Dr. Jonathon Valente is a research ecologist and statistician who combines these aspects of his background to help understand species distributions and population dynamics in human-modified ecosystems. His work throughout the western hemisphere has helped ecologists identify bird species that are affected by habitat fragmentation, learn to manage invasive plants without harming avian communities, and integrate bird-friendly management practices into tropical coffee farms.

Jonathon is now a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Oregon State University College of Forestry working on the Oregon Marbled Murrelet Project (www.oregonmurrelet.org), a scientific research effort launched in 2015 to advance our knowledge about basic murrelet biology. Jonathon discussed how the research team is using cutting-edge technology to better understand murrelet habitat requirements, movement, and limitations to population growth, as well as how this research will be used to improve management of public and private forest lands.

Monthly meetings begin at 7:00 PM and are open to the general public, although space is limited. Contact audubon.corvallis@gmail.com for information about accessing the program. More info

 

How to Connect to Video Presentations

The ASC Board will decide whether each  monthly meeting will be an in-person meeting or a virtual webinar on Zoom. If the meeting will be on Zoom, ASC members who provided their email address with their membership dues will receive an invitation and instructions the day before the webinar. Members can view the presentation on their computers or phones at home. It will begin at 7:00 PM and be followed by the ASC Business Meeting when needed. Meetings are open to the general public but are space limited. If you are not a member, please contact audubon.corvallis@gmail.com for information about accessing the program.

 

2022-2023 Speaker Schedule

September 15 – 7 pm, Kelly Hazen “SE Oregon Greater Sage-Grouse Adopt-A-Lek Program.” Hybrid in-person and Zoom meeting.
More speaker info will be added when available on the website and/or the Summer Chat newsletter (August 2022).

 

Past Video Presentations

The ASC Board has decided to provide a link to presentations for 2021-2022 from one or two previous months but not to continue linking to all the presentations for the past year. Former ASC Vice President Mark Baldwin has recordings of the 2020/2021 speakers, but we are unable to archive them on our website. Contact for more information.

April 2020

ASC members Matt Lee and Sue Powell shared their photos and stories from their “bucket-list” trip to the Ecuador mainland and Galapagos Islands in October 2021. Ecuador is small but has mega-diverse habitats, including coastal lowlands, foothills, Andean peaks, dry forests, cloud forests, high-altitude Páramo grasslands, Amazonian jungles, and Pacific Islands. This habitat diversity supports 1700 species of birds, more than 130 of which are hummingbirds.

March 2022

OSU researcher Matt Betts presented recent findings on (1) the importance of old growth for moderating the effect of climate change on birds, (2) the effects of deforestation on species endangerment worldwide, and (3) the effects of herbicide on birds and biodiversity generally in the Oregon Coast Range.

                    

 

February 2022

Dave Mellinger spoke about developing user-friendly acoustic tools for studying marine mammals and their environment. Results are important for research and  conservation of marine species throughout the world. Dave ‘flew’ ocean gliders underwater to study sperm whales in the Gulf of Mexico.

Humpback whale “songs” are a complex series of repeated sounds usually made by males during the breeding season.

January 2022

Ryan Baumbusch is researching the foraging ecology of Barred Owls in the Pacific Northwest. By examining the stomach contents of owls removed from Spotted Owl territories, he is inventorying what they eat and comparing it to Spotted Owl diets.

December 2021

Seven ASC members showed some of their recent photos during the annual Member SlideShow. Presenters included Matt Lee, Sue Powell, Dodie Wilson, Teri Engbring, Mikaela Lea, and Tom Health. Mikaela also showcased the results of the 2nd annual Bird Coloring Contest. Forty-four artists entered, with ages between 5 and adult.

 

November 2021

Jamie Cornelius presented information about how nomadic birds survive survive environmental changes. She shared some of what she’s learned about life as a wanderer from Red Crossbills, Pine Siskins, Goldfinches, Zebra Finches, and more.

October 2021

Julia Corbett examines nature in our lives with all of its ironies and contradictions by seamlessly integrating personal narratives with morsels of highly digestible science and research. Each story delves into an overlooked aspect of our relationship with nature—insects, garbage, backyards, noise, open doors, animals, and language.

September 2021

Fred Ramsey is one of ASC’s founding members and weekend field trip coordinator for 5 decades. He has some treasured photos and stories from the hundreds of field trips he guided over the years and shared them with the ASC audience.