Is your New Year’s resolution to learn more about birds and deepen your support for bird conservation? The Klamath Bird Observatory has you covered with three fantastic events to kick off the year.
Raptors are magnificent—and often challenging—to identify. Join expert Dick Ashford for an evening presentation on Wednesday, January 14th, from 6:00–8:30 PM, where he’ll share tips and tricks for recognizing hawks in the field. Then put your new skills into practice during a guided field trip to the Klamath Basin on Saturday, January 17th. Winter in the Basin is a spectacular time for raptor diversity. Register here.
Looking to make a bigger impact on bird conservation? Join us for an evening of food, friends, and inspiration on Saturday, January 17th, from 5:00–8:00 PM. We’ll introduce our new Travel with Purpose program and share details about our upcoming 2026 trips to Bear Divide (May 6th – May 9th, 2025) and Brazil (September 3–12, 2026). Meet trip leaders, connect with past participants, and learn how meaningful travel can support conservation. This event is free—please register here.
Some feelings about our connection to nature are hard to capture in words alone. Art can help us express them in new and powerful ways. On February 8th, from 4:00–6:00 PM, join KBO and local artist Gatore at Luna Café for a creative, community-centered event. Explore the State of the Birds, then help us transform old reports into beautiful, repurposed works of art. This family-friendly gathering is a wonderful way to connect, create, and reflect. Register here.
Cover photo Northern Harrier taken by Frank Lospalluto
Join the Klamath Bird Observatory and local artist Gatore for an inspiring afternoon that blends conservation, creativity, and community. KBO will open the event with an engaging overview of the 2025 State of the Birds report, which highlights both urgent challenges and hopeful pathways for bird conservation in the United States. This year’s assessment shows that one‑third of U.S. bird species now require immediate conservation action, with steep declines across grasslands, aridlands, forests, shorelines, and even among waterfowl that had previously rebounded. These trends signal that the habitats birds—and people—depend on are rapidly disappearing, underscoring the need for proven conservation solutions.
Following the presentation, Gatore Mukarhinda will lead a hands‑on crafting session where participants can upcycle past State of the Birds reports into creative works of art, celebrating the stunning photography and honoring the species and habitats we strive to protect.
The Garden Party at Grizzly Peak Winery is host to 4 astounding artists, Tish Mcfadden, Beth Martin, Judy Bjorlie, and Paula Fong. During the event, you will have time to browse and purchase their art. As well as drink delicious wine, enjoy light hors d’oeuvres, and listen to lovely melodies. The Garden Party is on Saturday, April 30th, 1 pm – 4 pm tickets are $75 per person and are available here. The bios of attending artists are below.
Tish Mcfadden
Tish McFadden is a published author, songwriter, music teacher, and former archaeologist for the US Forest Service. Tish’s writing has been featured on radio, book tours, and trade shows. Tish writes professionally in multiple genres including children’s books, autobiographical essays, and guidebooks. She has also served as editor on numerous literary projects.
For the Garden Party, Tish will be selling and showcasing her book Song of the Redwing. Wild marshland habitats create a spectacular symphony for the senses. Here, between bog and sky, assorted creatures of water, land, and air live closely together in balance. Red-winged Blackbirds are amongst the most common and striking members of this animated community. Their primal call is heard across cattail marshes and duckweed swamps in early spring through late fall. Their distinctive wing patch of red and gold makes identifying this wild bird easy – even for young children. Song of the Redwing presents a birds-eye view of life in the marsh from one sunrise to the next. Laura Winslow’s watercolor illustrations portray a lively wetland, giving visual form to Tish McFadden’s rhythm and rhyme. Words and illustrations harmonize in Song of the Redwing, and together further its nature-based message – inviting readers of all ages into the wondrous habitat of a marsh. Backmatter offers fun facts about Redwing’s neighbors. Time spent in wild places offers young people a taste of unbounded spaciousness – ongoing to something far greater than themselves. Taking children into nature is like walking them onto the pages of this picture book. Every step, each page turn, delivers colorful surprises.
Paula R. Fong specializes in illustrating plants and animals in their natural habitat. Her unique blend of detailed artistry and scientific accuracy has won her praise from both artists and scientists alike. She received her B.S. in Biology from Denison University and her M.S. in Forest Ecology from the College of Forestry, Oregon State University. Her twelve years as a soil scientist and ecologist with the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service gives her a unique perspective of the art in nature. Paula’s primary medium is watercolor with pen and ink. She has illustrated numerous scientific publications, plant and wildlife posters, trail guides, and interpretative trail signs. She lives on a mountain top in rural Southern Oregon.
