Protection Island is an amazing National Wildlife Refuge located just outside Port Townsend. Nearly 70 percent of the nesting seabird population of Puget Sound and the Strait nest on the island. This includes one of the largest colonies of Rhinoceros Auklets in the USA. Although the refuge is closed to the public, visitors can view ... Read more
This beautiful property was conserved by Capitol Land Trust in 2016 and is comprised of 312 acres, protecting hundreds of acres of healthy forest, 70 acres of diverse wetland habitat, Lake Lucinda, and two miles of streams. Expect to spend at least a couple of hours at the preserve. As always, dress for the weather; ... Read more
Foul weather forced the rescheduling of this trip from April 6 to April 28. Please note also that the cruise will take place 12:00 noon - 2:00 p.m. Cruising and birding Hood Canal aboard the Lady Alderbrook has proven a very popular field trip, and here it is again! We will board the Lady Alderbrook ... Read more
Although this field trip requires you to get up early, bear in mind that early mornings can be magical, especially spring's early mornings. Meet at the Flora Vista entrance to Priest Point Park bright and early to hear birdsongs at their freshest. Learn the songs of common natives as well as listen for migrants who ... Read more
Each spring, hundreds of thousands of shorebirds stop to rest and feed in Grays Harbor estuary on their migration northward. Coming from as far south as Argentina, these Arctic-bound shorebirds are among the world's greatest migrants. Some birds travel over 15,000 miles round trip! Tens of thousands of shorebirds feed on the open mudflats in ... Read more
Meet at McLane Nature Trail on May 4th, the first Saturday of May, at 7:30 a.m. Discover Pass required. Breakfast at Blue Heron Bakery after birding. Want to get a head start on your weekend? Join us for Birding and Breakfast on the first Saturday of each month. Bird with us, then enjoy breakfast at a local restaurant. Beginning ... Read more
Conservationists, biologists, and many others have worked hard to restore and maintain stretches of the ancient South Sound prairie, and Glacial Heritage Preserve is one epitome of those efforts. I remember helping The Nature Conservancy pull Scotch Broom there when I first moved to Olympia, and to see the preserve's open grasslands now makes me ... Read more
Join us on this trip! Please register to join us and fill in necessary permission forms below. Permission Form Notes: Field Trip Parent or Guardian Permission Form: You may download and print this Permission Form, or fill in the RSVP questions below when you register. Photo Release Form: There will be times on OYAS field trips ... Read more
Join Phil Kelley to see the birds and other wildlife who inhabit the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge. When winter settles in at the Refuge, waterfowl of all kinds come to spend the season, visit, feed, and rest. All too soon another spring will roll around and many of these overwintering waterfowl will ... Read more
Come join us for an evening of enjoyment with Eric Wagner. Eric and his wife joined biologist Dee Boersma's team for six months in 2008, and in Penguins in the Desert, Eric chronicled a season in the remarkable lives of both the Magellanic penguins of Punta Tombo and the scientists who track their every move. For ... Read more
Come celebrate the 24th annual Prairie Appreciation Day at Glacial Heritage Preserve. Learn about and experience one of the rarest plant communities (and its inhabitants) in the South Puget Sound region located right here in Thurston County. The celebration is full of activities for all ages, including wildflower walks, tractor rides, and butterfly and bee ... Read more
Come celebrate the 24th annual Prairie Appreciation Day at Glacial Heritage Preserve. Learn about and experience one of the rarest plant communities (and its inhabitants) in the South Puget Sound region located right here in Thurston County. The celebration is full of activities for all ages, including wildflower walks, tractor rides, and butterfly and bee ... Read more
Acquired by Capitol Land Trust in 2018 and not open to the public, 60-acre Blooms Preserve includes 2000 feet of Blooms Ditch, which provides essential habitat for Coho and Steelhead Salmon, sea-run Cutthroat Trout, and the threatened Oregon Spotted Frog. Coincidentally, the preserve also provides habitat for diverse birds. Migratory species and courting and nesting ... Read more
The intention of this free all-day event is to encourage and inspire people to welcome wildlife, including birds and butterflies, into their backyards, gardens, and communities. There will be educational exhibits, arts and crafts vendors, and native plant sales. Don't leave the kids at home! There will be plenty to keep the entire family entertained. ... Read more
The Leavenworth area features spectacular habitats ranging from snow-capped mountains to sunny ponderosa pine forests, lush riparian zones to shrub-steppe. The festival is sponsored by the Wenatchee River Institute and North-Central Washington Audubon, and all field trips during this festival are led by experts and professionals in their field. Learn about the wide variety of ... Read more
The Meadowlark Nature Festival has evolved into one of Canada’s premier outdoor nature celebrations offering over 90 environmental tours and events held under the open sky, which take people from Canada’s unique desert to the alpine meadows high above the Okanagan Lake. People from across North America and as far away as Europe now come ... Read more
During the summer, Eagle Pride Golf Course’s ponds, thick, diverse habitat, and location only one-half mile from Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge make it a great place to spot many bird species, especially in these busiest months of the birding year. Five swallow species abound and nest at the course, for example, and over 70 species ... Read more
THIS TRIP, LIMITED TO 12, IS NOW FULL. (May 6, 2019) This trip is for birders with ambition and stamina. Southern Thurston County has several marvelous birding hotspots, a variety of habitats, which Paul Hicks knows intimately. The trip will visit a variety of locations in South County in a quest to find 70+ species. ... Read more
Join us on this trip! Please register to join us and fill in necessary permission forms below. Permission Form Notes: Field Trip Parent or Guardian Permission Form: You may download and print this Permission Form, or fill in the RSVP questions below when you register. Photo Release Form: There will be times on OYAS field trips ... Read more
Every Memorial Day weekend, members of Washington's Audubon chapters and their families and friends gather at the primitive, yet free!, Wenas Creek Campground in the Wenas Valley, on the east side of the Cascades between Ellensburg and Yakima, to enjoy the natural surroundings, abundant bird life, and each other's company. There are campfire programs every ... Read more
