Summer Events for NCAS

Happy Summer, everyone! While NCAS takes a break from membership meetings over the summer, there are still some exciting events to check out. Below is a brief list of these events, and be sure to go to our website for full details.

Saturday, July 5 : Semiahmoo Spit birding field tripSaturday, August 2 : Semiahmoo Spit birding field tripThursday, August 21 : Bird Watchers Walk and Talk with Dick McNeelyFriday, August 22 : Everyone Can Draw Birds!Sundays, August 24 and 31 : Syre Center's Treasure HuntThursday, August 28 : Birds on the Move! Paper Bird MobileFriday/Saturday, August 29-30 : Bird Nest Boxes

Thank You, Members

    We'd like to take this opportunity to say "thank you!" to all the wonderful members who have attended meetings, gone on field trips, donated to our organization, volunteered in some way, or participated in any of our activities this past year. We truly appreciate you!

Beginning Birding Workshop, May Field Trips and more...

Beginning Birding Workshop

     (Free!) May 31 - June 1

Are you just getting started in birding? Are you seeing birds but donʼt know what they are? Are you worried that you donʼt know enough to go on field trips?   If youʼve answered yes to any of the above questions and want to learn about birds and birding, then this in-depth workshop is just what you need. We will cover topics ranging from how to choose and effectively use a pair of binoculars to how to find and identify birds. The workshop will concentrate on birds found in our local area, but will also provide knowledge and skills that will allow you to bird anywhere.  The goal is to increase your enjoyment of watching and learning about our fascinating feathered friends!             All ages welcome, but children 12 and under must participate with an adult. For more information or to register contact Ken Salzman at: kpsalzman@comcast.net or 756-0347. Registration is limited to 25 people, so register early!

Early May Field Trips

Please check out our field trip page for more details!More May field trips will be posted at the end of the month. Sunday, May 4: May Meander 9 AM. Trip limit: 12. Trip leader, Joe Meche, 739-5383 or mechejmch@aol.com. Sunday, May 18: Whatcom Creek Walk 10 AM. Trip limit: 12. Trip leader: Joe Meche, 739-5383 or mechejmch@aol.com.

General Membership Meeting with Dan Froehlich

     Frequent Fliers of the Bird World: Long Distance Migrants

Check out our website to see a description of this talk. Always on the 4th Tuesday of the month: April 22, 7pm at the Whatcom Museum The Sibley Guide to Birds, 2nd Edition Book signing with David Allen Sibley Co-sponsored by the North Cascades Audubon Society & North Cascades Institute. Visit Village Books to learn more! Sunday, April 20, 4pm at Village Books 1200 11th Street Bellingham, WA 98225 Annual NCAS Campout Friday, June 6 to Sunday, June 8   For the third year NCAS has reserved the group camp at Pearrygin Lake State Park, just north of Winthrop, for a weekend of outstanding birding under the warm, clear skies of Okanogan County.  Our Audubon group listed over a hundred species within the 48 hour period including field trips to Beaver Pond and Pipestone Canyon. The group camp is separated from the main campground and situated in the midst of excellent habitat.  The site is accessed by a narrow, gravel drive and is designated for tent camping only but smaller RVs can be parked in the adjacent lot.  Cost for the two days is $20.00 per camping unit to cover the rental fees.   For more information please contact Pam Borso at president@northcascadesaudubon.org or (360) 319-9004.

March Newsletter, Field Trips, and more...

March 2014 Newsletter is Online

     Go to www.northcascadesaudubon.org to download the PDF.

March Field Trips are Online

    Visit our website to see what's coming up this month.

General Membership Meeting with Julia Parrish - It's not Rocket Science, it's Citizen Science: the Power of Real People

     This month's exciting membership meeting! See below for date, time, and NEW location.

In spring 2005, hundreds of marine birds washed up on Pacific Northwest outer coast beaches.  In fall 2007, almost fifty murres floated in to usually empty Puget Sound beaches.  In summer 2009, thousands of wayward sea ducks washed ashore along the Olympic Peninsula.  What provoked these die-offs?  Are they connected?  How do we even know about them?  The Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team (COASST) is a citizen science program bringing together over 600 real people with marine scientists from the University of Washington.  Since 1999, COASST has collected data on over 30,000 beached birds (144 species!) from more than 320 coastal locations throughout the North Pacific.  These real data from real people form the definitive baseline against which the impacts of oil spills, fishery bycatch, harmful algal blooms, and global warming can be assessed. Julia K. Parrish is the Lowell A. and Frankie L. Wakefield Professor of Ocean Fishery Sciences, and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Diversity in the College of the Environment at the University of Washington.  An expert on the natural history, ecology and conservation of marine birds, and author of many scientific articles and books, Julia has spent the last 20 years roaming the seabird colonies and beaches of the North Pacific working to understand the forces affecting coastal marine ecosystem health.

Always on the 4th Tuesday of the month: March 25, 7pm at the Whatcom Museum,** free & open to the public!

