Ocean State Bird club leadership team
Nick Pacelli
President
Nick Pacelli has been birding in Rhode Island for about twenty years. He has always been happiest outdoors hiking, birding, and fishing . Up until five years ago Nick was a part time birder and a hardcore fisherman. He could be found on a beach, on the ice, or in his kayak three hundred days a year. He has written many articles for multiple fishing magazines. However he pretty much gave that all up when he got serious about birds five years ago. In 2019, Nick did a "RI Big Year" where he ended up with 290 species. What he learned last year is that numbers don't mean anything and there is so much knowledge to gain from this hobby. Though not a world traveler, Nick has taken birding vacations to Maine, Florida, and North Carolina. He has been an active member of the OSBC which includes writing an article for the Osprey and going on many walks and trips. Nick is especially fond of pelagics. He has made a lot of friends with members whom he birds with all the time. As club President, his goal is to give back to the club which has meant so much to him.
Nick Pacelli has been birding in Rhode Island for about twenty years. He has always been happiest outdoors hiking, birding, and fishing . Up until five years ago Nick was a part time birder and a hardcore fisherman. He could be found on a beach, on the ice, or in his kayak three hundred days a year. He has written many articles for multiple fishing magazines. However he pretty much gave that all up when he got serious about birds five years ago. In 2019, Nick did a "RI Big Year" where he ended up with 290 species. What he learned last year is that numbers don't mean anything and there is so much knowledge to gain from this hobby. Though not a world traveler, Nick has taken birding vacations to Maine, Florida, and North Carolina. He has been an active member of the OSBC which includes writing an article for the Osprey and going on many walks and trips. Nick is especially fond of pelagics. He has made a lot of friends with members whom he birds with all the time. As club President, his goal is to give back to the club which has meant so much to him.
Michael Gow
Treasurer, Website Manager, and Member Outreach
Michael Gow is a veteran teacher with over 25 years experience. Throughout his career, he has organized and led many nature events and walks for elementary and middle school aged kids. Having spent much of his free time hiking, canoeing, fishing, birding, and camping, Michael now enjoys sharing his love of the outdoors with his students as well as his own two children. Once an avid long distance hiker having hiked the Long Trail in Vermont and the Superior Hiking Trail and the Kekekabic Trail in Minnesota, Michael now spends much of his free time at his family house in Vermont at the end of long dead end road tucked onto the side of a small mountain. Michael is also a founding member of the Ocean State Bird Club.
Michael Gow is a veteran teacher with over 25 years experience. Throughout his career, he has organized and led many nature events and walks for elementary and middle school aged kids. Having spent much of his free time hiking, canoeing, fishing, birding, and camping, Michael now enjoys sharing his love of the outdoors with his students as well as his own two children. Once an avid long distance hiker having hiked the Long Trail in Vermont and the Superior Hiking Trail and the Kekekabic Trail in Minnesota, Michael now spends much of his free time at his family house in Vermont at the end of long dead end road tucked onto the side of a small mountain. Michael is also a founding member of the Ocean State Bird Club.
Louise Ruggeri
Secretary
Louise Ruggeri is a life-long Newport, RI resident. She has always loved being outdoors, but she didn’t become an avid birder until her late forties, when she saw the positive impact that birding was having on her mental health. She is passionate about citizen science, county listing, and about making birding feel welcoming, safe, and accessible to people of all backgrounds and abilities. Birding has enriched her life in many ways and she is excited to share her knowledge and enthusiasm while serving as a board member of OSBC.
Louise Ruggeri is a life-long Newport, RI resident. She has always loved being outdoors, but she didn’t become an avid birder until her late forties, when she saw the positive impact that birding was having on her mental health. She is passionate about citizen science, county listing, and about making birding feel welcoming, safe, and accessible to people of all backgrounds and abilities. Birding has enriched her life in many ways and she is excited to share her knowledge and enthusiasm while serving as a board member of OSBC.
Suzanne French
Board Member
Suzanne French is the Manager of the Wild Birds Unlimited Nature Shop in Warwick, RI. As the bird and optics specialist, she advises anyone interested in birds from beginning to seasoned bird enthusiasts. She has designed, patented and sells a line of book covers specifically for field guides with her own online company named Fieldfare. The field guide covers have been sold to nature lovers as far away as England, the Netherlands, and Costa Rica. Suzanne is also a founding member of the Ocean State Bird Club.
