Weminuche Audubon Society

Riverwalk Wetlands Tour
2024-08-24 08:00 - 09:30, 2024-08-20 19:00 - 20:00, 2024-08-17 08:00 - 09:30, 2024-08-13 19:00 - 20:00, 2024-06-29 08:00 - 09:00, 2024-06-25 19:00 - 20:00, 2024-06-18 19:00 - 20:00 (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.

Birding at Chimney Rock
2024-08-23 08:00 - 10:00, 2024-08-10 08:00 - 10:00, 2024-06-21 08:00 - 10:00, 2024-06-08 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/

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 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

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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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.

Forest Tour with San Juan Headwaters Forest Health Partnership/Date Change
2024-06-28 08:15 - 13:00
We hope that you will join us on Friday, June 28 on a tour of our Bird Monitoring Project sites with members of San Juan Headwaters Forest Health Partnership. This will be an information sharing tour for a “Bird’s Eye View of the Forest”. This field trip will be of particular interest to those who have participated in our Bird Monitoring Project surveys in recent years. We will demonstrate methods of our project, discuss what we have learned so far, and hear from Forest Service personnel how these forests have been managed in the past and plans for the future. We will be visiting sites on Fawn Gulch and Jackson Mtn. Participants will meet at the CSU Extension Office on Hwy 84 at 8:15 AM for carpooling to the sites. Bring binoculars, water, snacks and lunch. Anticipate a return to the CSU office between 1:00 and 1:30.
Be aware that rainy weather may force the tour to be postponed.

Riverwalk Wetlands Tour
2024-06-22 08:00 - 09:30

2024 Annual Meeting
2024-06-19 17:30 - 20:00 | Community United Methodist Church, 434 Lewis St, Pagosa Springs, CO
This month the Weminuche Audubon chapter will conduct its annual meeting. A potluck dinner with contributions from attendees always ensures a good time. This is the meeting when members come together to socialize, review our accomplishments over the past year, hear a report on our finances, and conduct elections to the Board of Directors.
If you are interested in finding out what our group is all about, please join us. Audubon meetings are open to the public. We are always looking for volunteers to help with the varied projects that we are involved in. Gardening, educating youth, conducting bird surveys, monitoring water quality and learning about our natural environment are just some of the ways that members keep involved.
We will meet at the Community United Methodist Church on Lewis St on Wednesday, June 19. We will arrive at 5:30 PM for set up with the intention of starting the meal at 6:00 PM. Please bring a dish to share, your dinnerware and utensils. Please enter through the side door close to the parking lot or let us know to open the main door for handicap entrance.
We are very appreciative of the Methodist Church which allows our group the use of this meeting space. At our meetings, we welcome contributions of non-perishable food which are donated to the church food bank
If you are unable to join us in person, use the following link to join on Zoom. It is anticipated that the meeting portion of the evening will begin around 6:30 PM
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June Plant Walk with Lake McCullough
2024-06-10 09:30 - 14:00
Early-Season Edible and Medicinal Plants
First Tour: 9:30 to 11:30 Second Tour: 11:45 to 1:45
Join certified herbalist, Lake McCullough, to discover early summer herbs, wildflowers, and edible plants in the Ponderosa Pine Ecozone. These popular free tours last 2 hours, are limited to 15 people and advance registration is required. No dogs please.
Reserve your space by calling Lake at 970-398-0923 or stop in and see her at her wonderful store, Earthsense Herbals, at 144 Pagosa St.
This tour will meet on Turkey Springs Road. From Highway 160, take Piedra Road (CR 600) 6.3 miles north to Turkey Springs Road (Forest Service Road 629). Turn left onto Turkey Springs Road and continue 4.5 miles, keeping straight at the Brockover Road (FS 919) intersection. Continue another .1 mile. Parking is along the side of the road. Walks are about 2 miles roundtrip. Please be prepared for rugged trails and unpredictable weather.
Additional tours will be offered on July 15 and August 3 for higher elevation plants. Watch for information on these tours on our event calendar.

Riverwalk Naturalist Training
2024-06-03 09:00 - 11:00 | Riverwalk
Learn to lead tours of the Riverwalk wetlands in these free training sessions. The goal of these tours is to foster an appreciation of this important habitat and advocate for its protection. Tours take place twice a week during June through August.
The last training session will be a private tour for returning and new guides. Lake McCullough will be leading this walk with a focus on wetland plants. Along with
identification tips, Lake will be talking about a variety of strategies plants use to survive and thrive.
For information contact pagosawetlands@gmail.com

Birding at Chimney Rock National Monument
2024-05-24 08:00 - 10:00 | Chimney Rock National Monument, 3179 CO 151, Chimney Rock, CO, 81121

Riverwalk Naturalist Training
2024-05-18 09:00 - 11:00 | Ruby Sisson Library, Large Meeting Room, 811 San Juan St, Pagosa Springs, CO, 81147
Learn to lead tours of the Riverwalk wetlands in these free training sessions. The goal of these tours is to foster an appreciation of this important habitat and advocate for its protection. Tours take place twice a week during June through August.
We will use this training session to broaden and deepen our understanding of wetland plants,animals and ecology. In the first week of training, guides will be asked to choose a topic or subject they are interested in, spend some time researching their topic and writing up a fact sheet. Then, at this training session, guides will give a 5-10 minute talk about their findings. We will all learn some new and interesting things to share on our tours, and nurture our own excitement about discovering new ideas.
For information contact pagosawetlands@gmail.com

