 Mel Toellner, Semi-Retired Founder and Co-Owner of Songbird Essentials
Songbird Essentials is a major producer of wild bird nest boxes, feeders, and accessories, and Gold Crest Distributing, the largest distributor of backyard nature products in North America. An avid outdoorsman since childhood, Mel was an Eagle Scout involved in conservation projects, attended the Audubon Summer Camp on a scholarship, and in 1976 graduated cum laude with a BS in Agricultural Economics from the University of Missouri Columbia, a degree paid for in part by funds from his first business, Mel’s Plants. With his knowledge and passion for wildlife and nature rooted in his faith, Mel has served as a board member for the Wild Bird Feeding Industry and the Bring Nature Home – Grow Native Organization, founder of Wild Bird Expo, and Head Elder of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Mexico, MO. He has also written for and edited numerous publications. His column “Backyard Nature Notes” has been published in Pond Boss Magazine since 2011. Through these endeavors, he has made his name as one of the top experts in helping consumers attract and enjoy wild birds and other pollinators.
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About Songbird Essentials -- Birding & Backyard Nature
At Songbird Essentials we specialize in unique patented products that help consumers attract the beautiful songbirds they love to their homes or office grounds. Whether it is attracting Cardinals, Goldfinches, Bluebirds, Hummingbirds, Purple Martins, Orioles or your favorite; we have proven products to help you attract desired songbirds. Our award winning line up includes:
- Twirl-A-Squirrel - mechanical squirrel baffle that is the only product to win best new product of the year at both the Bird Watch America and Lawn & Garden Distributing Show
- Hummer Helper Nesting Material - The first product proven to be used by hummingbirds to build their nest and recommended by the Hummingbird Society
Many of our products have been recommended, designed, and tested by Backyard Birding enthusiasts and/or Wild Bird Nature Store owners and employees. We are a family owned company located in the middle of the US in Mexico, MO and strive to have as many of our products domestically made as possible (over 95%). Besides our own dedicated staff of employees, we provide meaningful work to several outstanding sheltered workshop organizations.