Tucson Audubon Society

 

Tuesday February 7, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. at Loews Ventana Canyon
Tucson Audubon's Fourth Annual Gala: Our Changing World with special guest Prof. John Kricher
Change is the one constant in natural systems. Our guest speaker John Kricher, noted researcher, teacher and author, has made change the central theme of one of his books. In fact, as he will share with us in his address at the Gala, the balance of nature is no more than an enduring myth. Constant change is the reality of nature.

Please join us as we celebrate our fourth annual gala, on Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at the fabulous Loews Ventana Canyon Resort. Tony Paniagua of Arizona Public Media will be our emcee for the evening.

Get more info and register online! | View invite PDF

 

FALL 2011/WINTER 2012 Tucson Audubon Education Courses For more information or to sign up, contact Tucson Audubon Education at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it at 629-0510 x7012. Lifelong Birding Series Backyard Birding & Beyond - Beginning Class January 14 - February 18, 2012 The course is designed for beginners and will address how to separate birds out by habitat, seasonal occurrence, and behavior. Learn about field marks and vocalizations. Get the lowdown on binoculars and field guides, birding vocabulary, and etiquette in the field. Participants will learn how to identify local birds and discover some of their interesting characteristics and charms. Also covered will be some of the adaptations birds have developed in order to survive in our challenging environment.Taught by Lynn Hassler. Learn more and register online SPECIALTY WORKSHOPS - Details of all these workshops Sparrows, Their Habits and Morphology February 1 & 4, 2012 Southeast Arizona hosts an incredible diversity of wintering sparrows. This detailed workshop about their behavior, structure and identification characteristics will have you checking the “LBJs” on your life list with confidence. The class takes the form of a three-hour classroom lecture and a one-day field trip. Taught by Homer Hansen. Raptors February 8 & 11, 2012 The rulers of the sky, raptors have always captured mankind's imaginations. Learn all about the habits and morphology of raptors that we can see in southeast Arizona during this workshop. Taught by Homer Hansen. Ducks and Geese February 15 & 18, 2012 Southeastern Arizona hosts many species of waterfowl in the winter months, and many of them can be confusing in their drab winter plumage. Join Larry Liese as he guides you with humor and wisdom through the complex world of waterfowl. Birding by Ear May 2 & 5, 2012 Taught by Homer Hansen Taking birding beyond the basics requires learning to use your ears as much as (if not more than) your eyes. This class will delve into the world of bird vocalizations and give you a framework for learning the voices of our master singers. The evening classroom session will introduce you to sonograms and vocalization types, as well as work on comparisons between similar sounding Arizona species. The field trip will give students a chance to use these skills in the field. Vocalizations will be recorded and brought back to the classroom to analyze. Limited to ten participants. Canyon Wren by Jim Prudente   Details of all these workshops

 

February 17th and 18th
Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) at Tucson Audubon’s Mason Center
The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is a great way for you to learn about counting birds, and to contribute to bird conservation. GBBC takes place every Presidents Day weekend for four days (February 17–20, 2012) and is for birders of all ages and experience. The goal is to create a real-time snapshot of how our birds are distributed across the continent, and we do this by having many thousands of people out counting birds over the weekend. You can spend as little as 15 minutes on one day, or you can count for as long as you like each day of the event. Then, you enter your checklist into the GBBC website (www.birdsource.org/gbbc). You can see your results appear almost immediately. Your participation is critical in helping scientists document the distribution and movement of hundreds of species in a short span of time. The information that we collect can help answer important questions regarding the health of specific populations of birds. Year by year comparisons yield fascinating outcomes that you can custom view through the GBBC website.

Tucson Audubon is making sure that the birds from southeast Arizona will be well represented in the count by offering two opportunities at our Mason Center to learn about and participate in the GBBC. Staff and experienced volunteers will be on hand to give an orientation to the count and then lead a guided trail walk through ironwood-saguaro forest habitat. We will enter our sightings into the national database where they will be compiled with information gathered from other citizen scientists across our region and across the continent. You can take what you learn home with you and continue the count from your backyard or favorite birding destination!

• On February 17th, we will be hosting a count for youth birders (ages 12–18) from 8 am–12 pm.
• On February 18th, we will host a count for the general public from 8 am–12 pm. You need to register for the event, for which there is a fee of $5.

Come join us and make an important contribution to bird conservation! Contact Bete Pfister at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 520-629-0510 x 7012 to register or for more information.

The Great Backyard Bird Count is led by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society, with Canadian partner Bird Studies Canada and sponsorship from Wild Birds Unlimited.

Saturday February 25, 8 a.m. – noon
TogetherGreen Volunteer Day: Ash Canyon Bed and Breakfast
As part of Tucson Audubon’s stewardship of birding sites in southeast Arizona, volunteers from Tucson will join with volunteers from Cochise County to help clean up after fire and flood damage at the Ash Canyon Bed and Breakfast. This B&B has been a key spot for birders and its owner and manager, Mary Jo Ballator has welcomed birders from around the world. It is located in Ash Canyon near Sierra Vista. For details, directions and to sign up, contact Kara Kaczmarzyk at 520-629-0510 ext. 7011 or  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

 

Friday, April 20 through Sunday, April 29
Birdathon "Big Week"
We bird to protect the more than 400 bird species in southeastern Arizona and the special natural spaces they rely on to migrate, nest, and thrive. Since 1987, Birdathon has garnered support for birds and bird-friendly habitats, and for Tucson Audubon Society's work to conserve these unique natural resources and to educate our community on their importance.

You can participate in many exciting ways. Join an expert-led team, go birding with your own group, sponsor someone to go birding, make a general donation, compete for Birdathon prizes, and participate in other fun activities during this Big Week.

We're counting on you to help make the 25th annual Birdathon our best year ever! 

All registered participants who raise at least $50 will earn a limited-edition Birdathon 2012 t-shirt featuring the artwork of Ben Johnson!

See the details

 

May 3 – 6, 2012
NATURE & HERITAGE FESTIVAL: Birding & History Along The Santa Cruz
The Santa Cruz Nature & Heritage Festival, Inc., Santa Cruz Valley Heritage Alliance, and Santa Fe Ranch announce the inaugural Nature & Heritage Festival, a celebration of International Migratory Bird Day and the rich heritage of the Santa Cruz River Valley in the U.S. and Mexico. The Nature & Heritage Festival will introduce residents, tourists, educators, and professional tour guides to southern Arizona and northern Sonora's safe, beautiful, diverse birding experiences. A highlight of the Festival is a guided tour of the Rancho El Aribabi, about 30 miles south of the U.S./Mexico border. Festival speakers include ornithologists, historians, archaeologists, border patrol officials, border community elected officials, and area residents. A special book signing with Thomas E. Sheridan, author of Landscapes of Fraud: Mission Tumacácori, the Baca Float, and the Betrayal of the O'odham will occur during the cocktail social hour prior to the closing banquet dinner, which will also feature Thomas Sheridan as the keynote speaker.

Visit the festival website: www.SantaCruzHeritage.org/HeritageFestival2012