On March 11, KNKX and BirdNote presented an immersive online journey to Western Washington’s Skagit Valley to see and hear the spectacular array of migratory birds that make this region their home during the winter.
Hosted by Dr. Trina Bayard, the event featured special guest panelists Stephanie Fernandez, founder of Skagit Guided Adventures; Jeff Osmundson, President of Skagit Audubon Society; and Fern Naomi Renville, Dakota storyteller and theatre artist. They brought the birds of Skagit Valley, including Trumpeter Swans, Snow Geese, Bald Eagles, Peregrine Falcons, and Sandhill Cranes to life, as well as the beauty and vitality of its farmlands, wetlands, estuaries, marine waters, prairies and forests.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyu0PUifT4g
ABOUT BIRDNOTE
BirdNote is a public media program that brings joy, inspiration, and hope to millions of people around the world who value birds and the environment we share. 88.5 KNKX is the flagship station for BirdNote, now celebrating 16 years of inspirational storytelling. You can hear the two-minute show every day on KNKX, at BirdNote.org, via the podcast, and through social media. BirdNote.org features nearly 1,800 stories with accompanying photos and hundreds of videos. By telling vivid, sound-rich stories about birds and the challenges they face, BirdNote inspires listeners to care about the natural world — and take steps to protect it.
EVENT PARTICIPANTS
Dr. Trina Bayard (event host) is the Director of Bird Conservation at Audubon Washington and science advisor to BirdNote. Her career has included a broad range of plant and wildlife studies. Trina is dedicated to advancing bird conservation in a way that helps birds and people thrive.
Stephanie Fernandez has a background in marine biology and is the founder of Skagit Guided Adventures. Before that, she spent decades as a guide for tour companies in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Her popular "Winter Birding Tours" showcase the diversity of bird life in and around the Skagit Valley.
Jeff Osmundson is President of Skagit Audubon. He worked for the U.S.D.A. Forest Service for over 30 years and after retirement started a small business specializing in the review of large land real estate appraisals.
Fern Naomi Renville is a Dakota storyteller, theatre artist, and enrolled citizen of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate. Fern is motivated by the joy of revitalizing the great theatrical traditions of her Dakota oral culture, and by a vision of the contributions of Indigenous peoples being recognized as foundational elements of the American theatrical canon and aesthetic.
