Events: Speak! Salon Birding in Panama
Birding in Panama:
A Conversation with Naturalist Allen Hale
with Allen Hale and Stephanie Gross
Tuesday, August 18at, 2026 | Noon-1pm
The Speak! Salon at Vault Virginia (in the Main 1st Floor Gallery)
Join us for a lunchtime Speak! Salon as local birder and naturalist Allen Hale shares how a single birding trip to Panama grew into a lifelong passion.
Since first visiting Panama in 1998, Allen has returned more than 37 times, exploring the country's remarkable landscapes, birdlife, history, and culture. During this engaging presentation, he'll reflect on three decades of adventures, discoveries, and friendships formed through birdwatching in one of the world's richest biodiversity hotspots.
The talk will be brought to life with beautiful photographs by Allen and local photographer Stephanie Gross, who accompanied him on one of his Panama expeditions in December 2024.
Whether you're an experienced birder, an armchair traveler, or simply curious about Panama's incredible wildlife and culture, you'll enjoy an engaging midday conversation filled with fascinating stories, stunning photography, and plenty of time for questions and discussion.
Presented by Speak! Language Center in collaboration with Vault Virginia and The Bradbury.
Free and open to the community (adults and kids!)
📍 Vault Main Gallery | 🕛 12–1 PM
About the Speaker:
A Charlottesville native, Allen Hale earned his degree in Government and Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia in 1967 and owned a land surveying business in Nelson County for nearly five decades.
His lifelong passion for birds has taken him around the world, contributing to ornithological research projects ranging from Christmas Bird Counts to raptor banding in Nevada's Goshute Mountains. But no destination has captured his imagination quite like Panama. What began as a birding tour in 1998 evolved into decades of exploration, eventually leading Allen to guide birding trips throughout the country while deepening his appreciation for its people, landscapes, history, and extraordinary biodiversity.
