Salem Audubon Society

TO PROMOTE THE APPRECIATION OF NATURE AND RESPECT FOR NATURAL PLACES, FOCUSING ON BIRDS AND OTHER WILDLIFE, AND FOSTERING ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY WITH PROGRAMS CONNECTING PEOPLE WITH NATURE.

PUBLIC PROGRAMS: SALEM AUDUBON SOCIETY OFFERS PROGRAMS FOCUSED MAINLY ON BIRDS IN THEIR NATURAL HABITATS. THE PROGRAMS ALSO EMPHASIS CONSERVATION AND PROTECTION OF NATURAL RESOURCES. OUR MONTHLY MEETINGS ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND FEATURE GUEST SPEAKERS MAKING POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONS. IN THE PAST YEAR, WE CONDUCTED 10 SUCH PUBLIC LECTURES WITH APPROXIMATELY 300 ATTENDEES. DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, THE PROGRAMS WERE OFFERED IN A HYBRID FORMAT, WITH ATTENDANCE OPTIONS BOTH IN PERSON AND THROUGH ZOOM. WE ALSO ORGANIZED AND LED AROUND 36 FIELD TRIPS AND BIRD WALKS FOR THE COMMUNITY WITH A TOTAL OF AROUND 400 PARTICIPANTS. THE NUMBER OF FIELD TRIPS AND BIRD WALKS WAS RESTRICTED DUE TO COVID-19 RESTRICTING. WE OFFERED 5 ZOOM WEBINARS ON A VARIETY OF TOPICS MOSTLY FOCUSED ON BIRDS, ATTENDED BY AROUND 50 PARTICIPANTS. NEW THIS YEAR, THE CORVID-19 PANDEMIC CONTINUED TO SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGE THE WAY WE CONDUCTED OUR IN-PERSON PUBLIC PROGRAMS AND OTHER EVENTS.

CONSERVATION: SALEM AUDUBON IS AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT IN SEVERAL LOCAL AND REGIONAL ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION PROJECTS, INCLUDING RESTORING AND ENHANCING OUR NATURE RESERVE IN WEST SALEM, CONDUCTING FORMAL BIRD SURVEYS FOR THE OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE, THE CONFEDERATED TRIBES OF THE GRAND RONDE, AND FOR PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS WITH CONSERVATION EASEMENTS. AS MENTIONED ABOVE, WE HAVE ALSO CREATED A NEW NATURE CENTER AT ANKENY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE AND THE FRIENDS OF THE MID-WILLAMETTE VALLEY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE COMPLEX. IN ADDITION TO OFFERING NATURE-ORIENTED CLASSES AT THE NATURE CENTER, SALEM AUDUBON ALSO PARTICIPATES WITH OUR PARTNERS IN HABITAT RESTORATION, ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION INTERPRETIVE PROJECTS. SA PARTICIPATES IN THE NATURE CENTER MANAGEMENT TEAM AND THE OPERATIONS TEAM. WE ALSO WORK CLOSELY WITH THE CITY OF SALEM AS AN ADVISOR AND PARTNER ON CONSERVATION-RELATED PROJECTS.

MEMBERSHIP: THE SALEM AUDUBON SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP CONTINUE TO GROW, FROM APPROXIMATELY 1,200 TO 1,300. MEMBERSHIP IS COMPRISED OF A COMBINATION OF NATIONAL AUDUBON MEMBERS WHO LIVE IN OUR SERVICE AREA (MARION, POLK AND YAMHILL COUNTIES) AND LOCAL CHAPTER MEMBER. WE HAVE AN ACTIVE VOLUNTEER WORKFORCE OF APPROXIMATELY 100 HARD-WORKING PEOPLE WHO DONATE AN ESTIMATED 4,500 HOURS TO SALEM AUDUBON-SPONSORED ACTIVITIES.

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION: SALEM AUDUBON SOCIETY HAS BEEN A SIGNIFICANT ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROVIDER IN THE MID-WILLAMETTE VALLEY FOR SEVERAL DECADES, DELIVERING AROUND 40 PROGRAMS PER YEAR TO MOSTLY MIDDLE SCHOOL CHILDREN AT THEIR SCHOOL. COVID-19 HAD SIGNIFICANT IMPACT OUR IN-CLASS SCHOOL PROGRAMS. IN 2021-22 WE WERE ONLY ABLE TO DELIVER A COUPLE PROGRAMS. WE ARE PARTNERING WITH U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE AND THE FRIENDS OF THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY NWR COMPLEX TO CREATE A NEW NATURE CENTER AT ANKENY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, SOUTH OF SALEM. THE NATURE CENTER WILL SERVE AS A RESOURCE FOR REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION, WITH TWO CLASSROOMS. THE FIRST PHASE OF CONSTRUCTION WAS COMPLETED IN FALL 2019, HOWEVER OUTBREAK OF COVID-19 DELAYED THE OPENING OF THE NATURE CENTER TO THE PUBLIC.IN FEBRUARY 2022 WE OPENED THE NATURE CENTER TO THE PUBLIC AND BEGIN TO OFFER PROGRAMS TO BOTH THE PUBLIC AND TO SCHOOL GROUPS. SCHOOL GROUPS INCLUDE BOTH PUBLIC SCHOOL AND HOME