Brenda Ibey February Speaker Presentation

The speaker at our February Meeting was Brenda Ibey, the owner of Avant Garden Shop in Peterborough. Along with her husband Clayton, important ideas were shared with how to support winter birds in our communities. The audience was captivated with a sampling of different bird feeders suited to a variety of birds and types of seeds for different species to sustain them through cold winter nights. Brenda stressed the importance of high-fat foods, such as suet, sunflower and nyjer seeds as well as peanuts to provide energy to birds after shivering through our particularly cold winter this year. 

While it is tempting perhaps to purchase foods from the big Box stores rather than local stores in the community, often seeds are not necessarily locally sourced and freshly prepared, resulting in lack of birds frequenting our feeders. 

Placing feeders near trees and access to leaf seeds and berries go well to attracting birds. From tube feeders, to platform feeders to suet cages, Brenda had all the samples in hand available at her store for purchase.

Unrelated to Part One of her presentation, Brenda then introduced her husband who had contracted legionnaire’s disease years ago while traveling abroad. Rapidly deteriorating health and treatments not with positive impact, Clayton Ibey finally turned the corner after receiving a double transplant in Toronto with a new pancreas and kidney. Now fully recovered and free from diabetes and dialysis, Claton spoke of the importance not to let life’s challenges get in the way of living life. This important message was welcomed by all!