North Salem student, bird-lover and filmmaker Jack Aronian brings his bird flu documentary to Mahopac Library

As a former chess teacher at Mahopac Public Library, 15-year-old Jack Aronian knows the joys of a well-played rook. But despite his love for "The Game of Kings," it's likely Jack would rather be exploring a rookery—or at least some other habitat for birds.

"I have been interested in and loved birds since I was very young," he said. "I've incubated and raised ducks and cared for many different parrots."

His ornithological interest – and a budding passion for filmmaking – led him to create and produce a 30-minute documentary about preventing H5N1 (popularly known as bird flu), which he will present at Mahopac Library next Wednesday (April 30) at 6 p.m.

The North Salem resident and student at St. Luke’s School in New Canaan recently won Hershey's Youth Service America Heartwarming Award for “H5N1 Awareness & Prevention Initiative,” which includes interviews with leading experts in the field, from doctors and academics to former Dept. of Health and Human Services officials, ornithology experts, virologists, and much more. Among inspirations were his Yorktown-based grandparents, Dr. Dianne Aronian and the late Dr. John Aronian (author of the “Montauk Trilogy”).

For Aronian, who is also a cadet with the Putnam Civil Air Patrol, speaking about his research won’t be a new experience: He was previously selected to present his work at the Global Education Benchmark Group Student Summit.

What inspired you to study H5N1, AKA bird flu?

Whenever there is an opportunity to work with birds, I'm the first to show up for it. I've worked on many different farms over the years with ducks, geese, chickens, and more! My grandfather was a huge inspiration for me on the specific subject of H5N1. He was a general surgeon at New York Hospital, and a few decades back, a peregrine falcon nested on the ledge outside his floor. Being a birder himself, he looked after the peregrines that nested there with experts in ornithology, banding them, building a nest box for them, and even bringing the chicks back up to the nest when they fell out of it during an unsuccessful first flight.

He wrote a book in 2007, the Montauk Trilogy (novella called "Smew"), foretelling about a community that faced an outbreak of a strain of avian flu able to infect humans. He passed away at the start of the pandemic. However, I want to continue his work and legacy about H5N1 and the wonders of birds. Bird Flu isn’t really discussed in my peer group, and little information is being shared through schools; as a person who has lived through the first pandemic in a hundred years, it's really important to me that we take steps to prevent another one.

What kind of research did you do?

The research I've done so far has involved reading recent studies and news on pandemics and zoonotic diseases – illnesses that can be transmitted from animals to humans – as well as the history of H5N1: the ways it spreads, recent spikes, and the animals it has infected besides birds. I have also interviewed a dozen experts in epidemiology, public health, and ornithology to fully understand the virus's scope, threat, and details, and its effect on birds and humans. More specifically, I’ve been looking into strategies that bird centers and sanctuaries can properly spread information and awareness to the public.

What have you learned along the way?

I've learned that bird centers and sanctuaries can be ideal resources for spreading awareness and prevention, aside from government agencies. These centers are essential in distributing information since so many people who frequent bird centers and sanctuaries are avid bird lovers, meaning they'll want to help and spread information themselves. It's a domino effect! While I was doing this project, Cornell University created a resource hub for H5N1, for the field and the public. (vet.cornell.edu/highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza-bird-flu-resource-center)

Another great takeaway for me was seeing the willingness of experts to support this project and witnessing how much they are doing in their fields to combat H5N1. I'm so thankful to all the people who have contributed! I've learned so much from them, and their work inspires me.

I'm grateful to the Youth Service America Hershey Heartwarming Project for supporting this project and for the opportunity to share it publicly. I'm additionally appreciative of the help and volunteers at St. Luke's, Mahopac Library, the Putnam County Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol, and especially Putnam County's Executive Kevin Byrne, who will say a few words at the start of the presentation on April 30 at Mahopac Library.

What do you plan to do after high school?

I plan to study ornithology and animal science, public health policy, and film. These are all subjects I love, and I hope to make a career out of them.

What can people expect to learn at your April 30 presentation?

I hope people understand bird flu better and know it is more than an egg shortage! Hopefully, this event amplifies the message and activates my peers to spread the word about bird flu; communication and awareness are the first steps in safeguarding our community, and all age groups should know about this issue and are welcome.

People attending will also learn actionable tips for preventing the spread of the disease. For instance, if you encounter a sick wild bird that needs help, do not touch it and report it to your local wildlife agency or health department.

This event is also a fundraiser for bird sanctuaries and their efforts to combat H5N1. Folks attending the presentation will get experts' perspectives on bird flu, bringing clarity through shared information. Plus, there will be a lot of Hershey's chocolate!