Upcoming Events, Programs, and Field Trips

Events, Programs, & Field Trips

Chapter Meeting: Forest and People - Small landowners in Washington State, and a few songs

Ken Bevis

December 1st (Thursday), 7pm, Yakima Area Arboretum + Zoom

Image - Ken Bevis
Ken Bevis

Ken will describe the types of people he has met across the state in 9 years of working with small forest landowners. AND, the habitat issues and opportunities most commonly encountered. This will lead to reflections on our role as environmental stewards individually and collectively. Plus, he will perform a few original songs about wildlife and habitat for your enjoyment.  Come down to see old and new friends and have some fun with this end of year presentation.

Ken Bevis is the Stewardship Wildlife Biologist for the WA Dept of Natural Resources Service Forestry program (since 2013), helping staff and forest landowners include good habitat management practices on their land. He is an alumni of WDFW, and worked in our area for almost 20 years before moving to the Methow. When he lived in Yakima he was the Conservation Chair for Yakima Audubon and on the board for CCC. He worked with Andy Stepniewski and many others on the Important Bird Areas project. He did a bunch of stuff with spotted owls back in the day too, and finds himself confused at being the old guy now (How did that happen???).  Now he sings songs and tells stories to get people to keep snags standing!

Image - Ken Bevis with Landowner Mike Hoge at WOD Cabin 2014
Ken Bevis with Landowner Mike Hoge at WOD Cabin 2014

This is planned to be a hybrid program, in-person, and electronically. We will be gathering at the Yakima Arboretum for this monthly program. Though we hope to see you all there, for those unable to attend, we will attempt to also have a simultaneous Zoom version available and a recording of the program on the YVAS website. We do request all to wear masks when indoors at the arboretum as an additional protection for all of us.

Doors open at 5:30 for visiting

Potluck begins at 6pm - see below

Program begins at 7pm

IN PERSON at the YAKIMA AREA ARBORETUM, Also streaming on Zoom. Online program opens at 6:45 pm.

This is planned to be a hybrid program, in-person, and electronically. We will be gathering with Ken Bevis at the Yakima Arboretum for this annual potluck, then program. Though we hope to see you all there, but for those unable to attend, we will attempt to also have a simultaneous Zoom version available and a recording of the program on the YVAS website.

We do request all to wear masks when indoors and not eating or drinking at the arboretum as an additional protection for all of us.

The link for the zoom version will be:

The next program will be Thursday, January 26th. Speaker and topic to be announced.

Holiday Potluck and Program

Thursday, December 1st

Join fellow Auduboners on Thursday, December 1st, for the annual YVAS Holiday Potluck at the Yakima Area Arboretum. Doors will open at 5:30, with wine service, and camaraderie and time to set out your potluck food. Dinner will begin at 6:00. To accommodate those who still need extra protection, please put on a mask after eating. The program will begin at 7:00.

Image - YVAS Holiday Potluck
YVAS Holiday Potluck

Ham, will be provided as well as wine available by the glass with donations defraying the cost. Food assignments are grouped by your last name:

Dishes should serve about 10-12 people. It would be helpful to list the ingredients of your dish for those with allergies. In addition to your potluck items, be sure to bring serving utensils for your dish and mark them with your name to ensure return.

You will need to bring your own table service (plates, cups, silverware). Please feel free to bring a tablecloth and table decorations if you would like.

In the last few years, the popularity of the auction has declined, maybe as so many of us are trying to downsize. This year we will not have the auction.

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

11/5 Vantage and Columbia River Field Trip, 7:00 am - 4:00 pm

Columbia River is the focus of this trip. We’ll travel through the Yakima Canyon and Vantage Highway, en route to Vantage, and keep an eye out for raptors. Fall can be impressive at Vantage for waterfowl numbers in the hundreds to thousands and often unusual diving ducks/loons are seen at this time of year, including scoters, and Pacific loon, plus sometimes a good collection of gulls. The parks along the river also usually host a nice variety of wintering passerines. Field trip will leave Yakima at 7:00 am. Expect a return to Yakima around 4:00 pm.

Bring lunch, water and dress for varied weather conditions. We could get nice weather near 60 degrees or it could be windy and cold at Vantage. Scope is helpful, but not required. Limit 8 participants. We’ll stop at several places that need a Discover Pass, so drivers should plan on having one.

To sign up, contact leader Scott Downes at ses1440@outlook.com .

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.

November

December