Pilchuck Audubon Society is a grass-roots environmental organization representing Snohomish County and Camano Island, Washington, whose mission is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems focusing on birds and other wildlife.
Monthly Program - June 13, 2024
Commission Meeting Room, 2320 California Street, Everett, WA 98201
Or attend online via Zoom (register here)
Partnerships and Co-Creations Across the Differences: Lessons Learned from Multi-Benefits Coastal Resilience Efforts in Washington
Guest speaker: Dr. Sanpisa Sritrairat
The coastline and floodplains across coastal Washington, including in Snohomish County, are facing complex challenges with competing needs among diverse stakeholders. The changing climate and environment impose further difficulties. This talk will discuss examples and lessons learned from various resilience efforts across coastal Washington that focus on balancing ecological, economics, and community needs. A common key to successful coastal resilience efforts starts with a strong collaboration and partnership of diverse stakeholders. The talk will also highlight how the multi-agency Washington Coastal Hazards Organizational Resilience Team (COHORT) is working with local communities, local governments, and state and federal agencies to support local coastal resilience efforts and how you can contribute.
Dr. Sanpisa Sritrairat is an ecologist, hydrogeologist, and environmental educator who has many years of experience working on coastal restorations and climate change adaptation. She is part of the Coastal Resilience Team at Washington Sea Grant and a core member of the Washington Coastal Hazards Organizational Resilience Team (COHORT). As part of the COHORT, her team aims to work collaboratively with diverse communities and interests in the cocreation of projects designed to enhance capacities that address current and future challenges arising from changing coastal systems.
Puget Sound Bird Fest
June 1 & 2, 2024
Celebrate the 20th annual festival with speakers, field activities, exhibits, and more!
Join us on Saturday for a variety of bird walks, an exhibit hall of bird- and nature-themed vendors, a storytime at the Edmonds Library, and speaker series!
This year’s lineup of speakers includes:
The Ecology of Hummingbirds from Ecuador to Washington by Gregory Green
Counting Seabirds in Puget Sound: How Difficult Could It Be? by Matthew Farr
Seattle’s Adaptable Urban Cooper’s Hawks by Ed Deal
Marking Waterfowl in Washington: Insights from Banding and Telemetry Projects by Kyle Spragens
Then, on Sunday, come back for some more bird walks, bird photography workshop, bird cruise with Puget Sound Express, native plant sale, and a walk and talk at the Edmonds Wildlife Habitat and Native Plant Demonstration Garden. Most activities are free and open to the public, with some activities requiring a small fee and/or pre-registration.
The full schedule of events can be found at the link below:
Join us for our most exciting fundraiser of the year!
Birdathon is a uniquely Audubon way to support our mission and help protect our birds.
Our Birdathon has two components:
Friendly birding competition
In this hallmark activity of our Birdathon, teams compete in a friendly birding competition to see who can spot the most bird species and raise the most money while doing it.
Similar to a walk-a-thon, participants collect pledges from family, friends, work colleagues, and others who want to support local wildlife conservation. But instead of getting a pledge of $1.00 per mile walked, participants ask for a pledge for each bird species seen by a person or team. Teams can also ask for pledges of flat amounts (i.e., $25).
Participants can rack up species counts and pledges for the entire month of May.
Photography contest
Our contest focuses on the incredible birds of Washington state. We are lucky to have so many talented photographers in our state, and our contest provides opportunities for both young and elder to showcase their photography in our youth and adult categories.
Larry Schwitters Receives National Audubon’s William Dutcher Award
Last fall, our very own Larry Schwitters was awarded the National Audubon Society's William Dutcher Award at the national convention in Colorado. At our April monthly program we were honored to present the award to him.
The William Dutcher Award recognizes outstanding Audubon volunteers who exemplify the standard established by William Dutcher, the first chairman of the National Association of Audubon Societies in 1905.
Larry coordinates the monitoring of Vaux’s Swift roosts across the Pacific Flyway, an effort known as Vaux’s Happening. His efforts to conserve this species not just locally in Washington, but all along the west coast is truly admirable. We are incredibly grateful for and proud of the work he does, and could not think of a more deserving person for this prestigious award.
Read more about Larry's contributions and the award:
Brian Zinke (left) presents Larry Schwitters (right) with the William Dutcher Award.
Upcoming Classes
Ring-billed Gull by Mick Thompson
Gulls of Washington
Online class: October 17
Optional add-on field trip: October 19
The Raptors Among Us
Online class: November 12, 19, 26 & December 3
Get Involved
Whether you’re volunteering to lead field trips, participating in community science bird surveys, writing content for our blog and newsletter, teaching an education program, or taking a shift at an outreach event, you are a vital part of the Pilchuck Audubon community.
Every person and every contribution matters. Anyone can be a difference maker. Join our flock and help us protect our local birds, their habitats, and our communities.
From the Blog
Upcoming Events
Shop & Earn Donations
For each eligible purchase you make at the companies below, a portion of the sales will be donated to Pilchuck Audubon Society.
Our organization earned a 2022 Silver Seal of Transparency from GuideStar! Learn more about our organization’s impact through our nonprofit profile.
Cover Photo: Short-eared Owl by Mick Thompson