Suzanne French is the Manager of the Wild Birds Unlimited Nature Shop in Warwick, RI. As the bird and optics specialist, she advises anyone interested in birds from beginning to seasoned bird enthusiasts. She has designed, patented and sells a line of book covers specifically for field guides with her own online company named Fieldfare. The field guide covers have been sold to nature lovers as far away as England, the Netherlands, and Costa Rica. Suzanne is also a founding member of the Ocean State Bird Club.
Dave Campbell
Board Member
Dave Campbell is a lifelong resident of Rhode Island and is an avid outdoorsman. Dave grew up in the outdoors and was introduced to birds by his father. At the young age of three, he was fascinated by watching Black-capped Chickadees feeding out of his father’s hand and was hooked on birds ever since. This led him to college where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science concentrated in Wildlife Biology. Dave worked in the wildlife field before a career change into telecommunications, where he has recently retired. Dave has traveled extensively in this country, always birding and hiking wherever he travels. Dave has hiked over seventy mountains and trails in New Hampshire, completed sections of the Long Trail in Vermont, backpacked the one hundred mile stretch on the AT in Maine and has backpacked Denali National Park in Alaska. Dave is especially fascinated with bird songs and calls, where he enjoys learning and expanding his knowledge wherever he travels.
Dave Campbell is a lifelong resident of Rhode Island and is an avid outdoorsman. Dave grew up in the outdoors and was introduced to birds by his father. At the young age of three, he was fascinated by watching Black-capped Chickadees feeding out of his father’s hand and was hooked on birds ever since. This led him to college where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science concentrated in Wildlife Biology. Dave worked in the wildlife field before a career change into telecommunications, where he has recently retired. Dave has traveled extensively in this country, always birding and hiking wherever he travels. Dave has hiked over seventy mountains and trails in New Hampshire, completed sections of the Long Trail in Vermont, backpacked the one hundred mile stretch on the AT in Maine and has backpacked Denali National Park in Alaska. Dave is especially fascinated with bird songs and calls, where he enjoys learning and expanding his knowledge wherever he travels.
Patrick Felker
Board Member
Patrick Felker is a 21-year-old avid birder from North Kingstown, Rhode Island. He is currently in his junior year at the University of Rhode Island, studying Wildlife and Conservation Biology. Patrick started birding when he was 11 years old and has developed a relationship with the Rhode Island birding community. He brings a passion for birding and nature, as well as positivity and an inclusive mindset to the Ocean State Bird Club.
Patrick Felker is a 21-year-old avid birder from North Kingstown, Rhode Island. He is currently in his junior year at the University of Rhode Island, studying Wildlife and Conservation Biology. Patrick started birding when he was 11 years old and has developed a relationship with the Rhode Island birding community. He brings a passion for birding and nature, as well as positivity and an inclusive mindset to the Ocean State Bird Club.
Paul Miller
Board Member
Growing up in Warren, I was out in a shrubby, powerline right of way one day
when I saw a bright yellow bird. Someone’s pet Canary must have escaped! Later that
day I looked up Canary in our home encyclopedia (long before the internet!) and saw that
the bird was from an island very far away. It was in that moment that I realized that there
was a whole world of birds out there, and I was hooked. Turns out, the bird in question
was actually a Yellow Warbler and I consider that my spark bird.
A life-long naturalist, I formalized my studies with a B.S. in Ecology from a small private
environmental college in Maine, Unity College. After graduation, I traveled around the
U.S. participating in ornithological field research in places such as California coastal sage
scrub, Louisiana Chenier and Bayou, Maine’s north woods, New Hampshire’s White Mountains, Cape May New Jersey, and Rhode Island.
I eventually moved back to New England in 2015 with a job in the Maine North Woods that summer chasing around warblers, especially Bay-breasted for a grad student at the University. I have since received my Masters in Natural Resource Management, moved home to RI (currently in North Kingstown) and work in the Land Trust community.
Growing up in Warren, I was out in a shrubby, powerline right of way one day
when I saw a bright yellow bird. Someone’s pet Canary must have escaped! Later that
day I looked up Canary in our home encyclopedia (long before the internet!) and saw that
the bird was from an island very far away. It was in that moment that I realized that there
was a whole world of birds out there, and I was hooked. Turns out, the bird in question
was actually a Yellow Warbler and I consider that my spark bird.
