Due to COVID-19 we were not able to hold our summertime Highland Wonders field trips. But never fear! Artists have shared techniques, instructions and their artistic process by video so that you can watch, enjoy, learn and, if you like, create nature inspired art right in your own back yard. Many thanks to Ken Vander Stoep, Claudia Makeyev, Sadie and Emma Hanley and Owen and Andrew Weddle for inspiring us to observe nature and to create!
We have made the difficult decision to cancel the Get Lost! Trail Race for this year. As soon as we are able, we will schedule next year’s event and it will be better than ever!
In the meantime, we hope that you get outside, stay safe and recreate responsibly! We’ll see you next year in the beautiful Okanogan Highlands!
Choose from 4 different race options: 3 miles, 7 miles, 14 milers and a free 0.5 mile kids race, there is something for everyone! Come early and camp at the Lost Lake Group Camp on Saturday night before the race!
Hope to see you there!
OHA kicked off the summer’s of 2020’s Highland Wonders with a Weekend Birding Challenge! The official event took place on May 30-31 but if you want to participate, choose any consecutive two days that works for you! We will send you a bluebird box kit when you share your results.
There are two challenge options. Choose the one that fits you best, or do both! The challenge runs from Saturday, May 30 to Sunday, May 31. Send your results to jen@okanoganhighlands.org by Monday, June 1.
Challenge 1: Keep a list of the bird species that you see in your yard or wherever you may be. Take pictures if you can! Send your approximate sighting location, species list and pictures by Monday, June 1 to jen@okanoganhighlands.org. An anonymous donor is giving OHA $5 for the first 40 species identified! Let us know if you’d like to add to the pot!
Challenge 2: Build a bird’s nest out of materials that you find in nature and send a picture of your engineering feat to jen@okanoganhighlands.org. For inspiration, check this out: https://nestwatch.org/learn/focal-species/
Attached below is our “Birding Care Package” with lots of fun resources for watching, listening to and caring for our local birds. Also attached is a tried-and-true bluebird box blueprint, from local bird box expert Dale Swedberg. In the near future we will be assembling bird box kits to distribute to interested community members, and we will also provide a “how to” video for assembly and care of the boxes. Let us know if we can put you on the list to receive a kit!
Thanks to all who participated this weekend! We had a total of 36 species reported, which means our donor is giving $180 to OHA. Great work!
| Weekend Birding Challenge Results |
| Cedar waxwing |
| Chipping sparrow |
| Vesper sparrow |
| House wren |
| Raven |
| American robin |
| Black-headed grosbeak |
| Red-naped sapsucker |
| Song sparrow |
| Violet-green swallow |
| wood-pewee |
| red-tailed hawk |
| Cassin’s finch |
| Willow flycatcher |
| Sora |
| Spotted towhee |
| European starling |
| Mountain chickadee |
| Turkey |
| Pine siskin |
| Swainson’s thrush |
| Poorwill |
| Wood pewee |
| Nighthawk |
| Common Loon |
| Raven |
| Bald Eagle |
| Osprey |
| Mallard |
| Wilson’s Snipe |
| Yellow Rumped Warbler |
| Tree Swallow |
| Flicker |
| Eastern Kingbird |
| Say’s Phoebe |
| California Quail |
| Eurasian Collared Dove |
On January 3, 2020, Dana Visalli kicked off the new year with “Big History: the evolutionary story of the Earth and the life on it, in one hour.” It was once thought that the Earth was static and unchanging, but we now know the opposite is true. Both the Earth and the life
on it are dynamic and ever-changing. This is the scientific story of evolution; it borders on the spiritual, and is meaningful to our own lives.
In his hour (plus a few extra minutes), Dana wove together concepts from various scientific fields to make sense of humans’ relationship to other species, to each other, and to our world. Threaded throughout was the hopeful, thought-provoking message that we can do better, and that our intellect is capable of bringing us through the challenges facing the world today.
Dinner benefitting the CCC starts at 5:15 pm – $9 for adults; Presentation starts at 6:30 pm – free to all
