From Sod to Songbirds — Habitat Haven– Tues. 9/23/25
Coast to Cascades Bird Alliance (CCBA) will present information about our fairly new and very popular native plant gardening project, Habitat Haven. Barbara Bryson will tell us all about the Habitat Haven project, which helps foster backyards that bring in pollinators and help feed birds.
Barbara is from a multigenerational Oregon family and grew up a “tomboy” playing in the woods of south Eugene. In college, she studied biology and worked briefly in forest research before ultimately becoming a Family Nurse Practitioner. Love of plants led to many decades studying ornamental landscape plants and aspiring to create a traditional version of a beautiful garden. However, recognizing that birds and wildlife prefer native plants shifted her thinking. Douglas Tallamy’s book, Nature’s Best Hope, was instrumental in causing that shift.
Barbara joined Lane County Audubon Society (now CCBA) hoping to make a difference for birds. In May of last year, with support from the Board, volunteers, and a grant from Upper Willamette Soil and Water Conservation District, she started the backyard habitat certification program, Habitat Haven. Her timing couldn’t have been better. As of July, barely 14 months later, there were 150 land stewards enrolled in the program, spread throughout the Eugene-Springfield area and Cottage Grove!
What ties native plants, insects, and birds together? What can we do to help birds and pollinators? Find answers at the CCBA program meeting on Tuesday, September 23. Join your friends at the Campbell Center, 155 High Street, at 7:00 pm. Doors open at 6:30 for some social time. Check the Zoom link at ccbirdalliance.org (laneaudubon.org also works) about a week before the meeting. The program will also be recorded and posted at ccbirdalliance.org a few days later.
Join your friends at the Campbell Center, 155 High Street, Eugene, on Tuesday, May 27, at 7:00. The doors will open at 6:30 for some social time. This program will be available online via Zoom. A recording of the program will be posted here within the following week.
More Upcoming Programs:
Understanding Bird Songs with David Lukas– Tues. 10/14/25
Since the dawn of time humans have been fascinated and inspired by bird songs. But how do we study bird songs today, and what have these studies taught us about the world of bird song? In this talk we will explore how and why birds sing, and how we study bird songs as a way of understanding what they are saying to each other. This talk will open a new world for you because bird songs and vocalizations are a huge part of how birds interact with each other, and they are one of the most important ways we appreciate birds.
David Lukas is well-known naturalist and author based in Washington’s Methow Valley. He has written seven books and contributed chapters to another 40 books on a tremendous range of nature topics. He has also led thousands of natural history tours, classes, workshops, and presentations. David’s most recent project is producing a weekly nature newsletter at www.lukasguides.com.
Southeast Pacific Birding on Tues. 10/28/25
Forest Tomlinson will host the October program meeting.
Join your friends at the Campbell Center, 155 High Street, Eugene, on Tuesday, Sept 23, at 7:00. The doors will open at 6:30 for some social time. This program will be available online via Zoom. The link for the presentation will be posted on the CCBA website about one week before the event; a recording of the program will be posted there within the following week.
Check back for more Information on the topic.