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

My spirits are buoyed by the feedback that has come in through the "interactive question of the week." For example, there was a suggestion that the field trip listings include an indication of how strenuous the trip is. We are going to implement that. There have been many other constructive comments and questions.

While Tucson Audubon is now a professionally-staffed non-profit organization, we still need the help of all members to achieve our conservation and membership goals. Right now we need volunteers to help us re-imagine our monthly membership meetings (what we have been calling the Living with Nature series). In June we will hold a series of small group meetings with members to do just that. Please let me know that you will help. 

Interactive question of the week (just "reply" to this email):

Will you help us re-imagine our membership meetings?

- Kendall Kroesen, email editor

Birdathon Wrap Up Celebration THIS WEEK

Thank you to all who participated in this year’s Birdathon!

To honor your efforts, we will host a Birdathon Wrap Up Celebration this Thursday, May 21st at La Cocina Restaurant from 5:00-7:00pm. Everyone who participated in Birdathon is welcome!

Please RSVP here so we know you are coming.

Contact Diana Rosenblum at drosenblum@tucsonaudubon.org, 520-209-1802 for more information.

Last Seven Saturdays Program of the Season | May 23

THIS Saturday
Hike - 7:30 AM -- Corral Canyon TRIP FULL
Join Tucson Audubon as we return to Corral Canyon in the Patagonia Mountains in search of Azure Bluebird, Gray Hawk, and other local specialties (Yellow-billed Cuckoo has bred here). We will also discuss local projects, and potential threats to the area. Meet at the Paton Center for Hummingbirds at 7:30 AM. You must register on the Tucson Audubon website. Please do not show up unregistered. Limit 15.
Leader: Bryon Lichtenhan 520-307-6728 bryonlich@aol.com

Learn - 11:00 AM -- Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve and the Future of its Cottonwoods
Luke Reese, Director of the Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve will discuss the lack of Fremont cottonwood recruitment on the preserve and why it is not necessarily indicative of a problem. No registration required.
Patagonia Sonoita Creek Preserve image by Evan Parker.

Live on the east side of Tucson?
Outdoor-loving volunteers are needed to help Tucson Audubon restore native ecosystems! We are seeking a few dependable folks to help us establish native plants at a beautiful urban riparian area in southeast Tucson. The bulk of the work will be watering native plants with hoses, with some occasional work building rock restoration structures. The schedule is flexible and can be tailored to your needs.

Feeder Fillers Needed for Paton Center for Hummingbirds
We are seeking volunteers to fill the feeders at the Paton Center for Hummingbirds from June 22 to June 27 while caretaker Larry Morgan is out of the state. If you could be available to make a dawn visit to the Paton Center to support us with this important task, please contact Sharon.

If you would like to take on a Feeder Filler position weekly or once a month, we'd love to form a crew of supporters.

2016 Tucson Audubon Gala

Silent Auction Chair
Do you have experience with organizing silent auctions? In this position, you will oversee the entire silent auction process from procurement to staging. You will receive support from and coordinate with the Gala Chair, Silent Auction Staging Lead, Silent Auction Checkout Lead, and the Tucson Audubon Volunteer Coordinator. You must be comfortable with leading a group of volunteers,and with computers including email, Internet, Word and pdf documents; and managing Google documents is a MUST! POSITION STARTS IMMEDIATELY

Silent Auction Procurement Coordinator
Do you enjoy being out in the community and spreading the word about the important conservation work that Tucson Audubon does? This might be the perfect volunteer opportunity for you. Your task would be to lead a team of volunteers in an effort to procure a wide variety of quality items or experiences (40+) for an enticing and financially successful silent auction at next year’s Gala. POSITION STARTS IMMEDIATELY

A fun outreach event for Tucson Audubon 

July 26 | 10 AM--2 PM
Children’s Museum Tucson - Tucson Audubon Society will exhibit at Children’s Museum Tucson, share info about upcoming Tucson Bird and Wildlife Festival and engage children and families with an interactive craft.

