The Annual BHAS Dinner will be held Saturday, March 2, 2019 in the Student Union Building of the South Puget Sound Community College. Members and guests can begin gathering for a social time and perusal of raffle and sale items at 4:30 and then by 5:30 assemble for the dinner and presentations.
As has become a winning tradition, we will again feature several attractive raffle “packages” for bidding to add suspense to the evening. Sale items will focus on “events and experiences,” such as boat, kayak or bicycle trips, guided birding adventures, dinners for you and friends, stays at mountain cabins, and the like. If you have an idea for something to offer, please contact Deb Nickerson at debranick@nullgmail.com. And thank you! This gala night is the major fundraiser for Black Hills, to support our library backpack project and conservation advocacy work. With your help we can make a difference in our communities. There will be an opportunity to contribute directly to these worthy programs at the dinner.
The College’s culinary class caterers, who served us so well last year, will again create dinner choices for most tastes and dietary needs. Please see the invitation here in the Echo and posted online to make your selection and reserve a place at a table. Registration for the dinner closes February 23.
The evening affords the perfect opportunity to hear about our accomplishments and plans for upcoming activities and initiatives. It is also the time we formally acknowledge extraordinary work and achievements of dedicated members with awards named for long-time local activists Dave McNett, for Environmental Educator of the Year, and Jack Davis, for the Conservationist of the Year.
The highlight of the evening will be our featured speakers. Diane Yorgason-Quinn, an active member of Audubon in Tacoma who works for Vaux’s’ Happening will draw from her abundant experiences documenting Swift seasonal migration numbers and coordinating the JBLM program. She represented the United States last year at the international Swift conference held in Tel Aviv. Also bringing us Swift news and stories of local activism will be Rachel Hudson who has discovered a new roosting site in Chehalis for Swifts. She spends her time counting and documenting their presence there, sure to be an encouraging development for us all.
For more information on the work for Swift conservation, visit the website. Anyone witnessing the incredible swirl of birds descending into a chimney at dusk never forgets the tense excitement of this natural wonder. We look forward to an evening of good news and signs of increasing awareness of this little-known bird. Don’t forget to register for your Dinner tickets.