Announcements
Native Pollinators of Western Washington by Russel Barsh
Ecologist Russel Barsh joins us to talk about the role of native
pollinators in healthy ecosystems. Learn how to identify the common
families of native bees and hoverflies in our region, and get tips for
creating pollinator-friendly gardens. Current population monitoring and
citizen science initiatives will also be covered. This is an online event sponsored by Sno-Isle Libraries. You may register and attend the live event online, or watch it on the Sno-Isle Libraries YouTube channel during the next year. |
Wednesday, August 18, 7 pm Program: "Tales From an Eagle’s Nest" by Pat Holmes
Learn about the life cycle of Bald Eagles through education and storytelling Wednesday, August 18, at 7 pm via Zoom. Pat Holmes began
studying Bald Eagles in 2014 on Camano Island as a hobby. After
spending hours under their nests at Camano Island and Cama Beach State
Parks, she developed a passion for the eagles. In her presentations, she enthusiastically shares her close up and personal experiences with the eagles. When: August 18th, 2021 07:00 PM Pacific Time Topic: "Tales From an Eagle’s Nest" by Pat Holmes Click here to register for this Zoom Meeting After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. |
Pollinator Diversity Workshop Aug 7
There will be a workshop on pollinators and native plants offered by the North Cascades institute. (See the link below.) They will be holding some of the workshop in the Display Gardens at the WSU campus west of Mount Vernon. The workshop will be on Saturday, August 7th from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The cost is $110. The instructor, Bob Gillespie, spoke to our group in April 2021. He is helping WSU install hedgerows for native pollinators and learning what pollinators are already using the research station and gardens. This is a great opportunity to get some hands on experience identifying pollinators. Class size is very limited, so you will be able to participate and learn a lot. https://ncascades.org/signup/programs/northwest-pollinators
|
WSU 2021 Forest Stewardship Summer Webinar Series Starts July 29th
Join WSU Extension Forestry for a series of live webinars on all new forest stewardship topics. The webinars are free, but preregistration is required. Each webinar is offered twice: one from 12:00-1:00 PM, and again from 7:00-8:00 PM. If you are interested in a webinar but are unable to attend, please register anyway so you can receive a link to the recording afterward.
Visit
the forest stewardship webinar website for details and registration:
https://forestry.wsu.edu/nps/events/summerwebinars2021/ Topics include
|
Jul 21, 2021 7 pm Zoom Program: Turning Your Property into a Wildlife Lover’s Paradise by Val Schroeder
Click here to watch a recording of this program on our YouTube channel. Resources for tonight's program: Snohomish Conservation District Plant guide WA Native Plant Society Plant Lists The Gardener's Guide to Global Warming Download our Application for Certification or you can certify online on at the NWF site. Imagine turning your garden into a year-round haven for birds, butterflies, pollinators, Douglas squirrels and a host of other delightful creatures. It's easier than you might think to put out the welcome mat for the birds and animals you want to entertain in your garden – no matter where you live or what size garden you have. During a ZOOM presentation, Wednesday, July 21, at 7 pm, Val Schroeder, Camano Wildlife Habitat Project coordinator, will show you how to create a garden that's as inviting to wildlife as it is beautiful with simple techniques that benefit wildlife and help preserve and protect our natural resources. You'll learn the four basic habitat requirements needed to sustain wildlife and how to provide them in your garden. You'll also find out how to join a growing movement of folks in the Puget Sound region that are taking steps to become wildlife-friendly – one yard at a time! When: Jul 21, 2021 07:00 PM Pacific Time Topic: Turning your Property into a Wildlife Lover’s Paradise Val Schroeder, Habitat Steward
Host, is coordinator of the Camano Wildlife Habitat Project, the 10th
Community Habitat in the nation certified by the National Wildlife
Federation. Camano has more than 1,000 certified wildlife habitats,
hosts monthly education programs on environmental issues, maintains
public demonstration gardens, and participates in critical areas
preservation and restoration efforts on the Island. Val received the
National Wildlife Federation Volunteer of the Year Award in 2006 and is
the author of Exploring Camano Island: A History and Guide. The Camano Wildlife Habitat Project, sponsored by Friends of Camano Island Parks, hosts public presentations the third Wednesday of the month. For information about the Zoom link to the program or about the Camano Wildlife Habitat Project, sponsored by Friends of Camano Island Parks, visit www.camanowildlifehabitat.org, call 360-387-2236, or email camanowildlifehabitat@gmail.com. |
American Bird Conservancy Launches Window Collision Online Tools
In
December, ABC expanded and overhauled its online Collisions presence.
