Klamath Call Note

Join KBO for a migration south to Brazil. Brazil is known for its astonishing bird diversity, with over 1800 species registered. You will travel with local scientists and founders of Mantiqueira Bird Observatory (OAMa), Luiza Figueira and Pedro Martins, and KBO’s Director of Conservation, Jaime Stephens. OAMa has planned a 9-day immersive trip that you won’t want to miss exploring Brazil’s biodiverse cloud forests, photography workshop, and delicious Brazilian food. There is still one spot available!  This trip is more than a memorable vacation. It is an opportunity to support bird conservation across borders. The trip fee will fund OAMa’s bird banding program for a whole year and the Bird Banders Beyond Borders intern exchange program.  The trip is taking place on April 12th-20th, 2023. The trip fee is $5,000 and covers hotels, food, and transportation in Brazil

Contemplative photography combined with nature photography can be deeply soul-soothing, educational, and plays an important part in conservation.  It gives details about the appearance or behavior of birds and has resulted in the protection of landscapes and species. This presentation on March 28th, at 6 pm, celebrates the power of photography and our love for birds.  Kirk Gooding selected some of his favorite nature photos and created this series set to music. This event is in-person at KBO office and available via Zoom. This event is free.

Starting March 1st thru the 31st, you can round up your change at the Ashland Food Coop to support Klamath Bird Observatory. Just ask your cashier! 

Join KBO board members Amanda Alford and Dick Ashford for an all-day outing on March 18th, where we’ll look at everything the Klamath Basin has to offer. Dick and Amanda will plan a route that will give us our best chances of seeing the varied birdlife for which “the basin” is famous. And, we’ll have lots of fun doing it!

KBO is looking to fill two positions Nest-Searching Technician and a Nest-Searching Intern for our Oregon Vesper Sparrow demography research program. We are contributing to a range-wide study to understand the causes of decline in this imperiled subspecies. Primary duties will include nest-searching and color-band resighting in meadows of the western Cascades and occasional data entry or other tasks based.

We are pleased to announce a new internship exchange program! Bird and Banders Beyond Borders between KBO and Mantiqueira Bird Observatory. After training in their home country, biologists will have the opportunity to visit and train at the other observatory. KBO will host a student from OAMa for three or six months each year, and OAMa will host a student from KBO for up to three months at their field station in Brazil, joining the local crew at the year-round bird monitoring on the Mantiqueira Highlands. We are excited to share the first two interns to participate in this program, Victor Gonzalez and Otávio Rocha! 

Join KBO’s dynamic duo Director of Conservation Jaime Stephens and Board President Shannon Rio for a memorable 9-day trip to Brazil, April 12th – 20th, 2023. This trip will be guided by past KBO intern and co-founder of Mantiqueira Bird Observatory (OAMa) Luiza Figueira. The cost of this trip includes hotels, food (breakfast, lunch, dinner), and transportation (to and from the airport and during the trip). The total cost of the trip is $5,000, $2500 to reserve your seat, and the total amount is due by February 10th. With 12 people attending, these funds will cover a FULL YEAR of OAMa’s banding program. It will also be used to help support a student intern that is participating in KBO OAMa’s intern exchange program. 

Looking for a New Years’ resolution? How about learning more about nature? Start by joining Dick Ashford for a talk and outing about hawks, some of nature’s most graceful creatures.  The talk will be hosted in person at the Klamath Bird Observatory office in Ashland, OR on January 5th, 6 pm – 8:30 pm.  Then, enjoy a day-long outing to the Klamath Basin on Jan 7th. We’ll depart Ashland at 8 AM and return around 5-ish. To afford everyone the best possible experience, attendance is limited. We will carpool (a must!) in 4 vehicles of 4 people each. Your seat will be confirmed upon receipt of your non-refundable, tax-deductible contribution of $75 per person. 

The Bear Creek Community Bird Survey (BCCBS) has been an ongoing community science project for the past two years, 2021-2022. This survey aims to measure riparian bird abundance along Bear Creek between Ashland and Central Point, OR. These surveys are completed year-round, but data collected during the breeding season are KBO’s current focus of analysis. The results of this effort will be combined with other metrics collected by RRWC or other partners (water quality parameters, fish abundance, fish habitat accessibility, affordable housing, air quality, etc.) to create a Rogue River Basin Report Card that will be useful for tracking watershed and community conditions, as well as for community outreach.

Join KBO for drinks on Tuesday, December 20th, 5 pm – 8 pm at Lune Cafe in Ashland, OR. $2 from every specialty cocktail or lemonade will be donated to KBO. You can also purchase tickets for a 50/50 raffle. It is the perfect way to have drinks with family and friends this holiday season and support a local conservation organization. Can’t make it on the 20th? This holiday fundraiser runs till December 31st.