Weminuche Audubon Society

Board of Directors Meeting
2020-01-13 15:00 (America/Denver) | Community United Methodist Church, 434 Lewis St, Pagosa Springs, CO
Board meetings are open to any interested parties. If you are attending and have an item you would like added to the agenda, contact jeanzirnhelt@centurytel.net. January Board Meeting will be held on Monday, January 13, @ 3 PM at the Methodist Church.

Riverwalk Advocacy Group
2020-01-14 13:00 - 14:00 | Ruby Sisson Library, Large Meeting Room, 811 San Juan St, Pagosa Springs, CO, 81147
This meeting will focus on the hydrology of the wetlands.

Riverwalk Advocacy Group
2020-01-17 13:00 - 14:00 | Ruby Sisson Library, Large Meeting Room, 811 San Juan St, Pagosa Springs, CO, 81147
This meeting will focus on the environmental impacts of development and optimal buffer zones to the wetlands areas.

Birding the Riverwalk
2020-01-18 09:00 - 11:00 | Riverwalk
Meet at 9 AM near the domes in Centennial Park. This is a weather-dependent event and we will not meet if it’s snowing. Call Charles at 731-2985 for information.

Riverwalk Advocacy Group
2020-01-22 13:00 - 14:00 | Ruby Sisson Library, Large Meeting Room, 811 San Juan St, Pagosa Springs, CO, 81147
This meeting will focus on the development of a presentation to the Town Council to highlight the value of wetlands and the potential consequences of development.

January Chapter Meeting
2020-01-22 18:00 - 20:00 | Community United Methodist Church, 434 Lewis St, Pagosa Springs, CO
January Weminuche Audubon Society meeting to feature world traveler Roger Organ on his trip to Africa.
The Weminuche Audubon Society will hold its January meeting on Wednesday, January 22, at the Methodist Church on Lewis St. at 6:00 PM. Join us for refreshments and socializing before the meeting begins at 6:30.
“”Botswana,the Okavango Delta, and the Birds of Southern Africa” is the title of a presentation to be given by Roger Organ. He says the trip to the Okavango Delta this past July with his wife, Joan, was the trip of a lifetime. The lack of seasonal rains had cut down on vegetation, making the animals and birds more visible and easier to find as they clustered around the remaining water holes. Southern Africa is rich with bird life and has 962 species of birds, of which 98 are endemic. The presentation covers the animals and birds with some up close encounters. We saw previews of Roger’s photographs at our October meeting and they are fantastic.
This event is free and open to the public. If you would like to become a member of our chapter, memberships are available at our meetings with a $15 dues payment. To show our appreciation to the Methodist Church for our meeting space, we ask that you bring a contribution of non-perishable food to be donated to their food bank. Call Jean Zirnhelt at 970-731-2985 for more information

Snowshoe Hike Tracking Event
2020-02-01 10:00 - 13:00 | Hershey Fourmile Ranch, Snowball Rd, Pagosa Springs, CO, 81147
Here’s a chance to identify who’s leaving all those tracks in your yard and in the woods. Weminuche Audubon is hosting a snowshoe hike with Jason Stuck to see who we can find. This event will take place at the beautiful Hershey Fourmile Ranch on Snowball Rd. A $10.00 per person donation for Jason’s time will be collected at the event. Participants must provide your own snowshoes, available for rent at local shops. Space is limited. Please contact Jean at jeanzirnhelt@centurytel.net or 731-2985 for more information or to register.

February Board Meeting
2020-02-03 15:00 - 17:00 | Community United Methodist Church, 434 Lewis St, Pagosa Springs, CO
Board meetings are open to the public. If you are attending and have an item you would like to have added to the agenda, contact Jean at jeanzirnhelt@centurytel.net

Riverwalk Group
2020-02-05 13:00 - 14:00 | Ruby Sisson Library, Large Meeting Room, 811 San Juan St, Pagosa Springs, CO, 81147
We are working on review of our presentation of concerns for wetlands protection in the Riverwalk area. Everyone is welcome to join this amazing group of people.

