UPDATE: The Jan. 2 meeting of the Stanton Bird Club has been canceled. The other events the club has planned will still take place. 

LEWISTON — The Stanton Bird Club of Lewiston and Auburn will hold its next meeting on Monday, Jan. 2, at 6:30 p.m. at the University of Southern Maine’s Lewiston-Auburn College, 55 Westminster St.

The meeting will be held in Room 285.

Peter McKinley, lead ecologist of the Wilderness Society, will speak about bird conservation.

An estimated 1,000 species or more will face extinction during the coming century. Leading causes are habitat loss, overhunting, collisions with buildings and pollution. Protection of birds often includes restoring bird habitat and re-establishing bird populations.

McKinley has worked in northeastern conservation and ecological research for the past 20 years. His experience includes positions at the Forest Society of Maine, New Hampshire Audubon, Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences and a progressive management timber company. McKinley holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Colby College, a master’s degree from Indiana University and a Ph.D. in ecology from the University of New Brunswick.

McKinley spent five years researching forest songbirds and commercial forest management and joined the Wilderness Society in 2010.

The club will also host a field trip to Marginal Way and Ogunquit from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 7.

The trip’s focus will be winter ducks, especially harlequin ducks and king eiders. Marginal Way offers many opportunities to observe a variety of sea ducks.

The meeting place for the trip will be the Promenade Mall parking lot near Staples, 855 Lisbon St. From here, attendees will carpool to the bird-watching site. Attendees should plan to dress warmly and bring a lunch. Trip leader Steve Reed can be contacted by calling 207-319-6630.

Both the meeting and trip are free and open to the public.

FMI: www.StantonBirdClub.org.