A life-long naturalist, I formalized my studies with a B.S. in Ecology from a small private
environmental college in Maine, Unity College. After graduation, I traveled around the
U.S. participating in ornithological field research in places such as California coastal sage
scrub, Louisiana Chenier and Bayou, Maine’s north woods, New Hampshire’s White Mountains, Cape May New Jersey, and Rhode Island.
I eventually moved back to New England in 2015 with a job in the Maine North Woods that summer chasing around warblers, especially Bay-breasted for a grad student at the University. I have since received my Masters in Natural Resource Management, moved home to RI (currently in North Kingstown) and work in the Land Trust community.
Tim Metcalf
Board Member
Born and raised in New England, Tim first began birding in Rhode Island during trips to visit family on the east coast. During this time, he was living in Alaska with his 2 children and his wife, a lifelong birder. Although Alaska had a limited number of bird species in the Anchorage area, the sightings were often rare, and interesting. Upon relocating to Virginia in 2012, he found himself presented with increased birding opportunities and a wider array of species. In 2017, Tim moved to Rhode Island and found that his passion for birding greatly increased, because of the many different habitats and places to explore outdoors offered by the state. Tim enjoys spending time hiking in the woods and fields, out on the water seeking pelagic species, or kayaking in the salt ponds along the Rhode Island coast. Living and birding in Rhode Island, Tim started photographing birds which provided a whole new dimension to his birding experience, igniting his enthusiasm for birding even more. His photography has been published in North American Birds. Tim cherishes the Rhode Island birding community and appreciates their shared knowledge and camaraderie in exploring Rhode Island's places and bird species.
Born and raised in New England, Tim first began birding in Rhode Island during trips to visit family on the east coast. During this time, he was living in Alaska with his 2 children and his wife, a lifelong birder. Although Alaska had a limited number of bird species in the Anchorage area, the sightings were often rare, and interesting. Upon relocating to Virginia in 2012, he found himself presented with increased birding opportunities and a wider array of species. In 2017, Tim moved to Rhode Island and found that his passion for birding greatly increased, because of the many different habitats and places to explore outdoors offered by the state. Tim enjoys spending time hiking in the woods and fields, out on the water seeking pelagic species, or kayaking in the salt ponds along the Rhode Island coast. Living and birding in Rhode Island, Tim started photographing birds which provided a whole new dimension to his birding experience, igniting his enthusiasm for birding even more. His photography has been published in North American Birds. Tim cherishes the Rhode Island birding community and appreciates their shared knowledge and camaraderie in exploring Rhode Island's places and bird species.
Barbara Seith and her visiting Fish Crow
Board Member
Barbara Seith moved to Rhode Island in July of 2019 and became a birder after finding a Greater Yellowlegs in a pond near her home. After struggling on her own (and embarrassing herself) for about 6 months, she started to get to know some Rhode Island birders. Since then, she has had a commitment to the birding community – trying to be helpful to all birders new and long-term. She birds practically every morning and in the summer, you will find her most often sitting at her patch on the point at Quonnie Breachway. Until January of 2023, was a Rhode Island birder with only some occasional forays to neighboring states. Since then, she has spread her wings (sorry) to visit Florida, Georgia, Delaware, New Mexico, Arizona and South Africa. She is the Rhode Island Captain for Birdability – an organization committed to making nature accessible & safe for all.
Barbara Seith moved to Rhode Island in July of 2019 and became a birder after finding a Greater Yellowlegs in a pond near her home. After struggling on her own (and embarrassing herself) for about 6 months, she started to get to know some Rhode Island birders. Since then, she has had a commitment to the birding community – trying to be helpful to all birders new and long-term. She birds practically every morning and in the summer, you will find her most often sitting at her patch on the point at Quonnie Breachway. Until January of 2023, was a Rhode Island birder with only some occasional forays to neighboring states. Since then, she has spread her wings (sorry) to visit Florida, Georgia, Delaware, New Mexico, Arizona and South Africa. She is the Rhode Island Captain for Birdability – an organization committed to making nature accessible & safe for all.
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Past Members of the OSBC Leadership Team
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