Local Environmental Groups Discuss Issues

Our March 12 meeting will feature a panel of local environmental group leaders discussing individual and collaborative work on issues. The panelists, who will each make brief presentations about their organization’s mission, accomplishments, and goals before a question-and-answer discussion session, are:

Ruth Gifford, executive director of Dishman Hills Conservancy, which permanently protects and manages the Dishman Hills Natural Area and ecosystem while connecting people to nature through conservation, education, recreation, and stewardship;                                                                             

Dave Schaub, executive director of Inland Northwest Land Conservancy, which works with the community to identify and protect special places throughout the region using legal agreements with landowners and partners to improve lands for habitat, clean water and air, native plants, and public enjoyment

Amanda Parrish, executive director of The Lands Council, which preserves and revitalizes Inland Northwest forests, water, and wildlife through advocacy, education, effective action, and community engagement;

Jule Schultz, Waterkeeper of Spokane Riverkeeper, which protects, preserves, and restores the Spokane River watershed so that wild native fish thrive, pollution is eliminated, and the community is engaged

Join Madonna Luers and Woody Myers the second Saturdays of Spring -- March 8, April 12, and May 10 -- to watch the procession of migrating species at Reardan Audubon Lake Wildlife Area just outside the town of Reardan in Lincoln County, just west of Spokane (350 E Railroad Ave Reardan, WA, see map below)

This is an easy, family-friendly gathering starting with a brief introduction to the area and spotting waterfowl species on the lake from the parking lot, then a quarter-mile walk on an ADA-accessible pathway to a viewing blind where scopes will be available to help participants see birds.

Expect to see a variety of ducks, geese and other waterbirds, as well as raptors such as Northern Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk, and Bald Eagle, plus a few songbirds.

No pre-registration required, just show up and stay as long as you wish!

This trip has been postponed to March 1st due to predicted extreme cold and possible snow and bad roads

Meeting Place: Latah Yokes parking lot at 7am

4235 S. Cheney Spokane Rd.

Leaders: Bea & Jim Harrison

beaharrison@gmail.com

jbh21951@gmail.com

Bea (830) 313-0610 or Jim (509) 934-7460

This is a day-long trip to the “Banana Belt”, better known as Lewiston, Idaho & Clarkston, Washington. We will caravan/carpool to the birding hotspots of this area and could see close to 50 species, including hundreds of ducks, many at close range, including Wood Ducks, Common and Barrow’s Goldeneye, Ring-neck Ducks, Buffleheads, etc. In addition, we often see American Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, Gray-crowned Ros-Finch, a variety of gull species, and White Pelicans.

• Be sure to dress appropriately for the weather, boots and rain gear. It can be very windy and wet. All walks will be short and easy, in public parks with restrooms.

• Bring binoculars, scopes and cameras if you have them. If you need to borrow good binoculars, let us know ASAP, so we can bring some.

• Bring lunch, water, snacks.

• RSVP via phone, text or email with your carpooling options.

Leader: Wanda Peters

Registration date: (no later than) Friday, January 24

Contact Info: (425) 922-6734 (text preferred) or email wanda.peters@ prescott.edu)

Adults only, please. Limit of 8 participants

Length of Trip: 1/2 day, temps and weather will help determine

Trip Description: Winter Nature hike along the Spokane River and through Ponderosa Pine forest. Numerous bird species may or may not be present, focus will be on mindful walking in Nature and slowing our minds to notice the beauty of a January winter day. We will walk for approximately 2 miles on mostly level unpaved terrain with a few short downhill/uphill places.

Location: McLellan Overlook - Riverside State Park Drive, off of Seven Mile Road, Nine Mile Falls

What to bring: dress warmly in layers with outer waterproof layer, hats, gloves, Discover Pass, water snacks

(Subject to change due to weather & road conditions)

Join us on the Cheney Christmas Bird Count. It’s a chance to enjoy some of nature’s finest creatures with other folks who share your interest. You don’t have to be an expert to participate. Although it is a dawn to dusk affair, you don’t even have to stay the whole day – part timers are welcome too. Cheney’s Christmas Bird Count will take place on Sunday, December 15, 2024. Please contact Michael Woodruff (mkd.woodruff@gmail.com) to join the count or if you have any questions about it.

