(Hover over photos for description and photographer)
Welcome to the Audubon Society of Corvallis!
Where birds and wildlife count
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?
Events – All programs are free and open to the public.
* Mar 1-31 Winter Wildlife Field Days, ASC bird walks – see below, Info
* Apr 8 – Second Saturday Field Trip at 8:00 am, meet at Willamette Park shelter (end of SE Goodnight Ave.) Register, More info
* Apr 20 – Monthly Meeting, Don Boucher & Lisa Millbank “A Yard Full of Native Plants, Birds, Bugs and More” Info
* May 8-12 – Hesthavn Open House 12 pm – 2 pm, part of Natural Areas Celebration Week
* May 18 – Monthly Meeting, Bob Beschta “Trophic Cascades & Yellowstone” Info
* Jun 3 – Get Outdoors Day: Returning to the Forest, Peavy Arboretum 10 am-3 pm. Contact
Hesthavn Work Parties – Sunday from 10 am – 2 pm Contact
* TBD
Hesthavn Nature Center
Open periodically but trails are open dawn to dusk everyday
Other
Multi-day Field Trips 2023 – Trip descriptions link
* Rogue Valley – Apr 28-30 Info
* Malheur NWR – May 18-21 Info
* Summer Lake – Jun 12-14 Info
* Bandon/South Coast – Sep. 18-20 Info
Conservation Volunteer Calendar – monthly opportunities, info
Malheur Field Station Birding Trips 2023
* Spring Malheur Basin, Steens Mtn. May 15-20 Info
* Casual Birding, Gentle Yoga Jun 11-15 Info
* Fall Malheur Basin, Steens Mtn. Sept 8-13 Info
Monthly Presentation
“A Yard Full of Native Plants, Birds, Bugs and More” – Don Boucher & Lisa Milbank
April 20, 2023
(Hybrid in-person and Zoom presentation)
Don Boucher and Lisa Milbank encountered many problems and made mistakes as they converted the lawn on their quarter-acre suburban lot to a garden for both edible and native plants. They will also describe how they made their yard inviting to nesting birds and pollinating insects as well as discuss easy ways to add more species richness to any yard.
Monthly meetings begin at 6:30 pm with a social gathering and then a business meeting at 7:00 pm, which includes information about field trips, conservation issues, and volunteer opportunities. The hour-long program begins at 7:30 pm, and the Zoom recording will also begin then. Meetings are open to the general public. Contact audubon.corvallis@gmail.com for information.
March presentation – Marina Richie – Zoom link, Monthly Speakers
Winter Wildlife Field Days March 1-31
Free and Family Friendly
Once again, a bilingual and accessible nature adventure is happening this March. Many local partners and volunteers have worked hard to present events that are free, family friendly, and will include in-person events. Online activities will also be available.
ASC Education Team members will lead these bird walks, starting from the WWFD booth at the parks. Contact
– Saturday March 11 at Starker Arts Park, 2-5pm
– Saturday March 18 at MLK Jr Park, 2-5pm
– Saturday March 25 at Village Green Park, 11am-2pm
Birding Field Trips
Second Saturday (half-day) field trips to local birding areas are led by Duncan Evered and Caryn Stoess. Please see Field Trips for registration and more information.
The 2023 Multi-day field trips will be led by experienced birders driving rented vans. Signup sheets are available at monthly meetings, or * Rogue Valley – Apr. 28-30 Info
* Malheur NWR -May 18-21 Info
* Summer Lake – Jun. 12-14 Info
* Bandon/South Coast – Aug. 18-20 Info
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.
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.
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