Upcoming Events, Programs, and Field Trips

Events, Programs, & Field Trips

YVAS Pelagic Cruise Study Session

YVAS Pelagic Cruise Study Session

Posted by Yakima Valley Audubon Society on Monday, August 8, 2022

Chapter Meeting: The Secret Life of the Deserts of the Pacific Northwest

Mike Denny

August 25th (Thursday), 7pm, Yakima Area Arboretum + Zoom

This presentation will introduce you to a unique series that covers the desert regions of Oregon and Washington. The series took three years to film, during which over 450 species (plants, animals, and fish) were recorded, revealing the many treasures, the incredible beauty, and the secrets of the vast arid region in both states area lying in the rain-shadow east of the Cascade Range. This educational production consists of eighteen episodes. This presentation will include an hour-long episode in the series that were released to the public in 2022. It is narrated by Mike Denny who brings to the series not only a lifetime of natural history knowledge but also a message of conservation and relationships. Daniel Biggs of Blue Mountain Television filmed and edited the series.

Image - Mike Denny and Daniel Biggs
Mike Denny and Daniel Biggs

Mark your calendars now so as not to miss what promises to be a beautiful and informative depiction of our region’s arid country lying in the rain-shadow of the Cascades.

Where? As long as community levels of Covid permit, this meeting will be held at the Yakima Area Arboretum. We will attempt to also have a Zoom version available and record the program.

Image - Secret Life of the Desert - Deserts of the Pacific NW
Secret Life of the Desert - Deserts of the Pacific NW

Webinar Viewing tips for YVAS Webinars

Would you like to enjoy Yakima Valley Audubon presentations with the whole family? You can now watch our programs whenever it is convenient for you! Our monthly programs are now available as webinars for viewing both in real time (so you can ask questions) and as recordings from a link on our website.

To view the live presentation on your laptop, tablet, or smart phone, click on the link in that month’s Calliope Crier or go to https://yakimaaudubon.org about five minutes before the program is scheduled to start and click on the Zoom webinar link. If you have never attended a Zoom meeting, you will be asked to download the app this first time. (You do not have to have your own Zoom account to join the webinar.) Be sure to answer ‘yes’ to the questions about joining with video and audio. You can always mute yourself for privacy, but you will need to answer yes to view and hear the presentation.

To better enjoy the beautiful photos in the presentation, you have the option of viewing it on a larger screen, such as your smart TV. To do this, you will need to connect your device to the TV with an HDMI cable. If your device does not have an HDMI port, there are inexpensive multiport adaptors available to enable this. (Try Office Depot or buy one online.)

It is even easier to view a recorded seminar once it has been posted on our website! You can watch the recording through your Internet browser, or, if your smartTV allows you to connect to an internet browser, you can simply go directly to our website and click on the seminar link. Video and sound will automatically be displayed and controlled on your Smart TV. Alternatively, you can pull up the webinar on your computer as above and connect your computer with an HDMI cable to your Smart TV.

Even in these challenging times, 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.

Previous Programs

Additional programs and videos can be found on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/watch/yakimaaudubon/

Field Trips

Washington Coast Pelagic Birding Cruise and Shorebirding, Friday, August 26 to Sunday, August 28

We still have a few spots available for this field trip to one of the premier birding hotspots in the Pacific Northwest . Andy Stepniewski writes, “This is an extraordinary opportunity to view seabirds in deep (pelagic) waters beyond the Continental Shelf off the Washington coast as well as migrating shorebirds along the coastal estuaries. Late August is a very good time to view a high diversity of bird species out in deep pelagic waters. There are a variety of bird species never or very rarely seen from shore: albatrosses, shearwaters, fulmars, storm-petrels, skuas, jaegers, terns, and certain gulls. Marine mammals such as whales, dolphins, and porpoises are also often seen. This is also an excellent time to observe migrating shorebirds along the estuary shores in this area. More than 20 species are possible during our pre-boat trip birding on Friday afternoon and after the boat trip on Saturday and again Sunday morning in the Westport-to-Ocean Shores area.”

Westport Seabirds are world renowned guides and have been offering their Washington Coast pelagic cruises for more than thirty years. Bill Tweit with Westport Seabirds will be giving our February YVAS program to give us a preview of what we might see. This will be a wonderful experience for birders and naturalists at all levels. For a complete list of previous Westport Seabirds sightings for August, go to their website: https://westportseabirds.com. This trip will involve two nights in a motel or camping (August 26 and 27) and a nine-hour boat trip ($180/$190 check/Paypal) with Westport Seabirds on the 27th.

YVAS has reserved limited spaces on the cruise and a block of rooms at a local motel with a discounted rate. Reservations must be locked in by the end of February to ensure a place on this trip. Contact Sarah Shippen at ses1440@outlook.com for more information and to sign up.

We hope you will join us!

First Saturday Bird Walk with Kittitas Audubon Society (KAS)

2022 YVAS Field Trip & Event Calendar

Please Note: For the health and safety of all participants, current Washington State Covid-19 Guidelines will be followed on all Yakima Audubon field trips.

July

August

September

October

November

December