Weminuche Audubon Society

Riverwalk Wetlands Tour
2024-06-29 08:00 - 09:00, 2024-08-13 19:00 - 20:00, 2024-08-17 08:00 - 09:30, 2024-08-20 19:00 - 20:00, 2024-08-24 08:00 - 09:30, 2024-08-27 19:00 - 20:00, 2024-08-31 08:00 - 09:30 (America/Denver) | 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
2024-07-15 09:30 - 14:00
First Tour: 9:30 to 11:30 Second Tour: 11:45 to 1:45
This month’s plant walk will take you to the continental divide to look for wildflowers and medicinal plants during peak wildflower season at the summit of Wolf Creek Pass. Join us for a fun and educational ramble through the forest, as we discover edible and medicinal native plants. The walks are free of charge!
Weminuche Audubon Society and Audubon Rockies are excited to sponsor these summer plant walks with certified herbalist, Lake McCullough. We are grateful that she takes time from her busy schedule to share her expertise with us. This is the second of three walks offered this season.
This tour will meet on Forest Service Road 402, Lobo Overlook Road. This is the first left after the Continental Divide pullout at the top of the pass. There is a gravel lot directly off the highway where we will meet to walk up the road. Walk is about 2 miles roundtrip. Please be prepared for rocky trails and unpredictable weather, and leave dogs at home.
In order to handle increased popularity and demand for information about our local ecosystems, we will be conducting two back-to-back plant walks at this location. The first tour will begin at 9:30 and run until 11:30. The second tour will begin at 11:45 and go until 1:45. There is a 15-person maximum on each walk. Please call McCullough ahead to reserve a space at 970-398-0923 and indicate which time slot you prefer.
McCullough’s knowledge and fun sense of humor have made these walks very popular and spaces fill quickly. Give her a call or stop by her business, Earthsense Herbals at 144 Pagosa St, to add your name to the list. Handcrafted medicinals, artwork and so much more are all available here. If you haven’t visited this amazing store, you owe it to yourself to stop by.
Watch for information on the final walk to be held in August.

July Chapter Meeting
2024-07-17 18:00 - 20:00 | Community United Methodist Church, 434 Lewis St, Pagosa Springs, CO
At our meeting this month, Weminuche Audubon Society members will shine the spotlight on two local youth who recently attended nature camps with a focus on birds. Both of these exceptional students have agreed to share their experiences with us.
Lillian Graham, daughter of Ohea and Steve Graham, attended Camp Colorado on a scholarship awarded by our chapter thanks to the generosity of Joan Ward. This camp is based near Rocky Mtn National Park and includes trips to explore grassland, foothills and mountain ecosystems. Peyton Jackson, son of Sarah and West Jackson, attended Camp Colorado in 2023 and this year was awarded a scholarship by Boulder Audubon to attend Hog Island Audubon Camp in Maine. Obtaining this award, open to any student in Colorado, was a well-deserved honor for this young man.
At this meeting we will also pay tribute to Josh Pike who has championed our Riverwalk Wetland Conservation Area in recent years. His articles highlighting the importance of this habitat and the plants and wildlife it supports have increased the awareness of its value to our community. Along with his mother, Jeanette, he has organized and conducted trainings for the community naturalists who lead summer wetland tours along the Riverwalk, scheduled guides and also frequently leads these tours for locals and tourists. At the meeting, we are collecting cash donations to help Josh furnish his new living quarters when he heads to Montana in August to further his education. You can also make a contribution using the “Donate” button on our website.
We hope that you will join us in celebrating the accomplishments of these community members. Our meeting on the 17th will start with refreshments and social time at 6:00 PM followed by a short business meeting at 6:30 before the presentations.
We meet at the Community United Methodist Church on Lewis St. Please enter through the side door closest to 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.
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Birding at Chimney Rock
2024-08-10 08:00 - 10:00, 2024-08-23 08:00 - 10:00, 2024-09-21 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.
Participants will be walking slowly on uneven terrain in the lower area of Chimney Rock; thus, no archaeological sites will be included on this tour. Good walking shoes are advised, along with plenty of water and sun protection—also bring those binoculars!
This is a Chimney Rock event, a fee is charged and advance reservation is required. For more information on this tour and to make a reservation, go to https://www.chimneyrockco.org/birding/

