By Jean Zirnhelt | Weminuche Audubon Society
With winter behind us, Weminuche Audubon members are planning events to get us outside and participating in exciting citizen science projects this spring and summer. We can’t think of a better way to spend a morning than in the woods spotting and hearing birds, watching nests and appreciating nature.
Weminuche Audubon invites you to join us at our April meeting on Wednesday, April 20, at the Community United Methodist Church on Lewis Street. We will gather at 6 p.m. to set up and socialize, with the meeting starting at 6:30 p.m. For those unable to join us in person, the meeting will be broadcast on Zoom. Look for the link on our website, weminucheaudubon.org.
We will hear from representatives of three exciting citizen science projects organized through the chapter.
Beverly Compton will discuss the importance of surveys being conducted in the HD Mountains in collaboration with the San Juan Citizens Alliance. The area we are covering is accessed by Fossett Gulch Road and impacted by natural gas wells.
Kitty Neal will provide an overview of The American Dipper Project and our monitoring of nesting success of these amazing birds. This survey will take you to our beautiful rivers and streams.
Herb Grover will lead a discussion of the upcoming fourth season of our Forest Bird Monitoring Project documenting bird populations in areas of the national forest which have been subjected to different wildfire prevention treatments.
Grover has posted video summaries of this project on YouTube, found by searching “Weminuche Audubon Bird Monitoring Project.” Information from these surveys contributes to planning for best forest health treatments through our collaboration with the Upper San Juan Forest Health Partnership, Mountain Studies Institute and the U.S. Forest Service.
The success of all of these projects depends on volunteer participation, and we encourage you to join us in making a contribution to the understanding of impacts to these bird populations. Expert birding skills are not required; one of the goals of these studies is to increase our identification expertise by learning from each other. Each study requires a commitment of only three to four hours per week for the duration of the survey.
We also have volunteer opportunities in helping to maintain our native plant garden on the Geothermal Greenhouse Partnership site in town and in training to conduct naturalist tours through the wetlands along the Riverwalk.
All Audubon events are open to the public. We are a welcoming group and invite you to come and see what we’re all about. A donation of nonperishable food for the church food bank is appreciated. For information, email us at weminucheaudubon@gmail.com.