May Chapter Meeting-Birding by Ear
2024-05-15 18:00 - 20:00 | Community United Methodist Church, 434 Lewis St, Pagosa Springs, CO
In the last couple of weeks, many of our summer songbirds have returned to brighten our lives with their colorful plumage and cheerful songs. Western tanagers, black-headed grosbeaks, house wrens, yellow warblers, yellow-rumped warblers and others, all announcing ‘I am here’. It’s time to renew our training in matching birds with their songs and calls.
Birding by ear to identify bird species is an important skill used by volunteers in our Forest Bird Monitoring Project, set to start soon. Oftentimes, knowing a song is the only way to count a bird hiding in the brush. At our May meeting, Audubon Rockies Community Naturalist, Keith Bruno, will help us with some tricks to learn the songs of birds that inhabit our forests.
Diane Cirksena is awarding a special door prize to a lucky person at the meeting, but you must be present to win.
The public is invited to join us for our meeting on Wednesday, May 15, 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 for the church food bank. Use the following link to join by Zoom if you can’t attend in person.
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Ute Mtn Mesa Verde Birding Festival
2024-05-15 - 2024-05-19
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. Some species, such as Lucy’s Warbler, are found no place else in Colorado.
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 loons and grebes to sparrows, grosbeaks, and finches. Overnight tours within easy driving distance offer different environs and the prospect of encountering species not found within the Cortez area.
Southwest Colorado’s first birding records date to the 1880s. Tours that combine birding with regional archaeology, ecology, and history take UMMV birders into the realms of gulls, shorebirds, waterfowl, Osprey, Peregrine Falcon, Bald and Golden eagles, elusive owls, woodpeckers, flycatchers and phoebes, American Dipper, towhees, crossbills, and colorful bluebirds, tanagers, and warblers. The festival’s birding tally has climbed to 180 species.
The UMMV Birding Festival designs activities and tours to fit a gamut of abilities, ages, and interests. Early evening lectures, social hours, a bird-themed art show, and banquet add to the festival’s five days of enjoyment — learning, socializing, and most importantly birding. Check their website to register for tours https://cortezculturalcenter.org/events/birding-festival/
Registration is now open. Don’t delay in booking tours.

Riverwalk Naturalist Training
2024-05-11 09:00 - 11:00 | Riverwalk
Learn to lead tours of the Riverwalk wetlands in these free training sessions. The goal of these tours is to foster an appreciation of this important habitat and advocate for its protection. Tours take place twice a week during June through August.
In the second training session, Jeb Baxter will take us on a tour of the wetlands with a focus on geology and hydrology. He will help us become more comfortable explaining important concepts using things we see on the Riverwalk during our tours.
For information contact pagosawetlands@gmail.com

Global Big Day Birdwalk
2024-05-11 08:00 - 10:00 | Lake Capote, 398 Hwy 151, Pagosa Springs, CO
You are invited to join members of Weminuche Audubon Society in creating a Global Big Day Checklist at Lake Capote, located at 398 Hwy 151. We will meet at 8 AM on Saturday, May 11 at the office. Bring your binoculars and expect to stay 2 hours. A $5.00 day use fee is charged by the Southern Ute Tribe.

Global Big Day/World Migratory Bird Day
2024-05-11
Two annual events that celebrate birds occur this year on Saturday, May 11, 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.
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 11th 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 11th 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.
The theme of this year’s Migratory Bird Day is the importance of insects to migratory birds. Migratory birds rely on protein-rich insects to fuel their journeys and to feed to young on their breeding grounds. The timing of spring migration is closely tied to the abundance of insects at their destinations. You can help birds by reducing your use of pesticides and herbicides and supporting organic farming.

Riverwalk Naturalist Guide Training
2024-05-04 09:00 - 11:00 | Riverwalk
First of four free training sessions to prepare you to lead tours of the wetlands areas along the Riverwalk. The goal of these tours is to foster an appreciation of these important habitats and advocate for their protection. Tours take place twice a week from June through August.
In this training, Joan Rohwer will be taking us for a walk on the Riverwalk and updating us on new developments in the flow of water through the wetlands. She will also update us on the water monitoring project and introduce a data collection component that we can use on our tours this summer.
For more information contact pagosawetlands@gmail.com

Landowner Basics Class-Range and Soil Health
2024-04-30 18:00 - 20:00 | CSU Extension Office, 344 Hwy 84, Pagosa Springs, CO, 81147
Presented by Natural Resources Conservation Service.Register for this free class by email; robin.young@colostate.edu or by phone; 970-264-5931.

Planet vs Plastics
2024-04-25 18:00 - 20:00 | Community United Methodist Church, 434 Lewis St, Pagosa Springs, CO
As a part of Earth Week activities, Creation Care of Pagosa Springs is presenting Dr. Terry Root who will speak on this theme of Earth Day in 2024. Weminuche Audubon was honored to host a presentation by Dr. Root on climate warming last fall. She is a knowledgeable, fun and energetic speaker.
What problems does plastic use create and what methods can we use to combat them will be topics addressed in Dr. Root’s presentation. She is professor emerita at Stanford University honored with a host of achievements and awards including sharing the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007. You won’t want to miss this program.
Admission is free but donations to further local environmental education will be accepted.
