Weminuche Audubon Society

Bird Friendly Garden Design
2026-03-04 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Denver) | Online Presentation
Thoughtful garden planning can create a safer, richer space for birds. On March 4, learn the basics of bird-friendly garden design and preparation from guest speaker Deryn Davidson of CSU Extension. Explore the fundamentals of soil prep, site and plant selection, shelter and nesting needs, and more.
Register

Monte Vista Crane Festival
2026-03-06 - 2026-03-08 | Monte Vista Wildlife Refuge, Monte Vista, Colorado
Take a trip over the pass to spend time with those amazing Sandhill Cranes and other winter birds of the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge. Take advantage of the opportunities to learn from experts presenting on a wide variety of topics during the festival weekend. Be sure to register for the presentation by our very own Herb Grover, Bob Endres and Keith Bruno on Weminuche Audubon projects.
For event information visit https://mvcranefest.org/

March Chapter Meeting/Photo Share
2026-03-18 18:00 - 20:00 | Community United Methodist Church, 434 Lewis St, Pagosa Springs, CO
At our March meeting, we’re asking you to share your nature photos and the stories behind them. Yes we look for birds and sometimes even list them, but at heart we are naturalists fascinated by the biodiversity of all life and the beauty that surrounds us. Birds, insects, flowers, water,…. what sparks your interest? In addition to sharing images that celebrate the environment right outside our doors, we expect to hear from members who have traveled near and far and share in their adventures.
Please email up to 10 of your favorite images to weminuche.audubon@gmail.com by Sunday, March 15. We will show them at the meeting and you can narrate.
The public is invited to join us at the Community United Methodist Church on Lewis St on Wednesday, March 18. We will meet at 6:00 to socialize before the meeting begins at 6:30. Please feel free to bring a treat to share. Enter through the side door off the parking lot or let us know to open the main door for handicap entry. In appreciation for our meeting space, we welcome donations of non-perishable food or cash for the church food bank.
If you are unable to attend in person, use the following link to join on Zoom.
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89179057921?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 891 7905 7921
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Audubon Rockies Naturalist Chat
2026-03-19 11:30 - 12:30 | Online Presentation
Whether you’re curious about wild bird behavior and population changes, feeding birds, need help identifying a bird—or anything in between—we’ve got you covered! Join us for Naturalist Chat: A Bird Q&A, where Community Science Coordinator and bird expert, Zach Hutchinson, will answer your questions live on Zoom.
https://www.mobilize.us/audubon-rockies/event/854889/

Audubon Rockies Bird Story Hour
2026-03-19 19:00 - 20:00 | Online Presentation
Bird Story Hour: If You Give a Bird a Garden

When you give a bird a garden, a lot of amazing things can happen. Jennifer Jewell—creator and host of the national award-winning radio program and podcast Cultivating Place: Conversations on Natural History and the Human Impulse to Garden—understands the magic that comes from gardening.
On Thursday, March 19, Jennifer Jewell joins the Audubon After Dark crew for a special edition of Bird Story Hour, “If You Give a Bird a Garden”. Tune in online to enjoy stories about gardens and the birds that make them even more beautiful. If you have a story of your own to share, we’d love to hear it!
Sow the seeds of a great evening—sign up today!

Register Here

American Dipper Project Meeting
2026-03-28 13:00 - 14:30 | Community United Methodist Church, 434 Lewis St, Pagosa Springs, CO
Join our Dipper lovers to learn about this study and find out how you can be involved. This is a meeting for returning and new observers. Pagosa Springs volunteers are being recruited to assist with fieldwork, including monitoring several known nest sites throughout the Pagosa Springs region. Spend a few relaxing hours/week riverside while you document adults incubating or feeding young in the nest. You’ll fall in love with these amazing birds. No expert Bird ID skills required. Participants will help collect data on stream conditions and observe nesting activity during the spring/early summer breeding season.

