Melissa Baston, Neighbor

I was born and raised in Meriden, CT, now happily living in Cheshire with my husband. I work as an office manager at a machine shop in Meriden.  I started birdwatching after we bought our house in 2002, it has become my favorite hobby. I volunteer for the Quinnipiac Valley Audubon Society by leading bird walks in the spring, and helping with yearly bird counts.  The Big Sit in October, where we spend the day at one location and count the number of bird species, and the Christmas Bird Count in December, where volunteers cover a 15 mile diameter circle and count each bird.  I also volunteer for Mount Vernon Songbird Sanctuary, a migratory songbird rehabilitation center that focuses on declining songbird species.