tle>

Tucson Audubon Society
March 29, 2024
View email online


Welcome, Jo, to Tucson Audubon's weekly update.

Tucson Audubon's triad of activities has always been education, conservation and recreation. Reading this week's news you will see some of each. It is time to reconnect with Tucson Audubon and think about how you want to be involved. Autumn is just around the corner with new field trips, workshops, volunteer opportunities, monthly programs and always new conservation issues on which to weigh in. 

Come in to one of the Nature Shops and ask how you can be involved! Contact a staff member or reply to this email with any questions or comments. 

- Kendall Kroesen, email editor




Tucson Bird & Wildlife Festival: Thank you!

A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who participated in the Fifth Annual Tucson Bird & Wildlife Festival!

A special shout out to our amazing volunteers, there were 107 of you and we could not have had such a successful event without your support!

Here are some fun stats:
  • The winner of the Sky Island Birding Cup the White-bellied Whistling-Dorks. Congratulations Dave Stejskal, Chris Benesh and Tom Johnson who saw 195 species in 24 hours!
  • We ran 28 field trips over three days involving 45 van departures!
  • We had 270 registered participants from 4 countries and 27 states
  • 500 locals walked into our festival over the weekend
  • We presented 13 free nature talks with a total attendance of 536 
  • Twenty-two vendors participated in our Nature Expo

View photos from the weekend
See you again next year!



You Can Have Your Suet Cake and Eat it Too!

The Paton Center for Hummingbirds is set to unveil its new Suet Webcam soon. You won't believe the variety of birds (and mammals!) that like suet. We've even recently seen a Jedi White-breasted Nuthatch using the force on a Curve-billed Thrasher (above). View the full video here!

In the meantime, if you can't visit Patagonia in person you can still view the ever-popular Paton Center Hummingbird Cam on our website at tucsonaudubon.org/hummingbirdcam!

Paton Center guests NOTE: There is now a public WIFI for use in the Paton backyard. Try it out the next time you are there!




Birds, Plants, Culture and Bacanora Along the Rio Sonora

Special field trip: Travel with Tucson Audubon and South of the Border Tours to Sonora, Mexico this fall

November 6--10, $1350
Guides: Lynn Hassler, birder, author and naturalist; Jesus Garcia, Educational Specialist at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and native Sonoran.

Traveling by luxury motor coach, there will be a two night stop at Rancho Cerro Colorado, rich in biodiversity, and two nights in the charming town of Banamichi, at a posado right on the town square. In addition to birding, there will be many cultural activities, including time at a working ranch, and much more! Check out Tucson Audubon’s website for complete information.
Get details and sign up for trip.

Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to explore our neighbor to the south!



Employment Opportunity at Tucson Audubon

JOB TITLE: Retail & Operations Assistant
SUMMARY: This position supports the Associate Director in duties related to managing the Tucson Audubon Society (Tucson Audubon) offices and the Nature Shops. The Retail & Operations Assistant works with all Tucson Audubon staff, volunteers, board members, members, and the general public.
Applications accepted until position filled. 

See the full job description and find out how to apply




Fall Birding Field Trips = FUN

September 8th—Tuesday 6:00 AM
Rarity Chase in the Pena Blanca Area NEW TRIP

Trip Leader: Tim Helentjaris at tnhelentjaris@msn.com

September 26—Saturday 7:00 AM
Atturbury Wash, Lincoln Regional Park

Trip Rating: Easy. Walking Distance: 1 mile. Elevation Gain: Moderate. Ground Conditions: Mostly groomed trail, some sand/gravel.
Leader: Kendall Kroesen: 520.971.2385 or  kkroesen@tucsonaudubon.org

October 10Saturday 7:00 AM
Pena Blanca Lake

Trip Leader: Clifford A. Cathers - AZCliffy@Q.com - 520.982.3272

October 31Saturday 9 a.m.
Reid Park

Leader: John Higgins. 520-578-1830 jghiggins@comcast.net

NOTE: The weekly Wake Up With the Birds at Agua Caliente Park now requires online registration and has a $5 fee. See pima.gov/nrpr for more info.

See the full list of current trips and sign up online here

Birder image by Kate Reynolds





50 Days to Save Our Parks

From the Grand Canyon to the Great Smoky Mountains to the community parks and trails in our own backyards, the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) has set aside and protected special places for the past 50 years.

If you've gone camping, hiking or exploring somewhere this summer, there's a good chance the LWCF helped protect it. Now this critical fund is on Congress's chopping block. And if we don't act now it will expirefor good.

Here's the ridiculous part of the story. The program doesn't cost ordinary taxpayers a dime. Instead, the 50-year old program uses royalties from offshore oil and gas drilling to help fund protections for our nation's parks and special places. Yet Congress still might let it die.

Time is running out to protect our parks. Easily send a message to your senators on the Environment Arizona website.



Nature Shops: Now is the Time to Buy

If you have been contemplating an investment in a new pair of optics, NOW is the time. For a limited time only Swarovski, Zeiss, and Opticron are running promotions and offering savings. Not sure what you are looking for? Stop by the Tucson Audubon Nature Shop and work one on one with our volunteers to find the right pair for all your birding needs. And our beautiful pollinator demonstration garden makes for an oasis in the city perfect for a trial run on a new pair of binoculars. The Nature Shop is at 300 E. University Blvd. 

Summer Promotions

Opticron: $30 Mail-in Rebate on Discovery 8x32 and 8x42 binoculars

Zeiss: $50 Mail-in Rebate on Terra ED 8x42 and 10x42 binoculars

Swarovski: Up to %18 savings on all EL models

Stop in today and find your next pair of optics and save BIG! Nature Shop details

 


Thank you, Jo, for being a part of Tucson Audubon and helping to protect birds and the places they live in southeast Arizona.


Tucson Audubon Staff
(image by Angela Pritchard)

 

 

 


Connecting people with birds & the places they live

 

This email was sent to mgriffiths@tucsonaudubon.org. If you are having trouble viewing this email, you may also view it online. To opt out of all communications, click here.
Forward email. .
Email Marketing By