From Our President: Volunteers Are Vital for Teaching Audubon in the Schools

Posted on Sunday, March 1st, 2015

Audubon in the Schools (AITS) is starting up after a year’s hiatus. We are pleased to have Caryn Stoess as the new Program Coordinator! She is learning the details from program founder and braintrust Kris Kirkeby. Longtime volunteers Kathy Wilson and Bonnie Henderson are returning as instructors, providing valuable continuity to the program. All of these dedicated folks are training new volunteer instructors so they can offer classes this spring. Over the past 10 years, nearly 10,000 students have benefited from AITS, learning drawing and observation skills combined with bird biology. The program uses a teaching collection of bird skins, bones, feathers, and nests, which is permitted and legal under the US Fish and Wildlife Service and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. The Board and our members truly want this program to succeed.

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President's Page

Conservation Column Mar 2015: Grazing Improvement Act Will Damage the Environment

Posted on Sunday, March 1st, 2015

Debbie Schlenoff                                541.685.0610                             dschlenoff (at) msn.com


The federal government grants grazing permits to allow ranchers to graze their livestock on public lands. It’s difficult to see how grazing cattle on public lands contributes to our nation’s defense, yet this year’s defense bill, the National Defense Authorization Act (NEPA), included the Grazing Improvement Act. (The only connection between grazing and defense I could find browsing the web is that, apparently, the British used COW guns on some armored vehicles. Is there nothing an Internet search can’t tell you?) This new bill uses language that, among other things, significantly extends the length of time that a grazing permit is valid, limits environmental review (in some cases, even exempting permitting from the National Environmental Policy Act), and fast-tracks close to 6,000 backlogged grazing permits now awaiting consideration. Currently, the Bureau of Land Management has granted over 18,000 permits on about 155 million acres of land.

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Conservation Column

Thank You, Good Earth Show Booth Volunteers!

Posted on Sunday, March 1st, 2015

Ron Renchler, LCAS Outreach Coordinator          541.345.0834             christyandron (at) qwest.net


Lane County Audubon’s great group of friendly booth volunteers were on hand to greet and talk with several hundred visitors during the 10th Annual Good Earth Home, Garden & Living Show, held on January 23–25 at the Lane County Fairgrounds.

THIRD SATURDAY BIRD WALK - March 21

Posted on Sunday, March 1st, 2015

Lane Community College, led by Jim Regali

Notable local birder and world traveler Jim Regali will lead the March Third Saturday Bird Walk to the Lane Community College campus.

Folks can meet to carpool at the east parking lot of South Eugene High School. We will try to leave the parking lot at about 8:00 a.m. and travel out 30th Avenue to the LCC campus. Those wishing to meet the group at LCC should go to the northeast area of the main LCC parking lot. We’ll meet everyone there at about 8:20 a.m. 

Date: 
Saturday, March 21, 2015 - 8:00am
Location: 
South Eugene High School parking lot (corner of 19th and Patterson)

March Program Meeting: Birding Thailand with Anne and Dan Heyerly

Posted on Sunday, March 1st, 2015

Twice the size of Oregon, but with 1,011 species of birds, Thailand is a hot spot in Asia for bird diversity.  Combine great birds with fantastic food and very friendly people and you have the perfect place to go birding in winter!  Anne and Dan will show photos from the deep south jungles of Krabbe, the shorebird flats just south of Bangkok, and the high mountains of the far northwest corner of the country.

Date: 
Tuesday, March 24, 2015 - 7:30pm
Location: 
Eugene Garden Club, 1645 High St.

Community Calendar, Events, and Opportunities

Southern Willamette Ornithological Club—Eugene Birders Night
Monday, March 9, 7:00 p.m.
Birds of Peru with Anne and Dan Heyerly

Everyone is welcome to attend these monthly meetings. After initial introductions, we’ll discuss recent sightings and other birding-related topics. Then Anne and Dan Heyerly will share tales and present photos from their off-the beaten-path birding trip to Peru.

Meet at the McNail-Riley house, 601 West 13th Avenue, Eugene (NW corner of 13th and Jefferson). The parking area, located immediately west of the house, can be accessed from Jefferson via the driveway located immediately north of the house. Bring a snack to share if you wish.

