler on a piece of barbed wire in Panama. I had missed this bird several times in the southern U.S. and wanted to see it so badly.
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Jon O’Brien
I am a music teacher and part-time naturalist. I enjoy learning about native plant gardening, birding, ecology, and conservation. I am passionate about sharing what I learn and introducing new people to birding.
My favorite bird right now is a green heron. Location Shaker Lakes. Spark bird belted kingfisher.
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Josh Sebrasky
As far back as I can remember, I have loved the trees and the rivers and the open air, but only just this last year have I fallen completely in love with birds, going from 20 to close to 200 species since last spring. I volunteer with Blackbrook Audubon Society and CMNH, and host a variety of nature-related programs at a local library. You can find me on my days off barefoot in the woods, sketching/journaling about what I’m observing, or just staring at lichen or the motion of light on water.
Every bird is a spark bird, but the biggest spark has been the Northern Flicker. Favorite locations are Headlands Dunes SP and Mentor Marsh.
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Josh Yoder
I am 26 and live close to Millersburg, Ohio, in Holmes County. I have been birding hard-core since the fall of 2019, but have had an interest in birds since I was 12. I do most of my birding in what is called the Bobolink area, which consists of 12 counties in North-central Ohio. I do venture outside there quite a bit, especially in the fall when I do a lot of lakewatching in Lake County and also some in Erie County.
My favorite bird is a Gyrfalcon, and my favorite place to go birding is Conesville Coal Lands in Coshocton County.
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Juyoung Lee
I am a freelance musician and music educator, and I’m going back to school at Cleveland State for a post-bacc in biology. I started birding in 2024 when I happened to drive by Magee Marsh during Biggest Week–as soon as I saw a prothonotary show off on the boardwalk, I knew this was what I was going to do for the rest of my life!
My favorite bird is whatever I’m currently looking at! My favorite spot is Sandy Ridge Reservation.
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Kate Brand
Hello! My name is Kate Brand, and I am the Naturalist at Geneva State Park. I have a degree in Biology from Miami University, and I love all things outdoors and camping, including birding! The beautiful Lake Erie area is a place I’ve always called home, and I’m excited to share it with everyone at the festival and learn about its birding wonders together!
Favorite/spark bird is the Steller’s Jay.
Kelly Kozar
I earned my degree in Wildlife Management from The Ohio State University, and birds have been my passion ever since my first job at Hakalau National Wildlife Refuge in Hawaii. I’ve worked on bird research and conservation projects around the world and have spent the past 20 years with the National Park Service. After returning to my hometown of Mentor in 2022, I rediscovered the incredible migration along Lake Erie and enjoy sharing it with others.
My favorite birding location is actually my own backyard in Mentor. Since moving back to Ohio in 2022, I’ve recorded 139 species there and am continually restoring the property with native plants to create better habitat for birds and other wildlife. Watching migration unfold from my own yard has been incredibly rewarding.
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KYLA Heck
Hello! My name is Kyla, and I am a freelance naturalist. I am an outdoor enthusiast and discovered my love of birding while pursuing my bachelor’s degree in Zoology. To me, birding is not just about connecting people with nature, but connecting with others and the world as a whole. Birding gives us the opportunity to slow down and observe the world from an entirely new perspective and appreciate the magnificent creatures with whom we have the great fortune to share the world.
My spark bird was a sandhill crane!
Mary Ann E. Wagner
I volunteer for Lake Metroparks, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, and the Holden Arboretum. I’ll never be volunteer of the year in any one place, as I volunteer for everyone. I’ve been an officer of the Blackbrook Audubon Society for several years. I do a weekly butterfly survey at the Mentor Marsh and tag Monarch butterflies for Monarch Watch. I am trying to incorporate more native plants in my home landscaping–native plants and native bugs equal food resources for native birds
I think the Red-winged Blackbird may be my spark bird. I remember Sunday afternoon walks with my dad and hearing blackbirds sing.
Matt Betts
I am an artist and avid birder who grew up in Virginia but have been living in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula since 2020. I serve on the board of the Laughing Whitefish Bird Alliance and am interested in sharing the joy of birds with the public and fostering Eco-tourism in Marquette County and the surrounding areas.
Oooph, that’s a tough one. As many birders will tell you, their favorite bird is the one they’re looking at. While walking to work one day, I saw two adult female Common Mergansers with a group of 15 chicks, and it made my whole day. They were scooting around the shallow water on the bank of Lake Superior, taking turns riding on the backs of the adults.
Matt Valencic
I have been watching birds since 1974, when I saw my first Blackburnian Warbler in the Adirondacks. I consider myself a Nature Nerd, enjoying everything seen, heard, and experienced while out “chasing birds”. I photograph birds and have used my pictures to create programs which I present on behalf of ASGC to various audiences since 2017. I enjoy helping newer birders appreciate how habitat dictates what birds you find, then seeing their excitement as they find new LIFE BIRDS!
LaDue Reservoir in Geauga County provides me with year-round birding excitement, especially during spring and fall migrations.
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Matthew Lindley
I am a life-long birder from the Cleveland area. A teacher and coach at Gilmour Academy, I started the GA Birding Club, which now boasts over 20 student members. The club does regular walks on campus, hosts trivia contests, and participates in the Christmas Bird Count and Backyard Bird Count. Matt is excited to get new, young birders interested in learning the importance of birds and ecology.