Four Mile Ranch Trail Days
2024-08-19 08:30 - 2024-08-20 15:00 | Hershey Fourmile Ranch, Snowball Rd, Pagosa Springs, CO, 81147
Your help in prepping the area at the ranch used for environmental education will be greatly appreciated. We will be cleaning our supply cabin, unpacking supplies, clearing weeds and setting trail signs. Many hands will make quick work of getting ready for students at the ranch. Please complete the linked form to indicate your availability to help.
Trail Days (August 19-20 8:30am-3pm):
https://act.audubon.org/a/trail-days-24

Four Mile Ranch Trail Days
Come help prepare the trails for this fall’s school trips!
act.audubon.org

August Chapter Meeting
2024-08-21 18:00 - 20:00 | Community United Methodist Church, 434 Lewis St, Pagosa Springs, CO
We are excited to host Anthony Garcia and Kelsey Harkness from the US Forest Service at our meeting this month on Wednesday, August 21. Their presentation will focus on fish and wildlife management on National Forest System lands in the Pagosa Springs area. They’ll be discussing a variety of topics including habitat management, inventory and monitoring for a variety of species, partnership coordination and others.
Both Garcia and Harkness participated in our chapter’s Forest Bird Monitoring Project this spring and we are interested to learn how they keep track of other critters who share the woods. Garcia is the Wildlife Program Manager for the US Forest Service Pagosa Ranger District. He has been a wildlife biologist for the San Juan National Forest for 28 years, with most of his tenure on the Pagosa Ranger District. He also worked on the Rio Grande National Forest for 6 years prior to coming to the San Juan.
Garcia has worked on a variety of projects and has collaborated with numerous partners during his tenure as a Forest Service wildlife biologist. He looks forward to sharing his experiences and information on fish and wildlife management on National Forest System lands. Kelsey Harkness works with Garcia as the wildlife technician for the Pagosa Ranger District. Prior to accepting her permanent wildlife technician position, she worked as a rangeland management technician for 2 seasons on the Pagosa Ranger District.
The public is invited to join us for our meeting at the Community United Methodist Church on Lewis St. Our meeting on the 21st will start with refreshments and social time at 6:00 PM followed by a short business meeting at 6:30 before the presentations. 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 for the church food bank. Use the following link to join the meeting on Zoom.
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Four Mile Volunteer Training
2024-08-26 08:00 - 2024-08-28 16:00 | Hershey Fourmile Ranch, Snowball Rd, Pagosa Springs, CO, 81147
Training for new and returning volunteer educators will be held on August 26 through 28, along with first aid training on the 29th, in preparation for fall season outdoor education classes. This valuable Audubon Rockies program brings elementary school students to the beautiful Four Mile Ranch for a day of outdoor education. Share your love of nature with youth. Easy to teach planned lessons, a supportive group of volunteers and staff, and advance training will set you up to be an effective leader. We hope that you will consider joining our enthusiastic team.
Bringing students to Four Mile Ranch for outdoor education has been a Pagosa tradition since the 1990’s. We need the help of dedicated volunteers to keep the program going. The fall program typically runs from early September through mid October. You will be asked to volunteer for a minimum of 3 days during the season but more if you want. Use the linked form to register for training

Four Mile Ranch Volunteer Training
Become a volunteer environmental educator at Four Mile Ranch in Pagosa Springs, Colorado!
act.audubon.org

