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
Thursday, January 23, 2025. Jason Fedorra will give a presentation on Madegascar. Zoom only, 7:00 pm.
Previous Program
Danielle Munzing and Burrowing Owl, photo: Danielle Munzing.
Burrowing Owl and crickets, photo: Danielle Munzing.
Burrowing Owl owlets, photo: Danielle Munzing.
December 5, 2024
Burrowing Owls Conservation at Umatilla Chemical Depot
Danielle Munzing
In 2009, only a few pairs of Burrowing Owls were found in the fenced area of Umatilla Chemical Depot, a site in Northeast Oregon. A shortage of natural burrows was identified as a key issue. Umatilla Chemical Depot, formerly a storage site for chemical munitions, has been repurposed to provide a sanctuary for Burrowing Owls and other wildlife. The depot’s open grasslands and limited human activity create a perfect habitat for these owls.
In collaboration with David Johnson and the Global Owl Project, artificial burrows were installed to create safe nesting sites with great success. Danielle Munzing, a volunteer, will share her personal experiences from building and installing artificial burrows to banding and photographing the owls, offering a hands-on perspective on the project’s impact.
Danielle Munzing’s passion for wildlife began in the mountains of Northern California, leading her to study bears in the North Cascades during college. In the late 1990s, she moved to Leavenworth, Washington, and spent nearly a decade with the U.S. Forest Service studying black bears, spotted owls, American martens, and other wildlife. After completing her M.S. in Natural Resource Management, Danielle joined the Washington Department of Natural Resources, where she now serves as the Southeast Region Biologist, working to protect wildlife habitat across the region. Danielle also discovered a love for photography, which led her to document a burrowing owl research project at the Umatilla Chemical Depot from 2012 to 2021. She believes photography reveals fresh perspectives, inviting people to appreciate nature’s beauty. Based in Central Washington, Danielle strives to inspire others to view and protect the natural world with newfound wonder.
This program was only in person. It was not recorded.
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.
2024
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.