New North County Live series starts Feb. 10

Birding, history, pandemic programs and film screening featured

SARANAC LAKE – North Country Live will revisit some of its most popular topics from past editions and explore new partnerships when it returns Feb. 10 with a new series of exciting and engaging programs for the community.

Hosted on Zoom by North Country Community College, this edition of North Country Live will feature new programs from two prior presenters: historian Tom McGrath and birding expert Joan Collins. It will also showcase an award-winning Native American film and delve into the timely issue of vaccine hesitance through a program presented in partnership with Historic Saranac Lake and Trudeau Institute.

• Abraham and Mary Todd: The Remarkable Lincoln Marriage, Feb. 10, 7 p.m. To mark the upcoming President’s Day, join historian and college faculty member Tom McGrath as he explores the remarkable and often misunderstood partnership between Abraham and his wife Mary Todd. Learn about the early life of the Lincolns, their courtship and marriage, triumphs and fears, as well as the unspeakable heartbreak the couple endured both before and during their time in the White House. 
• “Savage Land” Film Screening and Discussion, Feb. 17, 7 p.m. When Custer County Police kill 18-year-old Cheyenne Arapaho Mah-hi-vist Red Bird Goodblanket in his family’s kitchen, descendants of the Sand Creek and Washita Massacres take us back 150 years to reveal how historical trauma and the horrors of the past are still present in America today. This award-winning film by Campbell Daglish and Henrietta Mann will be made available for streaming prior to Feb. 17, when the filmmakers and members of the Goodblanket family will join North Country Live for a roundtable discussion.
• Winter Bird Visitors of Northern New York, Feb. 24, 7 p.m. Joan Collins of Adirondack Avian Expeditions and Workshops returns to North Country Live to talk about the avian visitors from the far north that move south to spend the winter in our northern New York region. Why the birds migrate to our region, and where you can find them, will be discussed. The presentation will feature many species that visit northern New York in winter, including owls and finches, using photographs, audio, and video.
• Exploring Vaccine Resistance Past and Present, Mar. 3, 7 p.m. Deborah Brown, Ph.D. will discuss popular resistance to vaccines and other public health measures using past and present infectious disease pandemics as a backdrop. This program is co-hosted by Historic Saranac Lake and the Trudeau Institute and is one in a series of HSL programs supported by Humanities New York.

All North Country Live programs are free and open to the public, but advance registration is required. To register for one or all of these programs, visit www.nccc.edu/live.

North Country Live was launched in spring 2020, at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, to provide programs that enrich our communities, spark conversation, and foster intellectual exploration. Since then, more than 30 free webinars, presentations and panel discussions have been presented on a wide range of topics including the arts, wellness, personal finance, history, the environment and outdoor recreation.

To view an archive of past programs, or for more information on North Country Live, visit www.nccc.edu/live.