Everything Nac

Stephen F. Austin State University’s May commencement will be held in four separate ceremonies as a result of the expansion of Johnson Coliseum, which began last summer.

Degree candidates will participate at either 4 p.m. or 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 8, or 9:30 a.m. or 2 p.m. Saturday, May 9.

Seating at the coliseum, which typically has capacity for 7,200 guests, is temporarily reduced due to construction.

“While we are incredibly excited about the improvement and expansion of the coliseum, the construction has temporarily caused a significant number of guest seats to be inaccessible,” said Dr. Scott Gordon, SFA president. “Because of this, and in the interest of safety for our faculty, staff, graduates and their guests, we have decided to hold the ceremonies over a two-day period.”

On Friday, May 8, the 4 p.m. ceremony will recognize candidates from the College of Fine Arts and the James I. Perkins College of Education’s Department of Elementary Education and Department of Secondary Education and Educational Leadership.

The 7:30 p.m. ceremony also will recognize candidates from the Perkins College of Education. Candidates participating are students of the Department of Human Services, the Department of Kinesiology and Health Science, and the School of Human Sciences.

At the 9:30 a.m. ceremony Saturday, May 9, candidates from both the Nelson Rusche College of Business and College of Sciences and Mathematics will be honored. Candidates from the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture and the College of Liberal and Applied Arts will participate in a 2 p.m. ceremony.

All ceremonies will be streamed on the SFA Facebook page, facebook.com/sfasu. For more information about the events, visit sfasu.edu/registrar/455.asp.

Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens, the Pineywoods Audubon Society and the university’s student chapter of the National Association for Interpretation are sponsoring the annual Backyard Bird Bonanza from 9 a.m. to noon Feb. 15 at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, located at 2900 Raguet St.

This free, outdoor event will include activities designed to increase knowledge and appreciation of birds for youth and adults. A variety of fun, hands-on learning activities will be set up, including using binoculars, learning bird identification skills, playing bird games and making bird-related crafts. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department nongame ornithologist Cliff Shackelford will lead guided hikes along the trails of Tucker Woods at the PNPC.

In addition, guests are invited to participate in citizen science as they help count bird species for the national Great Backyard Bird Count with assistance from experienced birders and Shackelford. With bird populations declining, this form of citizen science serves as a valuable tool to measure the health of bird populations and inform citizens how to protect birds and support their habitats. In February 2019, more than 160,000 participants across the globe shared their local snapshots of bird populations — the largest Great Backyard Bird Count to date.

Winter is the ideal time for bird-watching, and the PNPC is a haven for local birds. Participants should wear comfortable walking shoes and weather-appropriate clothing. The event will be held rain or shine.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, National Audubon Society, Bird Studies Canada and international partners are leading the Great Backyard Bird Count, which is powered by eBird, and the count is made possible, in part, by founding sponsor Wild Birds Unlimited.

For more information, call (936) 468-1863, or email sfagardens@sfasu.edu.

Watch for bluebirds and many other species during the Backyard Bird Bonanza, an event sponsored by SFA Gardens, the Pineywoods Audubon Society and the university’s student chapter of the National Association for Interpretation. The free event is scheduled for 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 15, at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center.