Getting Green Laws Webinar
2020-02-05 19:00 - 20:15
Flyer GGL-20 Digital
Click on the flyer for information on this free training presented by Audubon Rockies and Denver Audubon. Find out about the latest bills being considered by state legislators and what you can do to help birds. This webinar is also offered on February 8.

Getting Green Laws Webinar
2020-02-08 10:00 - 11:15
Flyer GGL-20 Digital
Click on the flyer for information on this free webinar produced by Audubon Rockies and Denver Audubon. Find out about the latest bills being considered by state legislators and what you can do to help birds. This is a repeat of the training on February 5.

Riverwalk/Wetlands Group
2020-02-12 13:00 - 14:00 | Ruby Sisson Library, Large Meeting Room, 811 San Juan St, Pagosa Springs, CO, 81147
This meeting will be a review of documents assembled for a presentation to the Town Council scheduled for February 27. We will also report on our meeting with The Springs management.

Loaves and Fishes
2020-02-13 11:00 - 14:00 | Parrish Hall, Lewis St.
Weminuche Audubon Society is sponsoring this free community meal. We will help prepare and serve the meal. If you are interested in volunteering, contact maureencollins446@gmail.com. Thanks to Maureen for organizing our effort.

Great Backyard Bird Count Outing
2020-02-15 09:00 - 11:00 | Navajo State Park, Highway 151, Arboles, CO
Join us to count birds at the Watchable Wildlife Viewing area at Navajo State Park. We will post our findings to be included in the backyard bird count. We will meet @ 9 AM in the parking lot on Highway 151. From Highway 160, drive about 20 miles south on Highway 151. The parking lot is on the left shortly after crossing the Piedra river. No park entrance fee is required. Carpooling is encouraged. If weather forces cancellation, it will be posted that morning. Contact Charles at 970-731-2985 with questions.

February Chapter Meeting
2020-02-19 18:00 - 20:00 | Community United Methodist Church, 434 Lewis St, Pagosa Springs, CO
Join us for a fun time building birdhouses. Socializing with refreshments begins at 6:00 and the meeting starts at 6:30. After a brief update on chapter activities, this month’s program will focus on the ecology of some important cavity-nesting birds in our area with a hand’s-on birdhouse building workshop.
Keith Bruno and Herb Grover, with the assistance of Bill Breding and Jim Stevens, have put together birdhouse kits designed for chickadees and bluebirds that attendees can finish assembling at the meeting. Charles Martinez has fabricated American Kestrel nest boxes with materials generously donated by Terry’s Ace Hardware.
For a nominal donation, you can take home a birdhouse that you have assembled. We hope that you will provide a nesting space for birds. Birdhouses not claimed will be donated to community organizations for placement in the community. Tools and materials to assemble the birdhouses will be available, but you are encouraged to bring a cordless drill if you have one.
Audubon meetings are free and open to the public. In appreciation for our meeting space, we ask that you bring a donation of non-perishable food for the Methodist Church Food Bank.

Wetlands Preservation Group Presentation
2020-02-27 17:00 - 18:00 | Town Hall Council Chambers, 551 Hot Springs Blvd, Pagosa Springs, CO, 81147
Our wetlands preservation group will be making a presentation to the Town Council at their work session. We will share our research and goals to preserve this important area along the riverwalk in town.

Monte Vista Crane Festival
2020-03-06 - 2020-03-08 | Monte Vista Wildlife Refuge, Monte Vista, Colorado
The cranes will visit the Monte Vista area from now through the middle of March. Visit the festival website http://mvcranefest.org for information on festival events and tours or take a tour to the Wildlife Refuge on your own to see these amazing birds and more.

March Board Meeting
2020-03-09 15:00 - 17:00 | Community United Methodist Church, 434 Lewis St, Pagosa Springs, CO
Board meetings are open to the public. Our regular meeting of 3/2 was postponed for one week. If you are attending and have an item you would like to have added to the agenda, contact Jean at jeanzirnhelt@centurytel.net

Wetlands Preservation Group
2020-03-11 13:00 - 14:00 | Ruby Sisson Library, Large Meeting Room, 811 San Juan St, Pagosa Springs, CO, 81147
This meeting will be a discussion of our presentation to the Town Council. We will also talk about what our future involvement will be.

