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
March 27, 7:00 pm
The Brazilian Pantanal: A Wildlife Photographer’s Paradise
Tom Kogut
The Pantanal, located in southwestern Brazil, is the world’s largest tropical wetland. It is also a global biodiversity hotspot, featuring an astounding variety and abundance of birds, mammals, reptiles, and invertebrates. It is the best place to observe wild jaguars, giant otters, and giant anteaters, along with four species of macaws, jabirus, toco toucans, millions of yacare caimans, and much more!
Join us for a photographic tour of this world-famous location, featuring stunning images that depict the region’s wildlife, landscapes, and people. Included will be travel and photo tips for those wishing to visit the Pantanal and experience this magical destination for themselves.
Tom Kogut is a retired U.S. Forest Service wildlife biologist, and an award-winning photographer with five decades of experience both here in the U.S. and around the world, with an emphasis on wildlife, landscapes, and indigenous cultures. His photos have been published in numerous books, national magazines and newspapers, calendars, and websites like National Geographic and CNN.
March 27, 7:00 pm.This meeting will be in person, at the Yakima Area Arboretum, 1401 Arboretum Dr, Yakima.
Toco Toucan, photo: Tom Kogut
Red-and-green Macaw, photo: Tom Kogut.
Jaguar, photo: Tom Kogut
Giant Otter Fish, photo: Tom Kogut
Caiman pair, photo: Tom Kogut
Past Programs
Birding Adventures Around the World: How Young Birder Camps Shaped Sierra Downes’ Journey
Sierra Downes
Join us for an engaging talk with Sierra Downes as she takes us on a journey through her experiences at young birder camps across southeastern Arizona, coastal Maine, and Costa Rica. In southeastern Arizona, Sierra will highlight the incredible diversity of species found in the desert and sky island ecosystems. From coastal Maine, she will share her adventures visiting breeding seabird colonies, featuring puffins and terns. In Costa Rica, Sierra’s story continues with her volunteer work in tropical forest ecology, showcasing the vibrant and colorful biodiversity of birds, mammals, and amphibians. These formative experiences have not only shaped Sierra as a young birder but also inspired her path toward becoming a wildlife biologist.
Yakima area local and a passionate birder since the age of 5, Sierra Downes, now 19, is studying Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences at Oregon State University. With birding expeditions in seven countries and nearly 1,000 species observed, as well as over 750 species identified across 23 U.S. states, Sierra brings a wealth of knowledge, captivating stories, and stunning photos to share.
Atlantic Puffin, photo: Sierra Downes
Sierra Downes
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.