Tara Davis, Twinning Partnership Coordinator, will tell us about an exciting international, bilingual environmental program. The partners are here in the Willamette Valley and in the Rio Laja Basin, located in the state of Guanajuato in Central Mexico. Tara has worked in conservation for sixteen years focusing on river restoration and non-profit management. She received a bachelor’s degree from Santa Clara University, California in Environmental Science.

Tara’s master’s degree from the University of New Mexico was in Water Resources Management, emphasizing watershed health in developing nations. This research involved working closely with conservation groups in Rio Laja basin in Guanajuato, Mexico, in watershed planning and stakeholder engagement. Over a decade later, this work has transformed into the bi-national Wlilamette-Laja Twinning Partnership. Tara works with multiple funders and conservation groups to coordinate the project, and with the International River Foundation based in Brisbane, Australia to develop river restoration initiatives across the globe. The Willamette-Laja Twinning Partnership unites youth, teachers, river restoration practitioners, and the birding community for deep cultural connections and sustained conservation of our shared migratory bird species and habitats. Read the full story about the project in the Community Notes section of the Summer 2019 Chat newsletter.

Doors open at 6:30 pm for refreshments and visiting. The chapter meeting begins at 7:00 pm, followed by our guest presentation at 7:30.

Schedule

• Oct. 17 – Dave Bucy, Wildlife in Crisis on the Texas Border
• Nov. 21 – Vern Beeson, Current Status of the Malheur Field Station
• Dec. 19 – Member Photo Slide Show
• Jan. 16 – Tom & Ginny Stevens, Travels in South Africa
• Feb. 20 – Dave Luoma, Wildflower Adventures and the Native Plant Society
• Mar. 19 – Worth Mathewson, Natural History of the Band-tailed Pigeon
• April 16 – Randy Comeleo, Update on the Benton County Predator Control Program
• May 21 – James Sumich—Marine Mammals

Meeting Information

Join us on the third Thursday from September through May at the First Methodist Church (see below). Renovations at the Chintimini Senior Center in 2019/2020 necessitated the new meeting site. Attendance is free and visitors are always welcome.

Doors open for refreshments at 6:30 pm. At 7:00 pm a short business meeting covers special projects and programs, current petitions for protecting the environment, and committee updates. There is time for socializing and refreshments, visiting the book table, signing up for field trips, and a raffle to raise money to cover the cost of the meeting hall.

From 7:30 – 8:30 pm an invited speaker presents an entertaining and informative program about birds, science, nature, or conservation. Sometimes there are photos and stories that highlight an exotic birding trip or other adventure. Perhaps it will inspire you to travel too, and they have already done the research! The December meeting is the Members Photo Night.

*New Venue for 2019 – 2020 ASC General Meetings starting September 10*

First United Methodist Church, 1165 NW Monroe Avenue, Corvallis
Wesley Hall, upstairs. You can enter via the stairs on the 11th street side of the church.

Wheelchair access is available using the ramp on the south side of the building (Monroe Street). An automatic door at the top of the ramp provides access to the foyer. Use the elevator on your right to get to the second floor, and the door to Wesley Hall is on your right.

For more information call Mark Baldwin at 541-757-0834 or email (mark.baldwin2(at)comcast.net).