March Chapter Meeting-Cancellation Notice
2020-03-18 18:00 - 20:00 | Community United Methodist Church, 434 Lewis St, Pagosa Springs, CO
Our March meeting has been cancelled. Please check back for updates on future events.
This month’s meeting will feature a presentation by Jordan McMahon on studies of bat and Mexican spotted owl populations. After completing his Master of Science degree in biology at Mississippi State University in 2018, Jordan began work as a wildlife biologist for the Bureau of Land Management in Canon City, where he is currently employed. At the BLM, he has focused on implementing a comprehensive monitoring program for bats across the front range in anticipation of white-nose syndrome, as well as various monitoring projects with other species of concern such as lynx, Mexican spotted owls, and other raptor species.
White-nose syndrome has decimated many colony-forming bat populations since its arrival on the east coast in the late 2000’s. Unfortunately, many scientists think that it will spread to Colorado and across the rest of the US, although it has yet to be detected in our state. Because of this threat, The BLM’s Royal Gorge Field Office in Canon City, CO, has decided to implement a monitoring project to obtain baseline population estimates for bat species in our state, which will be used to assess future changes in populations and better manage habitats and populations of concern,
Included in McMahon’s talk will be details of a study to characterize habitat variables of the Mexican spotted owl, a species listed as threatened by the USFWS since. 1993.
Weminuche Audubon will be participating in two citizen science monitoring projects this summer. We will be continuing our monitoring project of forest bird populations in areas treated for fire mitigation, and joining in the expansion of a study of American dipper nesting.
Audubon meetings are free and open to the public. In appreciation for our meeting space, we ask that you bring a donation of nonperishable food for the Methodist Church food bank.

The Forest and Fire Learning Series
2020-04-08 18:00 - 20:00
Join Mountain Studies Institute in the second of a three part series streaming live. To join, visit their website, http://mountainstudies.org This evening’s program, entitled Cultivating Resilience, will be a discussion of what has been learned about resilience since the 416 Fire outside Durango and the existing actions that contribute to community resilience. Speakers are Dr. Lorraine Taylor (FLC), Dr. Elizabeth Cartier (FLC), and Imogen Ainsworth (City of Durango).

The Forest and Fire Learning Series
2020-04-15 18:00 - 20:00
Join part three of the series, entitled Moving Forward, live streamed by Mountain Studies Institute. Visit their website to join, http://mountainstudies.org
Tonight’s discussion will focus on the social implications of post fire landscape recovery and measures specific to LaPlata County. Speakers will be Dr. Chad Kooistra (CSU) and Alison Layman (LaPlata County).

Western Water Webinars
2020-04-21 14:00 - 15:00
An Overview of the Colorado River for Birds and People with Audubon’s Jennifer Pit
Click on the link to register for this webinar.
Riverside habitats like the forests and wetlands that line the Colorado River support some of the most abundant and diverse bird communities in the arid West, serving as home to some 400 species. The Colorado also provides drinking water for more than 36 million people, irrigates 5.5 million acres of farms and ranches, and supports 16 million jobs throughout seven states (and Northwest Mexico), with a combined annual economic impact of $1.4 trillion. With drought, diversions, and climate change threatening the river, Audubon’s Colorado River Program Director Jennifer Pitt will tell us about Audubon’s work, and future opportunities to protect the river for birds and people.

Western Waters Webinar
2020-04-23 16:00 - 17:00
Great Salt Lake and the History, Birds and Bugs of Gillmor Sanctuary
Click on the link to register for the webinar.
Great Salt Lake and its associated wetlands is the largest of the saline lake ecosystems in the Great Basin, supporting some 10 million individuals and 338 species of migratory and breeding birds each year. In this webinar, you will hear from Audubon’s local experts about the birds of Great Salt Lake, with a particular focus on Audubon’s Gillmor Sanctuary, how its habitats are dynamic and how different species of birds are reacting to seasonal and long-term changes in water management and availability. You will also get an overview of the ongoing research at Gillmor Sanctuary, looking into the macroinvertebrate food sources that its migratory and nesting birds rely on.

