(Hover over photos for description and photographer)
Welcome to the Mid-Willamette Bird Alliance!
(also known as Audubon Society of Corvallis)
Where birds and wildlife count
MWBA (previously ASC) is headquartered in Corvallis, Oregon and welcomes members and visitors from the mid-Willamette Valley and beyond. We host speakers, lead half-day birding walks to local areas, guide multi-day field trips to regional birding areas, present education programs to all ages, and support conservation of birds, other native wildlife, and natural habitats.
What’s Happening?
MWBA/ASC Events – all programs are free (except where indicated) and open to the public.
* Dec 19 – Member Slide Show Zoom recording link
* Jan 3 – 5 to 7 pm, Education Team at Family Fun Night INFO
* Jan 11 – Second Saturday Field Trip 8 am – noon. Meet at Willamette Park Shelter. Register
* Jan 16 – Elakha Alliance: “Returning Sea Otters to Oregon”
* Feb 7 – 5 to 7 pm, Education Team at Family Fun Night INFO
* Feb 20 – Joel Geier: “Vesper Sparrows”
* Mar 7 – 5 to 7 pm, Education Team at Family Fun Night INFO
* Mar 20 – Roy Lowe: “Birds of the Andes Mountains”
* Apr 17 – Mark Kerstens: “Black-backed Woodpeckers”
* May 15 – May 15 – Jayshaun Talbert: “Lights Out Corvallis”
Hesthavn
* Trails – open dawn to dusk every day
* Work Party TBA. Contact
Community Events
* Jan 14, 6-8 pm – New date for public hearing on Coffin Butte Landfill’s (Republic Services) application to emit noxious fumes. INFO
* Jan 29 by 5 pm – extended deadline for written comments about Republic Service’s application above. EPA concerns
* Volunteers Needed: Avian Botulism at Lower Klamath NWR. Register
* Conservation Volunteer Opportunities Calendar
“Sea Otters: Restoring a Keystone Species to Oregon”
Chanel Hason, Jan 16, 2025
Chanel Hason, Outreach Director for the Elakha Alliance, has a passion for sea otters. These charismatic marine mammals once thrived along Oregon’s coastline, playing a vital role in maintaining healthy marine ecosystems. Tragically, two centuries of fur trading caused their local extinction. Without sea otters, Oregon’s kelp forests have suffered, and the Elakha Alliance is dedicated to restoring a healthy population of sea otters to the Oregon coast, which will increase the resilience of the ecosystem.
Everyone is welcome to attend the meeting in person at the Chandler Ballroom on NW Tyler Ave. in Corvallis. The social gathering starts at 6:30, business meeting at 7:00 pm, then the Raffle, and the slide show presentation starts as early as 7:20 pm and lasts about an hour. Tune in to the Zoom meeting at 7:15.
Dec 19 – Member slide show Zoom link
Monthly Speaker Info
Owls at Family Fun Night!
Kids – make your own owl mask! Lear about the owls in our neighborhood. The MWBA Education Team will be participating in the Family Fun Night on January 3 from 5 – 7 pm at the Corvallis Community Center (2601 NW Tyler Ave, Corvallis). The theme is Nocturnal Nights, and the Ed Team will be focusing on owls, of course. Included are taxidermied owls, an educational activity, and they will help you make your own owl mask.Other partner activities include a match game about night creatures, gym games, crafts, and the Indoor Park’s room of toys!
Flyer (Spanish) More INFO
Birding Field Trips
Second Saturday (half-day) field trips to local birding areas are led by Duncan Evered and Caryn Stoess from September through June.
The 2024 Multi-day field trips will be led by experienced birders driving rented vans. Signup sheets are available at monthly meetings starting in January 2024, or click here Contact
See Field Trips for registration and more information.
Birding & Resources
Our region is a prime place to find, watch, draw, and photograph many species of birds. Half-day field trips to local areas and multi-day trips to regional birding areas are led by ASC guides. New birders and anyone else interested are invited to participate. Find more information about ASC Birding at the links below.
Birding Field Trips Resources
Conservation
ASC participates in grassroot conservation by providing information about pending actions on national and state environmental laws. Locally, ASC has joined partners to conserve habitats, provide access on trails, and restore native plants. Conservation of Western Bluebirds and Streaked Horned Larks are other major initiatives for ASC.
For more information, click: Audubon in the News or Conservation/Protection or Priorities
Education Workshops
The Kalapuyans are a Native American ethnic group. Their traditional homelands were in the Willamette, Elk Creek, and Calapooya Creek watersheds of Western Oregon (Link). Recent workshops explored local Kalapuya history and ecology with stories, games, and uses of native plants and animals. It also included an exploration into fire management practices and restoration following fire.
Education Program
The Education Team has connected people to nature for the past 30 years. Events are often held at Hesthavn, our small Nature Center on Oak Creek Road. Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, our plans for the coming year are limited, so check here for updates.
Bluebird Trail
The ASC Bluebird Trail committee was created to promote the conservation of the Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana) and other native cavity-nesters through field work, scientific studies, and education. A series of bluebird boxes have been placed in ideal habitat for the birds. Volunteers monitor the nesting success throughout the breeding season, and results are reported to several organizations.
Hesthavn Grounds & Nature Center
Hesthavn Nature Center started life as a barn, and now it offers a museum with taxidermied birds, Bluebird Trail and other exhibits, and a classroom. It will be open to the public for special events. The grounds include trails, bird feeders, and a native plant garden and are open are open from dawn to dusk everyday. Meadow restoration is one step in the long-term goal of restoring all habitats. Admission is free!
Join Us!
New to the area? Meet people who also like nature! Would you like to volunteer to share your passion or contribute to restoration? Become a member of ASC and help us continue our important work. You can also donate time or dollars to ASC. We also appreciate your tax-deductible contributions to our local education and conservation efforts.
Membership Volunteer Donate
Partners
ASC welcomes partnerships with other agencies and organizations. Together we provide equal opportunities for all children, allowing them to experience nature through games, art, and activities that enhance both classroom and special-event learning. Other partnerships pool funding, staff, and other resources to accomplish conservation and other education goals.
Education Conservation
Our Newsletter
Each issue of The Chat contains information about monthly speakers and their presentation. Also included is the latest news about education, conservation, Hesthavn Nature Center, field trips, bird sightings, Board meetings, calendar items, and more. Ten issues are produced by our volunteers each year, from September through June. Archived newsletters are available in PDF format from April 2003 to the present.
Current Issue
The Chat Newsletter and Archives