Husband and wife ornithologists Jeffrey and Allison Wells wrote “Maine’s Favorite Birds” as a resource for people who want to know more about the birds they see in their own backyard.

Featuring more than 100 of the best-known of Maine’s birds, the beautifully illustrated guide offers descriptions of birds, their songs, habitat and birding hot spots, all in well-written, non-technical prose.

The goal, said Jeff Wells, is to open a window into the natural world that surrounds us but which has becoming increasingly distant in the technological din of modern life.

“Being connected to the ebbs and flows of the natural world turns out to be very important to human wellbeing, is what research is showing us, and birds are one of the more accessible ways to connect to that world,” said Jeff Wells, currently the senior scientist for the International Boreal Songbird Initiative and a visiting fellow at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Jeff and Allison Wells, senior director of public affairs for the Natural Resources Council of Maine, will speak at St. Andrews Village at 10 a.m. on Sept. 11. Their presentation will include photos and recordings of well-loved Maine birds such as the common loon and white throated sparrow as well as less well-known species like the Black-throated Blue Warbler.

People of all ages are invited to attend. One of the messages of the presentation is the importance of intergenerational communication in passing down a love and respect for the environment.

Jeff Wells, who was previously the Audubon Society’s National Conservation Director, was introduced to the natural world by his grandmother, Audrey Chase, who lived in Edgecomb.

When he was growing up, she would take him and his siblings on walks and outings and help them identify birds, flowers and insects often using a small library of field guides.

“She made the birds and the whole natural world seem very exciting and mysterious,” said Jeff Wells.

Over the years, Jeff Wells said he has heard many similar stories from scientists or naturalists who were introduced to the wonders of nature by a grandparent, an uncle or an aunt.

As scientists learn more about birds, they are also coming to a better understanding of the importance of maintaining habitat, both large contiguous chunks of land like Canada’s boreal forests, which serve as breeding grounds for many songbirds, and relatively small plots of lands that offer birds pit stops along migratory routes, with shelter from predators, food and a place to rest.

One such pit stop is Penney Lake, a wetland area located next to St. Andrews Village that is preserved by the Boothbay Region Land Trust, for which Jeff Wells serves on the Board of Directors.

Jeff Wells said that he and Allison hope that as people better understand birds and learn more about their amazing stories, they will do more to conserve land and the other resources birds need.

The Wells’ talk is free and open to the public but space is limited, so please call 633-0920 to RSVP or for more information.