Click here to find out more about the Cheney Christmas Bird Count.

Bat Chat: Bats from the Perspective of a Bat Advocate

Presented by Dr. O. Lynne Nelson, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University

Washington state is home to 15 species of bats, all highly beneficial by taking up the night shift job of insect control from daytime-flying birds.

Dr. Lynne Nelson of Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine will discuss bat biology, ecology, health and disease; information about the bats of Washington state and their status; how to view and identify bats; and how to attract bats to your property.

Bats are Dr. Nelson’s avocation. She is a Professor of Cardiology, directing the WSU College of Veterinary Medicine hospital’s Cardiology Service. Her research works to understand heart adaptations to extreme hemodynamic and metabolic stressors, comparing unique, naturally-occurring mammalian hibernation to cardiac disease in dogs and cats. She works with zoos and nonprofit organizations around the world to identify early indicators of heart disease in wildlife species.

This meeting will be a “hybrid” – you can attend in-person at the Shadle Park Library, 2111 W. Wellesley Ave, Spokane, WA 99205, or online via Zoom using this link. Our speaker, Dr. Lynne Nelson, will be giving her presentation via Zoom. Doors will be open at 5:30pm for a little social time before the program begins.

The Threat of Outdoor Cats: Understanding and Communicating the Evidence

Presented by Grant Sizemore,
American Bird Conservancy Director of Invasive Species Programs

Domestic cats (Felis catus) can make wonderful pets but also have the capacity to kill birds and other wildlife, spread infectious diseases, and cause nuisances in the community. Predation by cats is the number one cause of wild bird deaths in the country.

Grant Sizemore, Director of Invasive Species Programs at American Bird Conservancy, where he runs the “Cats Indoors” campaign, will talk about how to manage domestic cats for everyone’s benefit – birds and other wildlife, people, and cats themselves.

Effective cat management is often complicated by the species’ close affiliation with people and their unique legal status. Grant will focus on the conservation and public health science underpinning the need to manage domestic cats and identify opportunities for organizations and individuals to advance science-based solutions.

Grant has earned degrees in Zoology and Environmental Science from Miami University in Ohio and an M.S. in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation from the University of Florida. He has worked in wildlife conservation policy, education, and research for over 17 years and is a Certified Wildlife Biologist. Outside of work, Grant enjoys hiking, birding, and taking care of his indoor cat.

This meeting will be a “hybrid” – you can attend in-person at the Shadle Park Library, 2111 W. Wellesley Ave, Spokane, WA 99205, or online via Zoom using this link. Our speaker, Grant Sizemore, will be giving his presentation via Zoom. Doors will be open at 5:30pm for a little social time before the program begins.

Photograph of Swans and Other Waterfowl, by Dennis Poleschook

Washington’s White Birds of Winter

Presented by Martha Jordan, Northwest Swan Conservation Association

Learn about swans and snow geese at Spokane Audubon Society’s meeting at Shadle Park Library (2111 W. Wellesley Ave.) on Wednesday, September 11, 6 p.m., when Martha Jordan, founder and executive director of Northwest Swan Conservation Association, will present “Washington’s White Birds of Winter.”

Jordan will talk about the changing landscape that swans and snow geese now face in migration and on their wintering grounds. Her presentation includes the birds’ life history, biology, distribution, lead poisoning problems, winter habitat issues, avian influenza impacts, connections for eastern and western Washington populations, and what is needed to ensure their future. She’ll provide resources for swan/goose field identification and how to help “Get the Lead Out” of shooting and fishing activities.

Jordan has a B.S. degree in Wildlife Science from Oregon State University and has worked in both marine and terrestrial environments throughout Washington and parts of Alaska. In the late 1970s while volunteering to observe snow geese and reading their collars in the Skagit Valley, WA, she began to look at the small group of Trumpeter Swans in the same area. By 1984 she had expanded her survey efforts to all of Western Washington and had contributed much information to both state and federal agencies on the status of Trumpeter Swans in Washington State. She wrote the state’s first Trumpeter Swan management plan in 1985.

This meeting will be a “hybrid” – you can attend in-person at the Shadle Park Library, 2111 W. Wellesley Ave, Spokane, WA 99205, or online via Zoom. Our speaker, Martha Jordan, will be giving her presentation remotely via Zoom.