September Chapter Meeting
2024-09-18 18:00 - 20:00 | Community United Methodist Church, 434 Lewis St, Pagosa Springs, CO
This month we welcome Gary Skiba to our evening chapter meeting on Wednesday, September 18. Skiba comes to us from San Juan Citizens Alliance (SJCA) in Durango where he serves as the Wildlife Program Manager. He joined the staff of SJCA in April 2020 and was an SJCA board member for several years prior to that. Skiba worked for the Colorado Division of Wildlife for 23 years where he focused on threatened and endangered species management and spearheaded the agency’s efforts on biodiversity conservation and ecosystem management.
San Juan Citizens Alliance traces its beginnings to 1986 and a group of people concerned about unchecked gas and oil development in the region. Today SJCA continues to advocate in a number of fields for a healthy environment in the San Juan Basin. Skiba will give an overview of SJCA’s programs including protection of water, air, public lands, and wildlife and the organization’s work on energy transition in Colorado and New Mexico. He will give an update on the status of the Village at Wolf Creek, a proposed development close to home.
The public is invited to join us to learn about this important work by SJCA. We meet at the Community United Methodist Church on Lewis St. Enter through the side door closest to the parking lot or let us know to open the main doors for handicap entry. Enjoy refreshments with us starting at 6 PM prior to a short business meeting at 6:30 preceding the presentation.
In appreciation for our meeting space, contributions of non-perishable food for the church food bank are collected at our meetings. If you are unable to join us in person, use the following link to join on Zoom.
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Meeting ID: 861 2620 7702
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Premiere Showing/ Wild Orchid Man on The Rocks
2024-09-25 17:30 - 19:00
Darryl Saffer’s Latest Movie. Narration by Diane Cirksena. ” Wild Orchid Man On The Rocks”
Wednesday, September 25 at 5:30 PM
The world premiere will take place right here at the Liberty Theater in Pagosa Springs. Prepare to be amazed when the Wild Orchid Man, Stig Dalstrom, hunts for orchids in the Rocky Mountains. Proudly sponsored by Weminuche Audubon Society with free admission for this special viewing. Bring your friends

October Big Day
2024-10-12
Wherever you are on 12 October, take a few minutes to join in this global celebration. Participate from anywhere—even from home! By taking part in October Big Day you’re also celebrating Global Bird Weekend and World Migratory Bird Day. Be a part of the global team and help set a new record for October birding.
Adding your results to the count is easy.

Get an eBird account: eBird is a worldwide bird checklist program used by millions of birders. It’s what allows us to compile everyone’s contributions into a single massive October Big Day list—while at the same time gathering data to help scientists better understand birds. Sign up here. It’s 100% free from start to finish.
Watch birds on 12 Oct: It’s that simple. You don’t need to be a bird expert or go out all day long, even 10 minutes of birding from home counts. October Big Day runs from midnight to midnight in your local time zone. You can report what you find from anywhere in the world.
Enter what you see and hear in eBird: You can enter your observations via our website or download the free eBird Mobile app to make submitting lists even easier. Please enter your checklists no later than 15 Oct to be included in the results announcement.