The artwork Judy Bjorlie will be displayed by her sister. Judy passed away in 2018 but her stunning art lives on. She was also a cellist with the Rogue Valley Symphony and the Britt Festival Orchestra. Paintings by Judy Bjorlie show her recent work with color theory as taught by Stephen Quiller. Each painting was approached with a different mix of color choices and/or color theory including mixing those gorgeous grayed tones in between complimentary colors. Represented in this work are: Complimentary Relationships, Analogous Color, Color Families, Double Analogous Color Relationships, and Triad Color relationships.
Beth Martin
As a member of the Water Color Society of Oregon and a published illustrator, Beth Martin has shown in galleries, coffee shops, and businesses, has paintings hanging in homes in Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Mazatlan, MX, and has sold many cards. One of her paintings was chosen to be used for the Gala Forty Year Anniversary Ball for the Harlem Dance Theatre of New York, and shown across the country on Fox News and other advertising venues. There are many ways to approach a painting: from life, plain air, photos, and imagination. She loves them all. Beth tends to use a limited palette, feeling that it is harmonizing, and blending colors both on the palette and on the paper. She feels that watercolor seems to have a mind of its own – and enjoys partnerships – “if the paint does something I don’t intend, I try to make something of it. Sometimes itʼs the best part of the painting! Discovery.”
Chickadee by Beth Boyd MartinTurkeys by Beth Boyd Martin
Klamath Bird Observatory follows CDC guidelines. KBO events are being offered with COVID-19 safety as KBO’s primary concern. Proof of vaccination will be required for all in-person participants. All individuals attending an event must also fill out the Waiver of Liability form that will be emailed to you once you register for the event. Paper copies will be available at the event. Please do not attend the event if you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. Masks are not required but wear based on comfortability.
Klamath Bird Observatory and the 2015 Mountain Bird Festival welcome three featured artists – Dan Elster, Katrina Elise Meister, and Stefan Savides. These artists, all from the Klamath-Siskiyou Bioregion, will be setting up galleries during this year’s Friday (May 29) and Saturday (May 30) Mountain Bird Festival socials from 5:00pm to 7:00pm at ScienceWorks Hands-on Museum in Ashland, Oregon. These generous artists are donating a portion of gallery sales to support Klamath Bird Observatory’s efforts to advance bird and habitat conservation through science, education, and partnerships.
2015 Mountain Bird Festival Art Galleries, open to the public, Friday (May 29) and Saturday (May 30), 5:00pm to 7:00pm, at SceinceWorks Hands on Museum.
DAN ELSTER
Dan was born in Chicago, 1971. In his old life he was the manager of his brother’s food distribution business on the west side of Chicago. A few years ago Dan and his wife (Patty) took a leap of faith … they quit their jobs, sold their home and hit the road. Patty took a job as a travel nurse, while Dan pursued a dream career in wildlife photography. After a few years of nomadic living, they now call Ashland, Oregon home. While Dan has always loved wildlife, he never had much interest in photography growing up. He is mostly self-taught. His subjects are completely wild (no captive or “staged” shots) and it’s important to him that people know that. Capturing behavior and the inclusion of habitat also helps to define his style. It’s the drama in nature that inspires Dan. In the wild every day is a struggle to survive. This is the story he aims to tell. Dan also hopes his work serves as a reminder that we don’t own the earth, we share it. Click here to learn more about Dan.
KATRINA ELISE MEISTER
Katrina has been drawing as long as she can remember. She paints with watercolors, oil paints, acrylics, pen and ink, and block prints. Most of her work ends up on Katrina’s Cards and Gifts, her popular line of note cards and gift items. A sixth generation Oregonian, Katrina received a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Bachelors of Psychology from the University of Oregon, as well at receiving a degree from the U of O Honors College. Her paintings have exhibited in galleries and corporate offices and many regional art festivals. Katrina’s Cards and Gifts are available in select stores throughout the Northwest. Her work is in several private and corporate collections. She lives with her husband Michael, and their two children in Southern Oregon. Click here to learn more about Katrina.
STEFAN SAVIDES
Stefan has made birds his passion, and he has followed that passion from day one. His avian taxidermy has earned him an international reputation; however this multi-talented artist has painted, carved, raised and sculpted birds throughout his life. Sculpting in bronze is a natural progression from taxidermy as it provides Savides a lasting medium in which to express his knowledge of avian anatomy and design. A lifetime of study, coupled with the quest for simplistic design, has lead Savides to sculpt in a manner that captures the essence of his subjects without distracting detail. He is truly a multi-talented artist who has proven himself in a variety of mediums. Savides is an elected member of the National Sculpture society and a signature member of the Society of Animal Artists. Click here to learn more about Stefan.