Free. FMI: ellencantor (at) gmail.com

 

Willamette Resources and Educational Network (WREN)
Tuesday, March 10, 9:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
Wetland Wander at Stewart Pond

Meet at the Stewart Pond Overlook on Stewart Rd. east of Bertelsen. Bring water and wear muck boots—it will be quite wet. WREN will provide binoculars.

Saturday, March 14, 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
Family Exploration Day at Tsanchiifin Trail

Meet at 751 S. Danebo Ave. in Eugene. WREN will provide exploration field packs! Bring a picnic lunch and water and wear sturdy shoes.

Free. FMI: 541.338.7047, info (at) wewetlands.org

 

Mount Pisgah Arboretum
Sunday, March 15, 8:00 a.m.–10:30 a.m.
Early Spring Bird Walk

Join Nature Guides Chris Roth and Julia Siporin for another monthly bird walk intended for people with all levels of birding experience. We’ll use vocalizations, habitat, and behavior clues for identification of our spring and year-round residents. Please bring binoculars. Rain or shine. Meet at the Arboretum Visitor Center.

$5, members free. FMI: 541.747.1504, www.MountPisgahArboretum.org

Saturday, March 21, 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Early Spring Wildflower Walk

Join Arboretum Assistant Site Manager August Jackson for an engaging look at the Arboretum’s early spring wildflowers. Learn the identification and natural history of up to 20 native wildflowers. Perfect for beginning and intermediate plant enthusiasts. Rain or shine. Meet at the Arboretum Visitor Center.

$5, members free. FMI: 541.747.1504, www.MountPisgahArboretum.org

Sunday, March 22 & 29, 1:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.
The Art of Nature Photography

Join Dave Stone for his popular two-day workshop. Learn to express your love for and connection to the natural world through photography. The workshop emphasizes composition, with a minimal discussion of the technical aspects of camera operation. Bring your camera (point & shoot up to digital SLR), fully charged battery, empty memory card, and a tripod if you have one. Plan to attend both Sunday sessions.

$30, members $25. Registration required. Call 541.747.3817 to register.

 

Spring Beach Cleanup
Saturday, March 28, 10:00 a.m.

Meet at the Big Dog Donut Shop parking lot at 11th and Hwy. 101 in Florence. Plan to spend two to four hours picking up litter on the beach in the North Jetty area. Bring heavy gloves and rain gear.

FMI:  Richard Beaudro at 541.991.6677 or richard (at) trhunter.com

 

John Scharff Migratory Bird Festival
April 9–12, Burns, OR

Spend an amazing weekend witnessing the spectacular spring migration in the Harney Basin of Southeast Oregon. View thousands of migratory birds as they rest and feed in the wide-open spaces of Oregon’s high desert.

FMI: www.migratorybirdfestival.com, 855.438.8625

 

 

Godwit Days Spring Migration Bird Festival
April 15–21, Arcata, CA

Registration is open! Celebrate the Marbled godwit and explore the lush Redwood Coast. Observe many bird species and wildlife through field trips, lectures, workshops, and boat excursions led by experienced local guides. Tour the expansive mudflats, wild river valleys, and rocky ocean coast of the Klamath bioregion in northwest California.

FMI: www.godwitdays.org

Audubon Adventures is Now Online!

Posted on Sunday, February 1st, 2015

Audubon Adventures is well underway in our local schools. This beloved environmental program for students in grades 3–5 is now available completely online. This year’s topics, Wild About Birds, The Buzz About Native Bees, and Neighborhood Biomes, are presented exclusively on the Audubon Adventures website, audubonadventures.org. Students can access all the magazines, activities, and information online, bringing the worlds of birds, bees, and biomes directly into their classrooms.

Through the generous support of LCAS members, Lane Audubon’s Adopt-a-Classroom Program offers free subscriptions to this outstanding educational program.

If you would like to sponsor a classroom, please mail a tax-deductible donation of $16, payable to LCAS, to Audubon Adventures, PO Box 5086, Eugene, OR 97405. You can also donate online through the LCAS website here: www.laneaudubon.org/education/audubon-adventures.

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