October Chapter Meeting
2024-10-16 18:00 - 20:00 | Community United Methodist Church, 434 Lewis St, Pagosa Springs, CO
If you are interested in learning about native medicinal plants, we invite you to join us on Wednesday evening, October 16, for a presentation by Lake McCullough. On her summer plant walks, she opens our eyes to the bounty of medicinal and edible plants growing locally. During this presentation she will focus on native medicinal plants that are harvested in autumn. There will be plant samples to look at and details concerning the uses and preparations of these herbs. Included will be recipes to make simple tinctures, salves and syrups at home.
McCullough is a native of Pagosa Springs. She developed an interest in the healing properties of plants at a young age and furthered her education to become certified as an herbalist. Judging from the popularity of her plant walks and presentations, the home uses of plants is of interest to many in our community. We appreciate her willingness to share her knowledge with us.
The public is invited to join us on the 16th for this fun event. We meet at the Community United Methodist Church on Lewis St. Enter through the side door closest to the parking lot or let us know to open the main doors for handicap entry. Enjoy refreshments with us starting at 6 PM prior to a short business meeting at 6:30 preceding the presentation.
In appreciation for our meeting space, contributions of non-perishable food for the church food bank are collected at our meetings. If you are unable to join us in person, use the following link to join us on Zoom.
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86126207702?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 861 2620 7702
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Winter Birds 101
2024-11-20 18:00 - 20:00 | Community United Methodist Church, 434 Lewis St, Pagosa Springs, CO
The first of 3 bird identification classes presented by Audubon Rockies Community Naturalist, Keith Bruno, in preparation for the Christmas Bird Count. The first class will cover waterfowl, in time to go out and practice your skills on local lakes before they freeze over. The amount of open water on count day always makes a big difference in bird numbers.
We always have a fun time at these classes. Classes will start promptly at 6. Come early to sign up for the count and share a treat. You may also sign up for the count by emailing us at weminuche.audubon@gmail.com A donation of non perishable food for the church food bank is appreciated. Hope to see you in person, but if you can’t make it, a link to join on Zoom will be posted here prior to the class.
Join Zoom Meeting
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Meeting ID: 861 2620 7702
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Winter Birds 101
2024-12-04 18:00 - 20:00 | Community United Methodist Church, 434 Lewis St, Pagosa Springs, CO
The second of 3 bird identification classes in preparation for the Christmas Bird Count and presented by Audubon Rockies Community Naturalist, Keith Bruno, will cover songbirds. Learn to differentiate those tricky little brown birds.
We always have a fun time at these classes. We meet at the Community United Methodist Church on Lewis St. Please enter through the doors off the parking lot or let us know to open the main doors for handicap entry. Come early to sign up for the count and share a treat. Classes will start promptly at 6. We will finish by 8 . A donation of non-perishable food for the church food bank is appreciated. We hope to see you in person, but if you can’t make it, you can join us on Zoom using the following link.
Join Zoom Meeting
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Meeting ID: 861 2620 7702
Passcode: [REDACTED]
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Winter Birds 101
2024-12-12 18:00 - 20:00 | Community United Methodist Church, 434 Lewis St, Pagosa Springs, CO
The last class prior to the Christmas Bird Count and presented by Audubon Rockies Community Naturalist, Keith Bruno, will cover raptors and the protocols established by National Audubon to be used on count day.
We always have a fun time at these classes and hope that you can join us in person. Come early to sign up for the count and share a treat. Class will start promptly at 6:00 and end by 8:00. We meet at the Community United Methodist Church on Lewis St. Please enter through the door off the parking lot. A donation of non-perishable food for the church food bank is appreciated.
If you are unable to make it in person, use this link to join by Zoom.
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Meeting ID: 860 8192 3364
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Christmas Bird Count 2024
2024-12-14
Plan to join us on Saturday, December 14, for National Audubon’s 125th annual Christmas Bird Count (CBC). This will mark the 14th year of data contributions from the Pagosa Springs area in the count organized by Weminuche Audubon Society. Some of our area bird lovers have taken part in all of these local counts.If a major storm cancels the count on the 14th, we will hold it on the 15th.
The Christmas Bird Count is the longest running citizen science census of early winter birds in the Western Hemisphere. The CBC provides critical data on bird populations which is widely used in predicting trends and in protecting species in declines. Our count follows established protocols for documenting all birds detected within a 15 mile diameter circle, divided into 8 zones, which is centered at the transfer station on Trujillo Rd.
We encourage participation by bird enthusiasts of all skill levels to join in the fun. Visitors to Pagosa are always welcome to join us. You may join a team to count birds in one of the designated zones. If you live within the count circle area, you can join from home by counting birds at your feeders, or by welcoming us onto your property to count the birds we see.
To get involved, send us an email, weminucheaudubon@gmail.com

January Chapter Meeting/Escape to Ecuador
2025-01-15 18:00 - 20:00 | Community United Methodist Church, 434 Lewis St, Pagosa Springs, CO
The evening meeting on Wednesday, January 15, of our Audubon group will feature a presentation by Charlie Tyrrell on a birding trip enjoyed by him and his wife to the Mindo Cloud Forest in Ecuador. We invite you to join us when we trade our bare January trees for a photographic journey to this green and colorful high elevation rainforest.
This area of the Andean Forests is often shrouded in low lying mist and clouds which provide permanent moisture to the landscape. It is recognized globally as an important biodiversity hotspot. The Mindo Cloud Forest supports over 550 different bird species, many of them exotic both in color and behavior. The Mindo Cloudforest Foundation is among those conservation organizations that believe “tourism focused on birdwatching is vital in fostering conservation and sustainable economic growth for local communities”. It makes preserving life sustaining habitat economically attractive.
Tyrrell is a retired engineer with a passion for photographing wildlife and landscapes who settled full time in Pagosa Springs in 2022. He calls himself an amateur, but his talent is evident in his amazing photographs.
The public is invited to join us on the 15th to escape the January doldrums. We meet at the Community United Methodist Church on Lewis St. Enter through the side door closest to the parking lot or let us know to open the main doors for handicap entry. Enjoy refreshments with us starting at 6 PM prior to a short business meeting at 6:30 preceding the presentation.
In appreciation for our meeting space, contributions of non-perishable food for the church food bank are collected at our meetings. If you are unable to join us in person, use the following link to join us on Zoom
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85427553781?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 854 2755 3781
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Naturalist Chat/ Bird Q&A
2025-01-16 12:00 - 13:00 | Online Presentation
What questions about birds have been chirping in the back of your mind lately? Perhaps you’re curious about a particular bird behavior or need help identifying a new bird visiting your garden. Audubon Rockies Community Naturalists can help! Join them on January 16 for Naturalist Chat, A Bird Q&A, to get answers from experts on all your burning bird questions!
Register here