Free Online Class/Learn to Draw Pinyon Jays
2026-04-11 13:00 - 14:30 | Online Presentation
Shared with us by Audubon Rockies.The goal of the class is twofold: get people drawing and engaged with the meditative, contemplative act of art while educating about Pinyon Jay conservation (truthfully, all bird conservation).

April Chapter Meeting
2026-04-15 18:00 - 20:00 | Community United Methodist Church, 434 Lewis St, Pagosa Springs, CO
Weminuche Audubon members participate in a number of projects whose aim is to promote the conservation and appreciation of birds and wildlife habitat. Our April 15th meeting will highlight two of these citizen science projects where we focus our efforts in spring and early summer. We invite you to get outdoors and have some fun with us.
Beginning in mid May we will be starting our mornings in the National Forest where we document the types and numbers of birds in designated plots that have undergone different types of treatments for fire prevention. It is a study whose aim is to answer the question of how bird populations respond to these management practices. Detailed reports on this Bird Community Monitoring effort may be found under the Projects tab on our website. This year will mark the eighth season of this study primarily conducted on Jackson Mtn and Fawn Gulch. Find out at our meeting what we have learned and how you can join a team for this fun study with a time commitment of only three morning hours once per week for six weeks. There is no better way to start your day than listening to birdsong while you watch for birds.
Our second spring project asks volunteers to relax by a river and record nesting activities of the amazing American dipper. We have been observing nests on the San Juan river in town, the West Fork and East Fork stretches, the lower Blanco river and the Piedra river to document nesting success. This year we plan to add observations related to water quality and food availability to further the understanding of how these birds react to environmental stressors like last fall’s flood. No special birding skills are required to participate in this study. If gardening interests you, we can always use help in maintaining our native plant garden in Centennial Park. You can learn naturalist skills and join the enthusiastic guides of Pagosa Wetland Partners in conducting summer tours of the Riverwalk Wetlands area. Come fall there are opportunities to volunteer in outdoor education for area youth. Email us at weminuche.audubon@gmail.com for more information on any of these opportunities. The public is invited to join us at the Methodist Church on Lewis St on Wednesday, April 15. We will meet at 6 PM to socialize with appetizers and snacks before the meeting starts at 6:30. Please enter through the side door off the parking lot or let us know to open the main door for handicap entrance. In appreciation for our meeting space, we welcome donations of non-perishable food for the church food bank. For those unable to attend in person, use the following link to join on Zoom
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89179057921?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 891 7905 7921
Passcode: [REDACTED]
—
One tap mobile
+17193594580,,89179057921#,,,,*[REDACTED]# US
+16699006833,,89179057921#,,,,*[REDACTED]# US (San Jose)

Audubon Rockies Naturalist Chat
2026-04-16 12:00 - 13:00 | Online Presentation
Last call for bird questions! Naturalist Chat, A Bird Q&A wraps up this month. Join Zach Hutchinson on April 16 to get your bird questions answered—whether they’re about migration, bird ID, feeding birds, or something else. No questions right now? No problem! Join to sit in and learn from topics submitted by fellow bird lovers.
Register here

Audubon After Dark Bird Trivia/Welcome Back Warblers
2026-04-16 19:00 - 20:00 | Online Presentation
Enjoy a lively mix of trivia inspired by warblers, with plenty of chances to learn something new along the way. Whether you’re a seasoned birder or just getting started, this event is a great way to welcome spring migration. Plus, top teams receive exclusive swag!
This will be our final Audubon After Dark event for the 2025-2026 season. Don’t miss out!

Register Today!

Earth Day 2026
2026-04-26 10:00 - 15:00 | Riverwalk
The Earth Day Planning Committee is looking forward to community participation in this year’s event at Centennial Park. Due to rainy weather, the event has been moved to the PLPOA Clubhouse at 230 Port Ave. With the theme “A World in a Teacup,” there will be more music this year, starting at 11 a.m., with a new sound system; a tea ceremony; food trucks; a Dust2 bike race; and more. The solar cars are returning after a break, Look for more exciting announcements in the next few weeks.

