U of A Student Known as Extreme Birder to Give Illustrated Presentation

Photo Submitted

Mitchell Pruitt

Mitchell Pruitt, a senior in the crop, soil and environmental sciences program at the University of Arkansas, will give a presentation from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 26, at the Global Campus, 2 E. Center St. in Fayetteville.

Pruitt's presentation is the first Student Scholar Showcase sponsored by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the U of A. It is free and open to the public.

Pruitt is a member of the Honors College and a student in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences. A year ago, while working on his honors thesis project, Pruitt and his mentor Kim Smith, a University Professor of biological sciences, helped band and document the rare Northern Saw-Whet owl, seen rarely in Arkansas since 1955. He is an award-winning volunteer in wildlife conservation, a prolific nature photographer, travel blogger and instructor at the Arkansas Audubon Society Ecology Camp.

For the Osher talk, Pruitt, who is from Jonesboro, will share his environmental passions and educational goals and discuss challenges he has faced and mentors who have helped him during his time at the U of A. In 2012, he was ranked No. 4 on a list of most birds seen in Arkansas, when he documented sighting of 311 avian species. The ranking was part of the "Big Year," a competition among birders to see who can see or hear the largest number of species or birds within a single calendar year and within a specific geographical area.

The Student Scholar Showcase will highlight students with outstanding academic records who are engaged in meaningful scholarly research, creative, cultural or scientific endeavors or the performance arts either inside or outside the traditional classroom.

More information is available at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute website or by emailing olli@uark.edu or calling 479-575-4545.