Joint Meeting with Redwood Regional Ornithological Society (RROS)
In November, RROS is hosting a joint meeting with Madrone Audubon.
Presenter: Ronald Brown, volunteer colony monitor for San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory’s Colonial Waterbirds Program (formerly, All Hands Ecology’s Heron and Egret Project)
Ronald Brown is an immigrant from Scotland (1972) and a 2010 retiree who likes nature and the outdoors. He developed an interest in birds during the pandemic and has volunteered for various nature-related programs since retirement: One Tam Wildlife cameras, Marin County Breeding Bird Atlas and most especially All Hands Ecology’s Heron and Egret Project (HEP) (now, SFBBO’s Colonial Waterbirds Program). In 2020 (1st year of the pandemic) he somewhat accidentally became involved with the monitoring of Dover Park in Fairfield, a Snowy Egret/Black crowned Night Heron/Cattle Egret colony. Ron will describe the history of the monitoring project and share his observations/concerns for the status of Snowy Egret/Black-crowned Night Heron/Cattle Egret in the North Bay.
https://www.rros.org/events-field-trips/2026/11/11/rros-monthly-meeting-egrets-and-herons
Bird Walk at Taylor Mountain Regional Park
Taylor Mountain Regional Park, Santa Rosa
Leader: Janet Bosshard. Info: (707) 480-3432.
Meet at the Kawana Terrace parking lot. Parking pass is required. We will walk at a ‘birding’ pace. No steep trails. We will be out in the open hills. Rain will cancel.
Field Trip to Pepperwood Preserve with Peter Leveque
Leader: Peter Leveque
We will meet at Pepperwood’s Dwight Center (2130 Pepperwood Preserve Road, Santa Rosa, CA), where we will have a brief tour of the center and its display area. A field trip of birding and nest box cleaning will follow. Bring a lunch and we will eat at Three Tree Hill which offers a great view of Pepperwood. Rain cancels.
Bird Walk at Ellis Creek, Petaluma
Leader: Linda Fraley. Info: (559) 779-5211. Rain cancels.
3890 Cypress Dr., Petaluma. In Petaluma, go East on 116 (Lakeville Highway). Turn right (south) on S. McDowell Blvd. Turn right on Cypress Drive. Go to the end of the road and through gates. Meet near the restrooms. Free parking.
General Meeting and Presentation
Monday, October 19th, 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Isis Howard, Conservation Biologist, The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
Monarch Conservation & the Power of Community Science
Want to help the monarch butterfly? Join us and the Xerces Society for an inspiring science talk on the western monarch population. Learn about these butterflies' incredible migration to our California coastline, their fragile ecology, and the simple steps we can all take to help them recover. While actions are urgent, the opportunities for impact are great. You'll leave with fun facts, local community connections, and a clear vision of your role in the monarch's comeback story.
Based in Sonoma County, California, Isis works to protect western monarch butterflies across their breeding, migratory, and overwintering ranges. She provides technical assistance and training to land managers and the public on habitat restoration, monitoring and data collection, and pollinator conservation. She also manages community science programs, including the Western Monarch Count and Western Monarch Milkweed Mapper, and coordinates the International Monarch Monitoring Blitz with several national partners. Isis is an experienced outdoor educator and holds a bachelor of science degree in environmental management and protection from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
Bird Walk at Foothill Regional Park
Foothill Regional Park, Windsor
Leader: Scott Campbell
Meet in parking lot. Parking pass required for lot; free street parking available.
Bird Walk at Chanslor Ranch, Bodega Bay
Leader: Janet Bosshard. Info: (707) 480-3432.
Meet in parking lot. No parking pass is required at this time. (Be prepared in case.) We will walk to gentle slopes around to over look the creek and pond.
Bird Walk at Spring Lake Regional Park, Santa Rosa
Leader: Linda Fraley. For questions call 559-779-5211.
Channel Drive & Violetti Road Entrance. Park in the large lot opposite the Swim Lagoon. We will walk to North Peninsula and return. Parking pass required (may pay at entrance kiosk).