Audubon After Dark/Bird Show and Tell
2025-01-16 19:00 - 20:00 | Online Presentation
This month, we have a special edition of Audubon After Dark! Join Audubon Rockies on January 16 for Bird Show & Tell with guest speakers from the Rocky Mountain Raptor Program (RMRP) and their stunning resident ambassador raptors! RMRP will dive into what a raptor is, how they survive in the wild, the threats they are facing, and how we can help them, and by extension ourselves, to thrive.
Register here

Great Backyard Birdcount
2025-02-14 - 2025-02-17
Weminuche Audubon invites you to celebrate the beauty of birds with us in February events. First up is the Great Backyard Bird Count, four days in February when the world comes together for the love of birds, a global event organized by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, National Audubon Society and Birds Canada. Beginning on Friday, February 14, and extending through Monday, February 17, you can participate by counting birds for as little as 15 minutes or for as long as you like wherever you are and then entering your observations on ebird.org. It’s just that easy. Enter as many or as few checklists of your observations as you like at different locations or times during the 4 days of the count
Documenting bird populations across the globe before one of their annual migrations helps scientists understand how bird populations are faring. For more information on the count see birdcount.org.

Birding for the Great Backyard Birdcount
2025-02-16 08:30 - 11:30 | Riverwalk
Weather permitting, we invite you to join us during the count to look for birds on the Riverwalk on Sunday, February 16. The weather outlook for Saturday does not look good and we are hoping for better conditions on Sunday. We will tally our count and add it to the Great Backyard Birdcount. Bring your binoculars and meet at the native plant garden near the GGP domes in Centennial Park at 8:30 AM. This is a family friendly event, but please leave dogs at home. We plan to walk to the end of the section past Apache St but you can leave early if you want.

February Chapter Meeting
2025-02-19 18:00 - 20:00 | Community United Methodist Church, 434 Lewis St, Pagosa Springs, CO
On Wednesday, February 19, join us in sharing good news stories about two bird species that have come Back from the Brink in North America. First up, videographer Darryl Saffer will present his beautiful short film on the limpkin and other wetland waders. The film has already won 6 international awards. Up until not many years ago this bird of wetlands and swamps was only seen in the US in central and southern Florida. According to an article in National Audubon magazine, in 2023 limpkins started showing up as far north as Canada and west as Colorado. Find out what has fueled this range and population explosion of a bird which not too long ago was considered for threatened status in Florida. Throw your hat in the ring to see who will be the first to spot a limpkin in Archuleta County.
Herb Grover will show his photos of another comeback bird, the whooping crane, taken during a recent trip to Texas. Whoopers are one of the success stories of wildlife conservation as they were down to about 20 birds in the mid-1940’s. Recovery has been somewhat slow, but would probably not have occurred without human intervention.
And to get you thinking about the annual Crane Festival in Monte Vista, we will end the meeting with some of Herb Grover’s beautiful photos of sandhill cranes. Take a trip over the hill to Monte Vista for the festival events between March 7 and 9 and be wowed by the thousands of cranes and other birds that stop at the National Wildlife Refuge before heading off to northern breeding grounds.
We meet at the Community United Methodist Church on Lewis St. Enter through the side door closest to the parking lot or let us know to open the main doors for handicap entry. Enjoy appetizers and snacks with us starting at 6 PM. If you are inclined, bring a creation of yours to share. Presentations will follow a short business meeting at 6:30 .
In appreciation for our meeting space, contributions of non-perishable food for the church food bank are collected at our meetings. If you are unable to join us in person, use this link to join on Zoom.
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Audubon After Dark Bird Trivia
2025-02-20 19:00 - 20:00 | Online Presentation
Let’s celebrate another successful year of the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) with an evening of bird-themed trivia! Join our Community Naturalist team for Audubon After Dark: Bird Trivia Hour to test your knowledge of backyard birds and the GBBC. Questions will range from easy to difficult and players of all ages are encouraged to participate. Plus, winners will receive an exclusive Audubon After Dark prize! Learn more and register