Ute Mountain Mesa Verde Birding Festival
2026-05-06 - 2026-05-10 | CO
The Annual Ute Mountain Mesa Verde Birding Festival provides a popular venue for visiting southwestern Colorado during the second weekend in May. Nestled between alpine and mesa forests and scenic desert canyons, the Four Corner’s intriguingly diverse landscapes, and mild climate, have drawn people to the region for generations. Ancestral Pueblo farmers dwelled in places now known as Mesa Verde, Hovenweep, and Canyon of the Ancients. Today’s meadows, pastures, cultivated fields, historic orchards, stock ponds and reservoirs establish habitat for a wide spectrum of migratory and resident birds.
Hosted by the Cortez Cultural Center, the UMMV Birding Festival draws upon the expertise of regional wildlife specialists who volunteer as tour guides and guest lecturers. Each year, new tours and repeat favorites, explore an array of birding hotspots that attract avian species from hawks and grebes to sparrows, grosbeaks, and finches. Overnight tours offer different environs and the prospect of encountering species not found within the Cortez area.
Visit their website for information and tour registrations. Events fill quickly!
https://utemountainmesaverdebirdingfestival.com/

Migratory Bird Day/Global Big Day
2026-05-09 | CO
Two spring events that celebrate birds occur this week on Saturday, May 9, and you can participate. Global Big Day brings together people who care about birds and contribute to the effort to understand how bird populations are faring worldwide. Every year the number of participants increases. You can be a part of birding’s biggest team when you report the birds you observe on this day. In this time of turmoil, the love of birds can unite people worldwide.
Adding to this important dataset is easy. Simply list the bird species and numbers of each that you see in any location and enter your data on ebird.org. You may count for as little as ten minutes anytime between midnight and midnight on the 9th to participate. Count birds at your home or submit a list from your favorite location to watch birds. If you are new to ebird, visit ebird.org to learn how to set up an account.
Also occurring on Saturday the 9th is World Migratory Bird Day. The goal of this global effort is to raise the awareness of migratory birds and the need for international cooperation to conserve them. Migratory birds rely on good habitat at their winter homes, along the paths of their spring and fall journeys, and in their summer breeding areas to survive. They may travel through several countries each year.
Aligning with Global Big Day, this year’s Migratory Bird Day theme is “Every Bird Counts-Your Observations Matter”. This focus highlights the important role that citizen science observations play in identifying conservation priorities and informing strategies and actions to aid migratory bird populations.

Birding At Chimney Rock National Monument
2026-05-16 08:00 - 10:00, 2026-05-29 08:00 - 10:00, 2026-06-13 08:00 - 10:00, 2026-06-26 08:00 - 10:00 | Chimney Rock National Monument, 3179 CO 151, Chimney Rock, CO, 81121
This fun and casual 2-hour bird walk is led by a knowledgeable birding guide from the Weminuche Audubon Society. These outings will introduce you to the diverse community of birds that spend their summer at Chimney Rock National Monument. Your guide will help you identify various species and explain the unique adaptations that allow these birds to survive here. Birders of all skill levels are welcome to participate. Not recommended for young children.
This is a Chimney Rock event and a fee and advance reservation are required. For information and to reserve a space visit, https://www.chimneyrockco.org/birding/

