BLACK HILLS AUDUBON SOCIETY (BHAS) is a chapter of the
National Audubon Society, representing Lewis, Mason, and
Thurston counties in the state of Washington. It is a
volunteer-based, non-profit organization whose 1,300+ members
share interests in birds and other wildlife, their habitats, and
natural history. Our goals are to promote environmental
education and recreation and to maintain and protect our
ecosystems for future generations. We work with the
state Audubon office (Audubon
Washington).
Wrangel Island, Russia is the most remote Arctic wilderness on the planet. It
has twice as many plant species as any other arctic tundra area of similar size;
the highest density of polar bear dens in the world; and lots of other wildlife,
including the only breeding population of snow geese in Russia.
These birds, whose flightless young walk an incredible 120 km distance from the
breeding grounds to feeding areas, are the same birds that winter in the Skagit
Valley area.
Vasiliy Baranyuk has studied the island’s wildlife for the past 30 summers.
Vasiliy is also an accomplished photographer, with three decades of stunning
pictures and videos of the island’s
diverse wildlife.
BHAS Program meetings are held on the second Thursday of the
month.
Location:
First Christian Church (meeting hall)
701 Franklin
Street
in downtown Olympia.
Arrive at 7:00 pm to socialize – the program will begin promptly at 7:30.
Upcoming Field Trips and Events in 2012
(Details on each field
trip or event can be found
on the Field Trips and Events DetailsWeb page:
Regular/Recurring Field Trips:
Every Wednesday, 8:00 am
—
11:00 am, Phil Kelley leads a bird-watching walk at Nisqually NWR. Meet at the Nisqually Visitor
Center.
-- 2012
---
February 17-20, (Fri-Mon)
The Great Backyard Bird Count is an
annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in
counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are
across the continent. Anyone can participate, from beginning bird
watchers to experts. It takes as little as 15 minutes on one
day, or you can count for as long as you like each day of the event.
It’s free, fun, and easy—and it helps the birds.
Did you know that our BHAS region
is one of the most complex areas in the country for studying gulls?
We have multiple species, as well as unique hybrids and complicated
age variations to study right here in our own back yard.
If anyone
can make you at least appreciate gulls, it is Matt Pike, gull-afficianado.
He will be teaching one of our education department field-courses on
the topic of gulls. On March 2nd, there will be a lecture/discussion
on gulls, with the field component on March 11th.
The Poleschooks, both nature photographers, specialize in
capturing images of common loons and other water birds.
They also conduct research and perform conservation work
on common loons in the Pacific Northwest.
Members at Large:
Tracey Scalici
Shelley Horn
Leslie Lynam
Committee Chairs appointed by the Board to be
on
the Board):
Education Comm. Chair:
Debbie Nickerson
Field Trips Comm. Chair:
Kristin Stewart
Membership Comm. Chair: Margery
Beeler
Publications Comm. Chair: Deb
Jaqua
Sign
up for BHAS Alerts by sending an email to the
Webmaster.
We will then send you an invitation that you will need to confirm (so that
someone else doesnn't "accidentally" sign you up!)
Echo is the newsletter of the
Black Hills Audubon Society. It contains the
Refrigerator Pages, which provides a calendar of upcoming program meetings,
field trips, and other events.
You will need to download the Adobe Acrobat reader if you don't already have it.
State Conservation
efforts. Read about issues involving birds, other wildlife, and
their habitats at the state level. This site is sponsored by the Policy
Office of Audubon Washington in Olympia. Read the Legislative
Newsletter,
Birds Eye View, and keep informed or get involved.
National Action Alerts.
The National Audubon Society has set up this special Web site to give you an
easy and convenient way to communicate with your lawmakers and newspapers on
national conservation issues that impact birds, wildlife and our shared
environment. Remember, your letters will make a difference -- so take action
today!
The Education Committee has been busy creating
well-attended
birding classes, helping schools get students out into nature with the Board the
Bus grant, and promoting Audubon Adventures.
In 2009, BHAS awarded its first Dave McNett Environmental Educator of the Year
Award., honoring long-time volunteer Dave McNett.
Black Hills Audubon Society receives 4% of every purchase from this page to support our conservation program and other goals. Our prices are exactly the same as Amazon.com! All purchases are managed by Amazon.com. Use the search link below to make all of your Amazon.com purchases, or go to our book store page for selected items.
Honor the Black River in western Thurston County, the Deschutes, the Nisqually, other Pacific Northwest rivers, or rivers around the world with this special creation.
Wildlife Checklists
Butterfliesin Lewis, Mason, and Thurston Counties (30Kb Word file).
Ever see a dead bird on a beach and
wonder why it succumbed? Would you like to help scientists
find out why?
COASST (Coastal
Observation and Seabird Survey Team) is a citizen science project based at the
University of Washington School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences in partnership
with local community and environmental organizations, and state and federal
agencies. COASST volunteers collect data on beach-cast carcasses of marine birds
on a monthly basis to establish the baseline, or 'normal' pattern of beached
bird mortality on North Pacific beaches. Baselines are crucial for assessing the
impacts of oil spills, fisheries, and climate change. Data collection by COASST
volunteers helps address important marine conservation issues and protects
marine resources.
Lists of COASST trainings and more information about COASST
are posted on their website at
http://www.coasst.org.
From the main page, click on What's New. Then click on the Training Sessions
tab.
BLACK HILLS AUDUBON SOCIETY 
birding classes, helping schools get students out into nature with the Board the
Bus grant, and promoting Audubon Adventures.