What Our Chapter Has Been Up to This Winter and Spring

Many activites:

• Monthly hybrid-Zoom Program Meetings with fascinating presentations, averaging 100 attendees!
• Two monthly bird walks that are always well attended and show folks the wonderful birding opportunities in our area.
• Christmas Bird Counts in Eugene, Oakridge, Cottage Grove, and Florence. Eugene has been in the top 10 Christmas Bird Counts in number of participants in North America!
• Submitted our annual report to National Audubon.
• Booth Outreach at Mt. Pisgah Mushroom Show.
• Completed an Audubon Collaborative Grant report for funding obtained for our School Garden Project.
• School Garden Project continued helping to restore and plant native vegetation in bird- and pollinator-friendly gardens in two area schools.
• Our Audubon in the Schools (AITS) team is offering beginning birding classes at various schools and outdoor programs.
• Purchased 22 children’s binoculars for kids’ birding classes.
• Collaborated with the Eugene Public Library to create Birding Backpacks that can be checked out by anybody with a library card.
• Our members sponsored 38 classrooms at 17 area grade schools to receive Audubon Adventures kits.
• Continued our work on the City of Eugene Pollinator Committee and helped complete the 2022 Bee City USA annual report.

Conservation efforts include comments, letters, or testimony to advocate for birds locally, in the state, and on federal legislation. Here’s a sampling:

• Collaborated with other stakeholder on statewide anti-poaching campaign.
• Collaborated with Oregon chapters on strategizing for environmental action around the state.
• Discussed the importance of bird friendly building and lighting when considering Eugene’s riverfront development. Submitted comments on Greenway development.
• Advocated to protect oak and riparian habitat when drawing the new Urban Growth Boundary map (with county and city officials).
• Provided resources on how we can be a bird-friendly community: laneaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Ways-we-can-help-birds-QR-library-kit.pdf.
• Supported bill to create pesticide-safe schools.
• Supported Rocky Shore habitat protection.
• Supported the Recovering Oregon’s Wildlife Fund bill.
• Supported bill to remove designation of “predator” for beavers and educate about the benefits provided for wetland habitat, wildfire barriers, and climate protection that beavers supply.
• Supported federal bill to protect beavers on federal land.
• Applauded the designation of two new National Monuments and encouraged the consideration of the Douglas Fir National Monument here in Oregon.
• Urged protection of investment in climate-smart agriculture and conservation technical assistance in Farm Bill.

Co-authored by LCAS President Maeve Sowles and Conservation Chair Debbie Schlenoff