**in the Rotunda Room of the Old City Hall building

NCAS Program Chair Wanted Our chapter’s meeting programs are a central part of our educational efforts.  Choosing pertinent topics, finding qualified presenters, arranging for the venue and seeing to all the necessary details required to facilitate a successful meeting is no small task.  Nevertheless, the chapter has been functioning without a Program Chair for over four years and these tasks are being performed by other board members.  Finding an energetic volunteer to fill this role would greatly enhance the functioning of our board and allow NCAS to better serve our community.  Currently NCAS presents educational programs at eight monthly meetings annually, September through May.  Those meetings, plus the Holiday Potluck in December, are the extent of our programming efforts and the responsibilities of the Program Chair.  This is the status quo and not a limitation if someone out there wants to do more.  Your board members are enjoying themselves doing Audubon work.  There is always more that could be done.  If you are interested in joining the NCAS team as Program Chair or in another capacity please contact Pam Borso at: president@northcascadesaudubon.org

February Newsletter, Field Trips, and more...

February 2014 Newsletter is Available Below:

     Click here!

* Please note, the newsletter is not yet available online, so please refer to this email below for field trip details OR download the file at the link above. Thanks!

February Field Trips

Sunday, February 16, George Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary, B.C.Time: 8 AM -  full day (half day option possible)Trip Leaders: Dave Schmalz and Diane Birsner Trip limit: 12 To register and for trip details contact Dave Schmalz: 360-671-1537 Located approximately 45 minutes north of Bellingham near Ladner, B.C., Reifel Sanctuary is one of the premier birding spots in our area. Expect to see a number of different species of shorebirds, raptors, passerines and waterfowl. Passport/enhanced driver’s license required.Thursday, February 20, Samish FlatsTime: 8:30 AM - half day trip    Trip Leader: Steven Harper To register and for more details contact Steven Harper at 360-650-9065 or stevenharper2@msn.com Explore the Samish Flats for raptors, short-eared owls, waterfowl and resident year-round birds.Saturday, March 1, Semiahmoo SpitTime: 9 AM at Semiahmoo Park - 3 hoursTrip Leader: Paul Woodcock No registration required This trip offers a wide range of bird species any time of year but the birds can be very special in winter. Spring isn’t far away so there could be some surprises. Co-sponsored by NCAS and Whatcom County Parks & Recreation, the trip covers all of the spit and is great for beginning birders.

General Membership Meeting with Sue Taylor: Garden to Make a Difference

     This month's exciting membership meeting! See below for date, time, and NEW location.

Healthy intact ecosystems perform many critical services on which we as humans are dependent for our continued well-being and existence.  About 95% of the land in the continental U.S. has been converted to cities and towns, and to some form of agricultural or recreational use.  With only 5% of the land in its natural state, habitat loss and species decline are interfering with the ability of ecosystems to successfully purify our air and water, produce oxygen, sequester carbon, cycle nutrients, pollinate plants, and to perform so many other vital functions.   Residential landscapes that are structurally complex and species rich provide an opportunity to reverse the trend of habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation that are the primary reasons for the decline of so many species.  The choices we make on our own little piece of earth matter. Living “in” a natural oasis filled with the sights and sounds of birds, butterflies, and other beneficial insects is the perfect counterbalance to the stresses of our busy lives.    Join us to learn how to transform your landscape into an environmental asset – one small step at a time. Sue Taylor is a visionary gardener, teacher and native plant landscaper who teaches classes on sustainable landscaping at WSU’s Whatcom Extension.

Always on the 4th Tuesday of the month: February 25, 7pm at the Whatcom Museum**, free & open to the public!

**in the Rotunda Room of the Old City Hall building

January Newsletter, Field Trips, Membership Meeting, and more...

January 2014 Newsletter is Online

     Go to www.northcascadesaudubon.org to download the PDF.

January Field Trips are Online

    Visit our website to see what's coming up this month.

* Note: Joe Meche's "Whatcom Creek Walk" on Sunday, January 12, starts at 10AM -- an incorrect time is listed in newsletter.

General Membership Meeting with Tim Wahl: Searching for the Lummi River

     This month's exciting membership meeting! See below for date, time, and NEW location.

Tim Wahl is a local landscape historian particularly interested in how European settlement of Whatcom County changed local ecology.  Join NCAS as Tim discusses his research into channel changes of the Nooksack River downstream from Ferndale since the pioneer settlers arrived.  He uses the historic record and lidar images to interpret Whatcom County before the changes of the last 150 years.  Another project Tim is working on for NCAS is the creation of a new set of digital maps for the Bellingham Christmas Bird Count.  Some of these maps will be used in this presentation.  Tim works as Greenways Coordinator for Bellingham Parks and Recreation.

Always on the 4th Tuesday of the month: January 28, 7pm at the Whatcom Museum, free & open to the public!

***ATTENTION: Starting January 28, 2014, NCAS membership meetings will be held at the Whatcom Museum.***

NCAS Program Chair Wanted Our chapter’s meeting programs are a central part of our educational efforts.  Choosing pertinent topics, finding qualified presenters, arranging for the venue and seeing to all the necessary details required to facilitate a successful meeting is no small task.  Nevertheless, the chapter has been functioning without a Program Chair for over four years and these tasks are being performed by other board members.  Finding an energetic volunteer to fill this role would greatly enhance the functioning of our board and allow NCAS to better serve our community.  Currently NCAS presents educational programs at eight monthly meetings annually, September through May.  Those meetings, plus the Holiday Potluck in December, are the extent of our programming efforts and the responsibilities of the Program Chair.  This is the status quo and not a limitation if someone out there wants to do more.  Your board members are enjoying themselves doing Audubon work.  There is always more that could be done.  If you are interested in joining the NCAS team as Program Chair or in another capacity please contact Pam Borso at: president@northcascadesaudubon.org

Field Trip Dates Coming Soon

Watch for more informaiton for upcoming field trips....