| All Chapter meetings till further notice will be conducted virtually on ZOOM, please contact Don for more information – Greatauk4@gmail.com |
September 9, 2026 7:30 PM
Sophie Osborn: Feather Trails: A Journey of Discovery Among Endangered Birds
Birds are visible, vocal sentinels that alert us to environmental harms through their declining numbers or their failure to thrive. In her book Feather Trails—A Journey of Discovery Among Endangered Birds, Sophie Osborn shares her personal experiences reintroducing endangered Peregrine Falcons, Hawaiian Crows, and California Condors to the wild. While immersing readers in the triumphs and tribulations of being a wildlife biologist, Sophie explores the threats that imperiled these birds, and reveals that what harmed them threatens us, too. She will discuss what led to the endangerment of these three captivating species, recount the efforts of biologists to recover their populations, and read a few excerpts from her book that describe what it was like to work with these magnificent birds.
Sophie A. H. Osborn is an award-winning writer and wildlife biologist whose work has included the study and conservation of more than a dozen bird species in the Americas. She contributed to reintroduction efforts for several endangered birds and served as the field manager for the California Condor Recovery Program in Arizona for four years. Her first book, Condors in Canyon Country, won the 2007 National Outdoor Book Award for Nature and the Environment. Reviewers for the American Birding Association chose her second book, Feather Trails, as their favorite bird book of 2024. Sophie has written articles for Bird Conservation, BirdWatching, and Wyoming Wildlife magazines, and co-edited an anthology of short stories Wild Work—Adventures of Women Field Biologists (out September 2026). She also writes the “Words for Birds” blog on Substack.
October 14, 2026 at 7:30pm
Scott Harris: Why We Love Birds
November 11 at 7:30 pm
Marina Richie: Feathered Forest: Aloft with Birds in Ancient Trees
Join Oregon nature writer Marina Richie for a photo-filled presentation, entwining the lives of birds with a hidden vertical world of wild trees. Be ready to immerse in old-growth forests as miraculous and interlocking as feathers. Beginning with an ascent of a 200-foot-tall Douglas-fir with a bird biologist, Marina leads us into the ancient forests of Cascadia, a bioregion rivaling the Amazonian rainforest in significance for climate and biodiversity. Birds are guides to cool havens within multilayered, centuries-old groves that are critical refugia in a time of climate crisis. Their songs and flights show us what we must protect for the future of threatened birds, forests, and humankind. While Marina’s focus is on the West, her messages of biodiversity and complex ecosystems that birds rely on are true for the forests of the East. Featured birds include the Spotted Owl, Marbled Murrelet, Great Gray Owl, Hermit Warbler, Pacific Wren, Pileated Woodpecker, and Varied Thrush.
Marina’s website is www.marinarichie.com
Pre-order: Feathered Forest: Aloft with Birds in Ancient Trees. //www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/827850/feathered-forest-by-marina-richie/
Marina is the author of the award-winning Halcyon Journey: In Search of the Belted Kingfisher. She presented to Bergen Audubon in March of 2026. Marina would be grateful for book reviews on Amazon and Goodreads—helpful for sales and momentum for both of her books.
December 9, 2026
Darrin Lunde: My Life as a Naturalist
Darrin Lunde has spent the last 35 years working for the two greatest natural history museums in the world: the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and now the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C. An expert on mammals, he has led dozens of scientific collecting expeditions throughout South America, Africa, and Asia. Although often seen as a thing of the past, museums still launch scientific expeditions today, and their results directly benefit the conservation of wildlife and wilderness areas today.
In his book The Naturalist. Theodore Roosevelt, A Lifetime of Exploration, and the Triumph of American Natural History, Darrin Lunde tells the story of how Theodore Roosevelt transformed himself from a sickly little boy obsessed with studying birds to one of the leading naturalists of his day. Roosevelt’s greatness as a naturalist peaked with his leadership of the Smithsonian African Expedition, the results of which are still being studied today. Drawing parallels to his own life as a naturalist, Darrin Lunde speaks with knowing authority when describing Theodore Roosevelt’s rise as a museum naturalist.
All programs and events are free and open to the public. We are supported by memberships and donations.
If you have suggestions or would like to help with future programs, please contact Marilyn Sadowski msadowskibcas@gmail.com