Keith Hansen: For the Love of Birds and the Joy of Birding
Join Keith Hansen for a lively dive into what inspired him to take up illustrating birds and eventually to become a bird book author. He has recently finished his 13th and 14th books entitled Hansen’s Field Guide to the Birds of the Sierra Nevada and The Birds of Point Reyes.
Bird Walk at Crane Creek Regional Park
Leader Janet Bosshard. (707) 480-3432.
Crane Creek Regional Park. 5000 Pressley Rd, Santa Rosa/Rohnert Park. Parking pass required.
Bird Walk at West County Trail, Ross Station Road Trailhead
Leader: Janet Bosshard. Info: (707) 480-3432.
Meet in the parking lot. No parking pass required.
Bodega Bay Mud Flats with Peter Leveque
This joint outing with Junior and Senior Audubon is for all ages. We will meet at the south end of the Spud Point Marina Parking Lot. Our goal is to determine the organisms our shorebirds use for food. We will sift through mud and sand, so be prepared to get a little muddy. Bring a lunch and stay to enjoy the afternoon in Bodega Bay. For more information, call: 707-542-8946.
Bird Walk at Ragle Ranch
Meet in the back lot near the dog park. Parking pass is required. Leader Janet Bosshard. Leader: Janet Bosshard; Info: (707) 480-3432.
Madrone Annual Potluck Picnic at Spring Lake
5:30pm - 6:30pm :
Join us for a tour of Spring Lake Environmental Center followed by short bird walk.
6:30pm - 8pm:
Bring something good to eat and to share. Please bring your own plate and utensils. Cold drinks will be provided.
Location: Shady Oaks Picnic Area. Located to the left immediately after you enter the park by the Channel Drive and Violetti Roard entrance.
The Ernestine Smith Scholarship recipient will be introduced.
Bird Walk at Helen Putnam Park
Meet in the parking lot near the restrooms. Parking pass is required. Leader: Janet Bosshard; Info: (707) 480-3432.
Speaker: Amphibian Protection and the Newt Brigade
Christyne Davidian, Chileno Valley Newt Brigade (CVNB) Captain
Sarah Millus, Biologist at Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands
Our speakers will offer insights into amphibian conservation and wildlife crossing. Chileno Valley Newt Brigade (CVNB) is a voluntary group concerned about vehicles on Chileno Valley Road running over newts and other amphibians trying to get to and from Laguna Lake to breed. The presentation will cover how the CVNB got started; amphibian species and biology; current conservation efforts and CVNB statistics; and the proposed wildlife crossing,
Bird Walk: Sonoma Valley Regional Park, Glen Ellen
Meet in the parking lot, across from the dog park. Parking pass required. Leader Janet Bosshard (707) 480-3432
Speaker: Jerry Cole on Understanding Recent Technological Advancements in Avian Acoustics
Join Jerry Cole for a gentle introduction to bioacoustics (the study of sounds produced by animals), and an overview of recently developed technologies for the automatic identification of bird sounds. The talk will cover the technology underpinning automatic bird sound identifies, including BirdNet and Merlin Sound ID, and discuss hardware available for automatically capturing bird sounds at home or on the go.
Bird Walk: Santa Rosa Creek Trail at Willowside Road
Bird Walk at Santa Rosa Creek Trail at Willowside Road. Trail entrance is north of Waldorf School. Park carefully on either side of Willowside Rd. No bathrooms available
Bird Walk: Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery
Meet at the old entrance to the cemetery, on the corner of Franklin Avenue and Terrace Way. Parking is available south on the street by the church. Leader: Janet Bosshard (707) 480-3432
Junior Audubon: Musée de Leveque
This Junior Audubon activity will take place in the Natural History Museum at Peter Leveque’s Garage. Participants will have the opportunity to observe, handle, and measure preserved specimens. A highlight will be the observation and discussion of an actual Bengal Tiger. Tiger tea and woodpecker cookies will be served. Please invite parents, grandparents, family and friends. This museum is only open to the public on March 7th, 2026 from 9am-11am. You will find Musée de Leveque at 62 Hop Ranch Circle, Santa Rosa 95403. RSVP to Peter at (707) 542-8946.