Our birding club at Gilmour identified 105 species of birds during the past school year (Aug ’25-May ’26) on our 144-acre campus in Gates Mills! While I have no one spot that is my favorite, exploring our campus for new species with the club has been very rewarding!
Megan Hart
I began my love of birds with a visit to a banding station in 2011. After that first day, I decided to change my trajectory in my education to focus on ornithology. This led me to work along streams in Tennessee with Louisiana Waterthrush, slogging through salt marshes with Seaside Sparrows, conducting point counts in Connecticut, and restoring grassland habitat in Kentucky. I’m currently the biologist for Lake Metroparks, and I am continuing my conservation work here in Lake County.
My spark bird was a Yellow-billed Cuckoo, which was the first bird I ever banded.
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Mike Good
I am a passionate birder and wildlife photographer based in Northeast Ohio. I have birded extensively across the United States and around the world in places like Costa Rica, Colombia, Puerto Rico, and Ireland. I am an Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist who is driven by curiosity and an appreciation for all forms of life. Mike is excited to lead bird walks at the Headlands Birding Festival and share the excitement of fall migration along Lake Erie.
My favorite bird is the Montezuma Oropendola. It is a highly social bird that breeds in large colonies and constructs amazing, huge hanging nests! But my favorite thing about them is that they have the coolest song I’ve ever heard!
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Mike Sustin
Mike is a native of northeastern Ohio and has lived a life of learning in the outdoors. After a long career as a high school science teacher, he worked as a naturalist for Summit Metroparks and at Hiram College, where he taught another generation of science teachers. While at Hiram, he also served as the Education and Outreach Coordinator for the James H. Barrow Biological Field Station.
I love ducks. Anytime I can find some quacking, colorful ducks is a good time!
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Queer Birders of Cuyahoga County
Birding outings and events for the queer community in Cuyahoga County!
Our favorite birding location is Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve.
Renell Roebuck
I have lived in and birded in Ohio since 2006. In 2018, I began Nature Journaling my experiences with nature. On most of my pages, you’ll find a bird list.
I was connected to birds through my grandparents’ bird feeders growing up.
Robert Hoffman
Like many, I started birding during COVID when I was laid off from my job. Growing up in Seattle, I had always been into nature, but never really thought much about birds. Once I started noticing how many different types of birds were even around my very urban apartment in Seattle, I became fascinated and a tad bit obsessed. Now my wife and I live here in Mentor, and it’s been a blast seeing all of the eastern species!
If I have to pick a favorite bird, I’d go with the humble Golden-crowned Sparrow. My spark bird was a Western Tanager.
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Sarah Preston
I am a bird-obsessed traveler and educator who seeks out new species and wild places, yet finds equal joy birding close to home. Passionate about helping others learn, I guide with a collaborative, educational approach—teaching not just what a bird is, but how to identify it. A lifelong nature lover turned chemistry instructor, I deepened my passion by taking an ornithology course and now share my passion through guiding and community birding experiences.
My favorite birding location is Headlands Beach State Park. My spark bird is a Blackburnian Warbler.
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Suzy Horvath
I’m an avid birdwatcher with a passion for conservation and community science. I began bird watching in 2020, and it has been my primary hobby ever since. I volunteer with Lights Out Cleveland and the annual Ohio Crane Count. Bird watching has brought me immeasurable joy. I’ve met many kind people and observed countless cool bird species (and rescued some too!). I love enlightening people to the wonders of nature and am excited to co-lead at the Headlands Birding Festival again this year!
My favorite bird is the Common Loon, my favorite birding location is Chagrin River Park, and my spark bird is the Prothonotary Warbler.
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Tony Gazso
I began birding in 2014 while working as a Discovery Guide for the Central Park Conservancy, where I co-led bird walks in partnership with the NYC Bird Alliance (formerly NYC Audubon). After spending a season working for the National Park Service in St. Louis, I returned home to Northeast Ohio, where I began working for Lake Metroparks. Since becoming the birding programs coordinator, I’ve pushed to make our programs more accessible to new birders, as well as young birders.
I have 2 spark birds: Grackle (as a kid, it was the first bird I saw that got me interested in birds) and American Pipit (Uncommon in Central Park, I found this bird while co-leading a bird walk, much to the excitement of the NYC Bird Alliance walk leader).
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Vinny Horvath
My love of birdwatching began in 2020. Since then, I have traveled to various U.S. states as well as Canada for the sole purpose of birdwatching. I am an active board member of Blackbrook Audubon Society, where I lead/co-lead monthly birdwatching field trips. I am also an active volunteer with Lights Out Cleveland through the OBCI and Cleveland Metroparks. I’m thrilled to be leading hikes again for the Headlands Birding Festival!
My favorite bird is a Common Loon.
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Will Cihula
I’m a young birder and bird photographer and have been birding since 2022. I’ve always been fascinated by migration and the science behind it, and I especially enjoy migratory passerines like warblers and kinglets. When I’m not watching birds, I’m photographing them. This year, I entered the Audubon Photography Awards and helped build the Headlands Birding Festival website. I mostly stick to local birding since travelling is difficult due to school.
My favorite bird is the Cedar Waxwing, my favorite birding hotspot is Headlands Beach State Park, and my spark bird is the Rose-breasted Grosbeak.
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