LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Redbud Audubon Society will host a discussion on owls at its next meeting on Thursday, Oct. 21.

Karla Bloem, executive director of the International Owl Center in Houston, Minnesota, will speak on “Cultural attitudes toward owls around the world through history.”

Bloem’s presentation to Redbud last February was met with such enthusiasm that it was decided to ask her to return.

The program starts at 7 p.m. and will be a Zoom presentation.

Register by clicking on the link on the homepage of Audubon’s website.

Bloem will talk about how attitudes about owls in different cultures around the world affect efforts to conserve this species.

As before, Alice the great horned owl will make a live appearance in this one-of-a-kind entertaining and educational program.

Bloem is the founder and executive director of the International Owl Center. She acquired Alice the great horned owl to use in educational programs in 1998 and began studying Great Horned Owl vocalizations in 2004.

Bloem is now the world authority on their vocalizations and has given presentations in the Netherlands, Germany, Argentina, Italy, Portugal and South Africa.

Alice’s popularity led Bloem to create the International Festival of Owls, the first full-weekend, all-owl event in North America that has served as the inspiration for similar festivals in Italy, Nepal and India.

Karla and Alice testified before the Minnesota House and Senate environment committees to successfully gain protection for great horned owls in 2005. She has assisted several authors and filmmakers and has appeared on Animal Planet and the CBC Network’s “The Secret Life of Owls.”