The Fading Miracle of Migration
Pepper Trail has written an article published today (November 7) on the syndicated column series Writers on the Range. https://writersontherange.org/the-fading-miracle-of-migration/
October 2022 Conservation Column
The Conservation Column By Pepper Trail Happy fall! This might be the last Chat that reaches you before Election Day (November 8, but most of us vote well before that). So, let me remind everyone that one of the most important conservation actions you can take is to VOTE. Rogue Valley Audubon of course does [...]
October IN-PERSON Program with Virtual Option
Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2022 at 7:00 pm Hummingbirds and Penguins and Tanagers, Oh My! An Ecuador Birding Extravaganza Join Pepper Trail as he takes us on a birding adventure from the Galapagos Islands to the highlands of Ecuadorian Andes. Swim with Galapagos Penguins and Flightless Cormorants, puzzle over the identification of Darwin's finches, and be [...]
September 2022 Conservation Column
The Conservation Column By Pepper Trail This summer brought some long-overdue good news: finally, significant federal legislation to address climate change. The name doesn’t make it obvious, but the Inflation Reduction Act is the most significant climate legislation ever to become law. It also provides many other conservation benefits. National Audubon has summarized 12 ways [...]
September Virtual Program – Uncovering the Secrets of the Oregon Vesper Sparrow
Oregon Vesper Sparrows are a prime example of what birders call “little brown jobs” – small, drab, hard-to-identify birds that we sometimes overlook. But this little brown job is an imperiled subspecies unique to the Pacific Northwest, one that serves as an indicator of the health of our grassland ecosystems, and needs our attention and [...]
May 2022 Conservation Column
The Conservation Column By Pepper Trail For this month, some exciting news of species survival – and a disease threat to bird populations. California Condors! Let’s start with the good news: California Condors are returning to the “State of Jefferson.” Sometime in the month of May, four adolescent (2-3 year-old) condors will be released on [...]
May IN PERSON Program!
Tuesday, May 24, 2022 at 7:00 pm Pandemic Birding with Jim Livaudais Perhaps the COVID-19 pandemic kept you at home for most of the past two years. You got a lot of backyard birding in. Or, you drove all around Jackson County and took great photos of local birds. Then, when things started getting better [...]
The Illegal Trade in These Love Charms Is a Growing Threat to Hummingbirds
Pepper Trail has written an article for audubon.org regarding the growing threat to hummingbirds from the illegal trade in hummingbird love charms - ‘chuparosas’ - that are believed to imbue romantic powers. Read the article here: https://www.audubon.org/news/the-illegal-trade-these-love-charms-growing-threat-hummingbirds
April 2022 Conservation Column
The Conservation Column By Pepper Trail Good News and Bad News for Oregon Forests First, the good news: the Oregon Forest Practices Act. In March, the Oregon Legislature passed the Oregon Forest Practices Act (OFPA) (Senate Bill 1501). This creates strong new stream protections covering more than 10 million acres of private forest land in [...]
April Chapter Meeting: Fast Field Sketches For Better Birding!
Tuesday, April 26 at 7:00 pm Learn how to make fast drawings of birds to help you observe and remember the details. You don’t need to be an artist to make effective field sketches. The process will help you develop a mental map of bird plumage, and develop fundamental birding skills. John Muir Laws will [...]