Birding By Ear
2026-05-20 18:00 - 20:00 | Community United Methodist Church, 434 Lewis St, Pagosa Springs, CO
Learning to identify birds by their songs and calls will be the topic of the next Weminuche Audubon Chapter meeting, on Wednesday, May 20, at 6:30 PM. Keith Bruno, Audubon Rockies Community Naturalist and Weminuche Board Member, will lead us in this exercise of seeing with our ears. With mating season getting in full swing and the arrival of our summer birds, the air is filled with birdsong. Some birds we haven’t heard for several months.
Distinguishing a bird by its unique sound is a fun challenge. Bruno will provide tips for picking apart the song we hear and aligning it with the bird singing it. Learn about the technology available to teach yourself this skill.
Birding by ear to identify bird species is an important skill used by volunteers in our Forest Bird Monitoring Project, set to start soon. Identifying birds by their songs is used to count birds that are difficult to see hidden in the canopy or the brush in the forest. Learning their songs will also add to your enjoyment of the birds at your home.
The public is invited to join us for our meeting at the Community United Methodist Church on Lewis St. We will gather at 6 PM for socializing and the meeting will start at 6:30. Please enter through the side door off the parking lot or let us know to open the main door for handicap entry. In appreciation for our meeting space, we welcome donations of non-perishable food or cash for the church food bank.
If you are unable to join us in person, use the following link to join by Zoom
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89179057921?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting chat link
https://us06web.zoom.us/launch/jc/89179057921
Meeting ID: 891 7905 7921
Passcode: [REDACTED]
One tap mobile
+17193594580,,89179057921#,,,,*[REDACTED]# US
+16699006833,,89179057921#,,,,*[REDACTED]# US (San Jose)

Native Plant Walk with Lake McCullough
2026-06-08 09:00 - 12:00 | CO
This is the first of three plant walks that focus on the uses of native plants as food and medicine. These popular, free walks are led by certified herbalist, Lake McCullough. In June, we will meet at San Jose Ct. and hike into Martinez Canyon. This slow paced walk is about 3 miles roundtrip and may involve some moderately steep and rocky terrain. We will be looking for herbs, wildflowers and edible plants in the ponderosa pine ecotone
Additional walks will be offered on July 13 and August 3. Those walks will take us into higher elevation areas near Wolf Creek Pass. In order to allow more people to experience these fun, educational walks, we are requesting that you sign up for only one walk this summer. To provide a good experience, space is limited on each walk. No dogs please.
To sign up for the June walk, please call Lake at 970-398-0923 or see her at Earthsense Herbals, 144 Pagosa St. Spaces fill quickly for these walks. We are thankful for Lake who volunteers her time to educate people about the plants that grow in our area. And she’s a lot of fun too!!!

San Juan Mountains Assn (SJMA) Birdwalk
2026-06-11 09:00 - 12:00 | CO
Audubon and our friends at SJMA team up to go birding in the West Fork area during nesting season. For event information and to register go to https://sjma.org/event/audubon-bird-walk-062026/
Check out their calendar for other free spring and summer events.

Archuleta County Bioblitz
2026-06-20 08:00 - 22:00 | Riverwalk
Weminuche Audubon and Audubon Rockies are partnering with representatives of CSU Extension, Archuleta County and the Town of Pagosa Springs to organize a fun day of discovery for adults and youth. With the guidance of experts in their fields, participants will be identifying and recording as many different species as we find within the event boundaries on Reservoir Hill and the Town Riverwalk areas. We’ll be discovering plants, lichens, invertebrates (think insects on land and in water and spiders), amphibians,birds, bats, other mammals-anything alive makes the list!!
To insure a quality experience for participants, space will be limited and we expect the event to sell out quickly. Adult tickets are only $25 which includes a t-shirt and dinner. Youth over the age of nine ($10) and accompanied by an adult are encouraged to participate. You will earn future bragging rights for attending the inaugural event in what is planned to be an annual tradition.
Registration is through the Town of Pagosa Springs website. You will be required to create a simple account with the Recreation Dept. Use the following link to create an account and purchase tickets.
https://secure.rec1.com/CO/pagosa-springs-co/catalog?filter=c2VhcmNoPTQyNjMyMzY=