The update provides architects, homeowners, and activists with a host of
new tools designed to help combat bird-and-glass collisions. Among
other things, it includes a new gallery filled with bird-friendly design
strategies, guidance on writing bird-safe building legislation, and an
enlarged product and solutions database. Please take a look https://abcbirds.org/glass-collisions/. |
June 16, 2021, 7pm Zoom Program: Coastal River Otters - Dr. Heide Island
**New** Here is the recording of our June Program: A Comparative Study of Island County Coastal River Otters From Heidi's website (which also has info about prey diversity from the Whidbey Island River Otter Research project): Scat Collection and Otter Spotting Volunteers Needed! If you have otters in your area, please report them to the WIRS Citizen Scientist Otter Reporting Website. For the truly industrious and committed, I have specimen collection kits prepared for those who have active latrines along their property. Please contact me if you would like one. Further, if you have “problem” river otters occupying your decks, boats, or boathouses, please do not hesitate to contact me, I am interested in finding a solution for you and the otters. I would also be happy to plant an infrared camera in locations of heavy otter traffic – I share all images with the property owner. Program Description: Coastal river otters, like the ones that inhabit the Salish Sea, forage in both marine and freshwater environments and use the watershed and effluviant to the Sound to feed, travel, mate, and socialize. As otters move between these ecotones, they are exposed to pollution and environmental contaminants (e.g., brominated flame retardants). Through an understanding of the Puget Sound's coastal river otter diet, distribution, health and behavior, we have a better sense of the overall ecological health of our habitat. Dr. Island will discuss the natural history of otters, the local populations and how Island County's otters are serving as a comparator population for captive and rescued river otters. Dr. Island is a Professor of Comparative Animal Behavior and Neuroscience at Pacific University in Oregon and a Senior Research Associate for the Oregon Zoo. She is the Principal Investigator in a 4-year longitudinal study of Whidbey Island's North American river otters. Her interests concern the welfare of captive and wild otter populations found in the Pacific Northwest (North American River otter and Sea Otters). Among rescued and captive populations, Dr. Island is interested in the development of social learning, outlets for natural foraging, and psychological welfare. Among wild otters, her work focuses specifically on Island County marine-foraging river otters, their distribution, diet, foraging patch variability between fresh and saltwater, photo identification of individual animals, and their genetic pedigrees, as well as their load of persistent organopollutants, collected through non-invasive and salvage sampling. The latter is particularly relevant for understanding the health of the local ecology. Read about some of her otter research on her blog. Here's the latest entry. The Camano Wildlife Habitat Project, sponsored by Friends of Camano Island Parks, hosts public presentations the third Wednesday of the month. For information about the Camano Wildlife Habitat Project sponsored by Friends of Camano Island Parks, visit www.camanowildlifehabitat.org, call 360-387-2236, or email camanowildlifehabitat@gmail.com. |
We just hit 1000 Certified Wildlife Habitats on the island!
IT’S OFFICIAL — CAMANO ISLAND now has 1,000 certified wildlife habitats! Thank
you for being a part of the Camano Wildlife Habitat Project and sharing
our mission of Creating an Island in Harmony with Nature — One Yard at a
Time! Three years for the first 500. Sixteen for the second 500. Moving on to the next 100! |
Wed May 19, 7 pm Zoom Program: REVERSING GLOBAL WARMING: INTRODUCTION to PROJECT DRAWDOWN by Scott Henson
Here is the link for the recording of our May 19th program. See drawdownseattle.org/introduction/ for upbeat and inspriging introductory materials for Project Drawdown, how to organize your four levels of action, and where to learn more information to aid you in your role to help reverse global warming. -------------
Reversing global warming is possible — and we have an important role in that process. In this online event, Wednesday, May 19, at 7 pm,
Scott Henson, author of “Drawdown Seattle” will discuss a comprehensive
plan to reverse global warming from Project Drawdown — a scientific
study that identified 100 solutions that together could actually reverse
global warming by 2050. You
will be introduced to proven scientific solutions to reverse global
warming. From the food we eat, to the products we choose to buy, and the
place we choose to live, we are called to see the world around us with a
lens of climate curiosity and awe. By the end of our time, we each
individually and collectively will be armed with a better understanding
of where we can go next to discover what we will do on our climate
journeys and how we can collectively move towards a regenerative future
reversing the climate crisis. The
Camano Wildlife Habitat Project, sponsored by Friends of Camano Island
Parks, hosts public presentations the third Wednesday of the month. For
information about the Zoom link to the program or about the Camano Wildlife Habitat Project, sponsored by Friends of Camano Island Parks, visit www.camanowildlifehabitat.org, call 360-387-2236, or email camanowildlifehabitat@gmail.com.
|
Wed, Apr 21st 7pm Program: Gardening For Pollinators in the Pacific Northwest by Brenda Cunningham & Bob Gillespie
Click here to watch a recording of this program on our YouTube channel. Resources that the speakers listed in their presentations:
Learn about the native plants that attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators to the garden at a Zoom presentation Wednesday, April 21, at 7 pm. Bob Gillespie, retired entomology professor, will discuss the amazing diversity of pollinators found in the Northwest and why we should support them. Brenda Cunningham, manager of the Washington Native Plant Society’s display garden in Mount Vernon, will introduce some of the best plants for hosting these pollinators in our gardens. Brenda Cunningham is a biologist and artist. She has worked for the National Park Service and the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife. She retired as Stewardship Director for the Skagit Land Trust. She now manages the Washington Native Plant Society’s display garden in Mount Vernon and is a Master Gardener. She is a member of Skagit Audubon Society and past chair of the Salal Chapter of Washington Native Plant Society. Bob Gillespie is a retired entomology professor from Wenatchee Valley College and is passionate about pollinators. When he was not teaching, he was studying native bees associated with native plants with his students. During his retirement he plans to continue his study of native bees and help people determine the native bees associated with their pollinator habitat. The Camano Wildlife Habitat Project, sponsored by Friends of Camano Island Parks, hosts public presentations the third Wednesday of the month. For information about the Camano Wildlife Habitat Project sponsored by Friends of Camano Island Parks, visit www.camanowildlifehabitat.org, call 360-387-2236, or email camanowildlifehabitat@gmail.com. |
1-10 of 525