Programs
Yakima Valley Audubon Society provides programs for the benefit of members and the public at the Yakima Area Arboretum. Program topics, dates and times are announced in the newsletter, Calliope Crier, and on our website.
Upcoming Program
May 22, 7:00 pm
Getting to Know Merlin and eBird: Hands-on learning with your fellow YVAS members
Is fear of making an eBird mistake keeping you from trying eBird? Are you reluctant to diminish your outdoor experience with annoying software? Or are you just overwhelmed at the idea of having to learn yet another “essential app”? If so, then this hands-on learning program is for you! With just a little practice, Ebird and Merlin can be as convenient and useful to birding as your binoculars and field guide.
Ebird and Merlin are powerful birding tools that are much more than just listing software.
Ebird and Merlin can:
- Give you detailed lists by season and species of your favorite birding spots
- Identify birds by their song on your phone
- Identify birds from a photograph
- You can enter your existing life list and eBird will give you reminders about local birds “missing” from your life list
- Help you identify birds all over the world based on simple searches by color, size, behavior and location
- Keep a birding history of your favorite hotspots year to year
- Keep track of your favorite species, such as when you first saw a Bullock’s Oriole in your yard last year
We will have experienced YVAS members to give you personalized coaching and provide handouts that will help you take notes and retain what you learned. We will also go for a short bird walk in the Arboretum for some hands-on practice. And of course, ice cream when we are finished.
In advance of this session, you will need to set up an account with Cornell Labs (always ad-free) and download eBird, Merlin and the NA bird pack.
Here is the link to get started with eBird:
https://support.ebird.org/en/support/solutions/articles/48001158707-get-started-with-ebird
Create a Cornell Lab account:
If you have any troubles with getting things set up, we can help at the Arboretum.
This meeting will be in person, at the Yakima Area Arboretum, 1401 Arboretum Dr, Yakima.
Great Egret, photo: Sarah Shippen
Western Bluebird, photo: Karen Zook
Birding Poppoff Trail, photo: Sarah Shippen
Past Program
April 24, 2025
The Intelligence of Trees, Speaker: Sean Tait
The Intelligence of Trees delves into groundbreaking scientific discoveries that are reshaping our understanding of trees and their hidden world. This fascinating journey into the secret life of forests will challenge what you thought you knew about nature.
Recorded Programs
The following programs and videos can be found here: YVAS Facebook page. At the top of the Facebook page, click on “More.” A drop down menu will appear. Click on Videos.
2025
January 23, 2025 – Exploring Madagascar’s Otherwordly Wildlife – Jason Fedorra
2024
March 28, 2024 – Whose Track is That? Exploring for Wildlife Sign – Deborah K. Essman
April 25, 2024 – Tropical Wildlife and Conservation, Peru and Kenya – Eric Heisey
2023
October 26, 2023 –Bluebird Country – Karen Zook
August 24, 2023 – Travels in Africa – Deborah Essman
May 25 , 2023 – Nutcrackers and Whitebark Pine – Taza Schaming
March 23, 2023 – Wild America 2022 – Andy Stepniewski
February 23, 2023 – Woodpeckers 2 – Denny Granstrand
January 26, 2023 – Madagascar – Eric Heisey
2022
December 8, 2022 – Forests and People – Ken Bevis
October 27, 2022 – Tahoma’s Biggest Stories – Jeff Antonelis-Lapp
September 22, 2022 – White-headed Woodpeckers – 20 years of Research in WA – Jeff Kozma
August 25 ,2022 – The Secret Life of the Deserts of the Pacific NW – Mike Denny
May 26, 2022 – Yakima Valley Audubon’s Vredenburgh Bluebird Trail Marks its 40th Year! – Andy Stepniewski
March 24, 2022 – Bird’s Eye View – Gina Roberti
February 24, 2022 – Westport Seabirds – Bill Tweit
2021
December 2, 2021 – Australia – Dennis Paulson and Netta Smith
October 28, 2021 – Special Birds of Mount Rainier – Jeff Antonelis-Lapp
September 23, 2021 – Birding Guatemala’s Highlands – Jason Fidorra
August 26, 2021 – My Woodpecker Big Year – Denny Granstrand
May 27, 2021 – Shrubsteppe Conservation – YVAS
April 22, 2021 – Condors in the Greater Northwest – Jack Nesbit
March 25, 2021 – Our Backyard Bumbles: An Introduction to Washington’s Bumblebees – David Jennings
January 28, 2021 – Cottonwood – Rivers and Reproduction – Katrina Strahmann
2020
December 3, 2020 – Charles Bergman – Every Pengiuin in the World – A Quest to See Them All
October 29, 2020 – Crows: Clever, Curious, and Charismatic with Loma Pendergraft
September 24, 2020 – Biology and Conservation of Washington Butterfliest with Dr. David James
Zoom Program Viewing Tips
You can now watch our monthly program whenever it is convenient for you! Programs are available in real time (so you can ask questions) or as recordings from a link on our website.
To view the live presentation on your laptop, tablet, or smart phone, simply click on this link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85751241932?pwd=K0lseGlvbng4WGlKN3NaeEdaL2VTQT09 about five minutes for before the program is scheduled to begin (6:55 PM). The host will let you into the meeting shortly. If this is your first Zoom meeting, you may be asked to download the Zoom viewing app, (this does not require you to have your own Zoom account). Be sure to answer ‘yes’ to the questions about joining with video and audio so you can see and hear the presentation. For your personal privacy, your own device’s camera is automatically in the off mode when you join the meeting—please mute your microphone.
Please hold questions until the end of the presentation. You may unmute and turn on your video or use the chat function and the host will read the question for you. For Zoom issues during the meeting, please use the Chat button to alert the host.
Links to the recorded programs will be provided on the website a few days following the program.
Yakima Audubon is committed to bringing you information about our natural world. Please let us know at info@yakimaaudubon.org what you think and what we can do to improve this experience for you.