An evening with the Unique Wetland Plants of the San Juan
2020-04-29 19:00 - 20:00
Conversation on Carex: An Evening with the Unique Wetland Plants of the San Juan

Come learn about the biology and ecology of the sedges (Carex sp.) found in the San Juan Mountains. This talk will be comprised of two parts. The first an overview and introduction to the basics of Carex biology and identification and the second a focus on the ecology of Carex as it relates to the high elevation wetlands of the southwest Colorado. This talk will be led by Anthony Culpepper with Mountain Studies Institute. For the past 8 years, Anthony has managed several of MSI’s alpine wetland and fen mitigation projects. His time spent knee deep in fens have given him a deep appreciation of the complexity and diversity of sedges found in our backyard.
View this presentation on Zoom
https://zoom.us/j/3666195404?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 366 619 5404
Password: [REDACTED]

Western Water Webinar
2020-04-30 13:00 - 14:00
As a headwater state, Colorado’s water is some of the most sought after and hardest working in the West. Colorado’s rivers provide a lifeline for birds, other wildlife, agriculture, communities, and economies, both in and downstream of Colorado.
A persistent drought, overuse, and climate change have pushed states to reach for new water solutions, right now. There is a lot at stake for people and the environment. The more we understand how Colorado’s water and the Colorado River is managed, the better decisions we’ll make, together.
2020 will be a landmark year for Colorado water management. Join Abby Burk, western rivers regional program manager for Audubon Rockies, for an entertaining and conversational primer on Colorado water and the “Law of the River.”

Why Everyone is Talking “Water” in Colorado

Click on the link to register for the webinar.

Habitat Hero Weekly Webinar
2020-05-07 12:00 - 13:00
Habitat Hero Weekly Webinar: Colorado Native Plants

DescriptionJim Tolstrup, executive director of the High Plains Environmental Center, will share his expertise on creating pollinator-friendly gardens using plants native to northern Colorado. After his presentation, there will be a Q&A session for you to ask your gardening questions. Grab your lunch and a notebook and come ready to learn!

Registrants will receive email updates about this webinar, as well as periodic email updates about Audubon’s conservation work and how you can help birds. (You can unsubscribe at any time.

Use this link to register for the webinar Colorado Native Plants

Enjoying and Helping Birds at Home
2020-05-07 14:00 - 15:00
Back by popular demand! One of the silver linings from this uncertain time is that people are appreciating birds around their homes more than ever. If you’re eager to expand your enjoyment of birds in your own backyard, join us for “Enjoying and Helping Birds at Home” on Thursday, May 7 from 4:00 – 5:00 pm ET.
This webinar will feature insights and ideas from Mike Parr and Jennifer Cipolletti of American Bird Conservancy (ABC), Jeff Gordon of the American Birding Association, and Ken Rosenberg of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and ABC. We’ll also cover ways to help birds, including simple actions you can take around your home and garden.
Register below to attend and also receive the recording afterward.
**IMPORTANT: please save your registration email confirmation, as it will contain essential login information needed to access the webinar.**
*Register now to attend “Enjoying and Helping Birds at Home”*

Beyond the Brink-The Peregrine Fund
2020-05-07 18:00 - 19:00
Join us online for an exclusive chance to see the brand new film, “Beyond the Brink,” that celebrates the history of The Peregrine Fund, provides a behind-the-scenes look at our current field projects, and looks ahead to an exciting future of saving species around the globe.

The evening’s event will start with a special guest appearance from one of our education birds of prey, with World Center for Birds of Prey Director, Tate Mason. Then have your favorite drink ready for a toast led by President and CEO Dr. Richard Watson before viewing “Beyond the Brink.”
Click on the link to register https://peregrinefund.org/event/beyond-brink-may8

Ute Mountain Mesa Verde Birding Festival
2020-05-13 - 2020-05-17
Unfortunately this event has been cancelled for 2020. This festival takes you to areas in and around Cortez, Colorado with expert birding guides. Check out the festival schedule http://cortezculturalcenter.org/events/birding/festival as tours fill quickly.
