Dungeness River Audubon Center Classes, Presentations, and Events

Contact the River Center at 360-681-4076 or email rivercenter@olympus.net for more information, or to register for sessions. Pre-registration is encouraged, especially for classes.

The Dungeness River Audubon Center is located at RR Bridge Park, 2151 Hendrickson Road, PO Box 2450, Sequim, WA. Hours are Tue. to Sat., 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sun., 12 to 4 p.m. The River Center partners with the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society, and Audubon WA.

Upcoming Special Events

Raptors in Winter: A Special Presentation with David Drummond
Dates: Fri. evening talk, Feb. 10, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.; Sat. field trip, Feb 11, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Cost: $30 per person
Join Merlin researcher and raptor expert David Drummond for this special two-day class about the eagles, hawks, and falcons of our area, their adaptations for hunting and survival, and their fascinating lives during winter. Please pre-register: limit 18

Olympic Peninsula BirdFest
Dates: Fri. to Sun., March 30 - April 1st
Join us for the fifth annual Olympic Peninsula BirdFest, a great time to celebrate the birds and natural history of our unique area. Festival events include special field trips, presentations, a banquet, owl prowls, and lots of birdy activities. Please visit www.olympicbirdfest.org website for information and registration.

San Juan Island Three-day Cruise
Date: Sun. to Tue., Apr. 1st to 3rd
Join us, for a three-day, two-night birding cruise through the San Juan Archipelago. Relax at historic Roche Harbor Resort. Enjoy whale watching, northwest seabirds, and the spectacular scenery of the San Juan Islands. Details and registration forms for the San Juan cruise can be found at www.olybird.org

OPAS Field Trips: Contact www.olympicpeninsulaaudubon.org for more details.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bird Walks
Date: Every Wed. morning; Time: 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.
Meet at the River Center for a lovely walk to see and hear the birds of the Dungeness riparian forest. Information from walks helps us understand the annual cycle of birds in RR Bridge Park.

Thursday Work Parties
Dates: Last Thurs. each month: Cost: 3 short hours helping RR Bridge Park
Please help keep RR Bridge Park looking bright and beautiful! Bring your work gloves to assist with chores that make our park shine.

Dungeness River Management Team (DRMT)
The experts and informed public groups that oversee the management of the Dungeness River meet monthly at the Dungeness River Audubon Center, second Wed., from 2 to 5 p.m.

Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society Monthly Meeting
Date: Wed., Jan. 18, 7 p.m.
Karen Gustin, Olympic National Park Superintendent, will speak about the Elwha Restoration. This project represents the largest dam removal projects in the United States, come hear Karen’s thoughts and perspective on the project.

New! Winter Water Birds
Date: 2 Session Available: Session 1 Thurs, Jan 19^th, 11am-4pm
Session 2, Sat, Jan 21^st 12-5pm
Cost: $10 for one session or $15 for both sessions
Join Bob Boekelheide in this intermediate birding class to learn identification, natural history, and ecological preferences of the winter birds of the north Olympic Peninsula. This is a field trip based class that will focus on Dungeness Bay. Limit 16 people.

Corvids in Winter
Date: Sat. Jan. 28; 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Cost: $10 per person
Ken Wiersema leads this special class to explore the fascinating lives of crows, ravens, and jays in winter. Come learn to identify corvids by behavior, ranges, vocalization, as well as hear anecdotes about these intelligent creatures. The class begins with a presentation at the River Center followed by field trip.

Owl Prowl in the Owlympics
Date: Sat. Feb 4^th ; 7 p.m. to after midnight
midnight. Cost: $30 per person
Join Bob Boekelheide on an exploratory journey in the northeastern Olympic foothills to find owls and other night creatures. You must pre-register for this trip at the River Center (681-4076); limited to 10 participants each trip. Dates may change depending on weather.

Great Backyard Bird Count
Dates: Fri., Feb. 17 through Mon. Feb. 20
Every year at President’s Day weekend, people are asked to count birds in their backyards and everywhere else, to assess how populations are changing in North America. Be part of the count! Go to www.birdcount.org for more information.

Being a Backyard Birder (BBB) - Great backyard Bird Count
Time: Feb 18^th, 10am
Cost: $5 Free for kids 10 to 18 year old
This session of the BBB series will explore the GBBC and citizen science projects answering questions about why we count birds, how to participate and some of the birds that you might see. The BBB series of nine monthly classes is intended for anyone interested in knowing more about the birds seen locally each season of the year, as well as learning how to make their homes good habitats for wild birds. "BBB" can be taken as individual sessions or as a series. After the completion of any 5 sessions, participants will be offered membership in the Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society (OPAS). More information is available by calling 681-4076

Annual Bird House/ Nest Box Building Class
Date: Sat, Feb 25; 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Cost: $15 per person, $12.50 per person for 2 or more participants
Learn how to build a birdhouse, then take one home by the end of the class. This is our annual class to design and construct birdhouses. By the time you leave you will have a birdhouse ready for swallows, chickadees, or, if you’re lucky, bluebirds. Please pre-register: limit 16 people.

Being a Backyard Birder (BBB) Session 5
March 3^rd, 10am
Cost: $5 Free for kids 10 to 18 year old
This session of the BBB series will look at gardening for birds, focusing on ways to make your own personal yard or garden friendly to local wildlife of the area.

Owl Prowl in the Owlympics
Date: Sat. Mar. 3rd; 7 p.m. to after
midnight. Cost: $30 per person
Join Bob Boekelheide on an exploratory journey in the northeastern Olympic foothills to find owls and other night creatures. You must pre-register for this trip at the River Center (681-4076); limited to 10 participants each trip. Dates may change depending on weather.

Olympic Driftwood Art Show
Date: Sat. & Sun, Mar 10th and 11th, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Olympic driftwood sculptors present prize-winning pieces and recent works by members, plus demonstrate sculpture techniques. Driftwood products available by order will also be present.

Introduction to Birds and Birding
Day Class: Six Tues. Evenings, Apr. 3 – May 8th; 7 to 9 p.m.
Cost: River Center Partners: $40; non-members $60.
This class is designed for beginning birders, new residents, and anyone who wants to better understand birds in general. These seminars include basic bird identification, bird feeders, birdhouses, field guides, and birding optics. Limit: 16 people.