Tucson Bird & Wildlife Festival, Fifth Year!
August 12 – 16, 2015
We need 80 volunteers to be the driving force behind the Tucson Bird & Wildlife Festival! Can you help support this exciting event? Many onsite roles are also available including helping in the registration room, field trip support, Nature shop, kid activities and more!

Click here for details! Or contact Sharon Long at slong@tucsonaudubon.org; 520-209-1811.

Volunteers Needed for Yellow-billed Cuckoo Survey Team

Tucson Audubon has been given an excellent opportunity to monitor Western Yellow-billed Cuckoos in the Sky Islands of the Coronado National Forest. This project is directly related to the recent listing of this sub-species under the Endangered Species Act and could have real conservation outcomes of increased Critical Habitat designated for this species! We have many areas to survey and could really use some help!

If you are interested in joining this team, will be in southern Arizona through most of the summer and are a reasonably strong hiker, you are qualified to help us! You do not need advanced bird ID skills.

If you want to join this team please contact Jennie at jmacfarland@tucsonaudubon.org

Tucson Bird & Wildlife Festival Registration News

Field Trip Openings!
Only one spot available for each of the trips listed below:

Friday, August 14 – Cienega Creek/Davidson Canyon
Friday, August 14 – Madera Canyon Sampler

Saturday, August 15 – Saguaro National Park
Saturday, August 15 – Las Cienegas NCA

Workshops and evening programs:

Paul Baicich

• Thursday, August 13 – Workshop: Access Matters: Why Birders Should Care
• Friday, August 14 – Field Trip to Sweetwater Wetlands (space still available)
• Friday, August 14 – Workshop: Wild Bird Feeding in America: Stuff You Never Knew!
• Saturday, August 15 – Evening Program: The Dozen Most Important Things You Can Do For Birds and Bird Conservation

Rick Wright

• Thursday, August 13 – Workshop: Museum Birding: From the Specimen Drawer to the Field at U of A
• Friday, August 14 – Evening Program: Prophets of Woe and Mischance: Discovering Southwestern Owls

Other Workshops:

• Friday, August 14 – Raptors - Southwest Specialties & More with Homer Hansen
• Friday, August 14 – Go Batty! with Karen Krebbs: take a field trip to the Campbell Bridge to view bats flying from their roost into the sunset!

Storage Space Needed for Restoration Program Work Vehicle

The Restoration Program's Polaris Ranger field vehicle seeks occasional housing near downtown or west-central Tucson, either in a garage or a locked yard. Must be able to be accessed early in the morning (6 A.M.-ish) and afternoon. Minimum size - 9’Lx6’Wx7’H. This would save us precious time and fuel, thanks!

If you have a place where it can occasionally reside, please contact Jonathan at 520.971.6238.

Bird Watching in Your Own Backyard

These days everyone has their head down—whether it be in a note, book, video game, phone, or the cracks in the sidewalk. Looking down seems like the right idea to stay connected, in the loop, or upright if you are as klutzy as I am. But children—who learn from observing—are learning to look down. 

Here at the Tucson Audubon Nature Shop we want to remind you to look up! Teach children around you to do the same. Not only does looking up benefit us by releasing dopamine and serotonin, it also allows us to see the world around us. Know what else you’ll see when you look up? BIRDS! In her book, Look Up! Bird-Watching in Your Own Backyard, Annette LeBlanc Cate illustrates dozens of reasons why we should look up and how we can engage children to look up as well. Brightly colored and full of fun facts, this book is the perfect gift for a child in your life or the your inner child.

$15.99

OPTICS

Eagle Optics Denali 8x42
If you’re a beginning birder or looking for a great pair of optics to have on hand at a window sill when birds come to your feeder, you can’t go wrong with a pair of Denali 8x42 from Eagle Optics. The Denali's solid chassis is built to keep pace with the avid outdoor explorer. Weighing only 21.9 ounces, the Denali will make an excellent companion on most adventures. Stop by our Nature Shop and try out a pair in our garden and see for yourself.

MSRP $229.95 Member Price $189.99

Visit the Tucson Audubon Nature Shop Today

—Tucson Audubon Staff
(image by Angela Pritchard)