Riverwalk Wetlands Tour
2026-07-07 19:00 - 20:00, 2026-07-11 08:00 - 09:00, 2026-07-14 19:00 - 20:00, 2026-07-21 19:00 - 20:00, 2026-07-28 19:00 - 20:00 | Riverwalk
Take a free tour of discovery through the Riverwalk wetlands conservation area with trained naturalists from Pagosa Wetland Partners. Learn about the resources and services this habitat provides and the forces at play that make them special. Tours last approximately 1-1.5 hours. The 1.5 mile paved trail is wheel-chair accessible. Please bring water, sunglasses, a hat and your curiosity. Cameras and binoculars are a plus, but no pets please. Tours are offered on Tuesday evenings at 7:00 PM and Saturday mornings at 8:00 AM, weather dependent. Advance registration is not required. Meet your guides at the Native Plants Garden on the Geothermal Greenhouse Partnership site in Centennial Park.

July Plant Walk with Lake McCullough
2026-07-13 09:00 - 12:00 | CO
This is the second of three plant walks that focus on the uses of native plants as food and medicine. These popular, free walks are led by certified herbalist, Lake McCullough. In July we will be traveling to the Continental Divide Trail at Wolf Creek Pass during peak wildflower season at this elevation. This slow paced walk is about 2.5 miles roundtrip and may involve some moderately steep and rocky terrain.
The final walk of the season will be offered on August 3, also at higher elevation areas near Wolf Creek Pass. In order to allow more people to experience these fun, educational walks, we are requesting that you sign up for only one walk this summer. To provide a good experience, space is limited on each walk. No dogs please.
To check on availability for the July walk, please call Lake at 970-398-0923 or see her at Earthsense Herbals, 144 Pagosa St. Spaces fill quickly for these walks. We are thankful for Lake who volunteers her time to educate people about the plants that grow in our area. And she’s a lot of fun too!!!

July Chapter Meeting
2026-07-15 18:30 - 20:00 | Riverwalk
Weminuche Audubon is taking its meeting outside in July. We invite you to join us in the evening on July 15 when we take a tour of our native plant garden near the domes in Centennial Park followed by a walk down the Riverwalk where we will be joined by volunteer guides with Pagosa Wetland Partners to explore life in the wetlands area.
The town-owned wetlands area bordering the Riverwalk are held in a conservation easement. Since 2019 when plans to develop the adjacent private property were proposed, members of our Audubon group and others have been engaged as active observers of this important habitat. An offshoot group of our Audubon chapter, Pagosa Wetland Partners, conducts free summer tours twice weekly for locals and visitors. In doing so we aim to raise awareness of the biodiversity and importance of this special wetlands area which is fed by geothermal waters. Monthly we perform water quality monitoring in the wetlands and record observations to document flora and fauna that we find.
We will meet near the amphitheater in Centennial Park at 6:30 PM. Bring your water, binoculars, and your curiosity and be prepared for the possibility of mosquitoes. Come and enjoy a pleasant summer evening with us.

Riverwalk Wetlands Tour
2026-07-25 08:00 - 09:00 | CO

August Plant Walk with Lake McCullough
2026-08-03 09:00 - 12:00 | CO
This is the last of three summer plant walks that focus on the uses of native plants as food and medicine. These popular, free walks are led by certified herbalist, Lake McCullough. In August, we will be looking for late summer botanical bounty at high elevation on Forest Service Rd 725 near Wolf Creek Pass. This slow paced walk is about 3 miles roundtrip and may involve some moderately steep and rocky terrain.
In order to allow more people to experience these fun, educational walks, we are requesting that you sign up for only one walk this summer. To provide a good experience, space is limited on each walk. No dogs please.
To sign up for the August walk, please call Lake at 970-398-0923 or see her at Earthsense Herbals, 144 Pagosa St. Spaces fill quickly for these walks. We are thankful for Lake who volunteers her time to educate people about the plants that grow in our area. And she’s a lot of fun too!!!
