New walks and a volunteer opportunity!

We have three exciting new walks for fall--including our annual meeting of members!

On Saturday, September 15th, join us at Fletcher's Cove at 8AM. Situated along the Potomac River, Fletcher’s Cove Boathouse offers diverse woodland and river habitat. Species of interest will be Wood Ducks, Belted Kingfishers, terns, raptors, and Baltimore and Orchard Orioles. With fall migration beginning we’ll also hopefully see some birds beginning their move south. We will meet by the Fletcher's Cove Boathouse. Parking is available, but spaces are limited. You can find directions here: http://www.fletcherscove.com/directions.htm. Get your ducks in a row and register early!

On October 20th, we'll be at Rock Creek Park. Join us at 8:30 for our walk, and then stay for bagels and coffee at our annual meeting of members at 10AM. November 17th, you can sleep late and meet us at 10AM for a walk at Anacostia Park--home to some of DC's resident wild turkeys, just in time for Thanksgiving!

As always, please be mindful of weather conditions, dress and hydrate appropriately, and use caution when traveling to new or unfamiliar birding locations. Registration will go live two weeks before each walk.

Our friends at Anacostia Watershed Society have have organized their second annual Anacostia River BioBlitz and we'll be there to lead bird walks. The event is at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens from 9am - 1pm tomorrow (Saturday) the 8th. The BioBlitz gathers local experts and novices alike to get out in the watershed and identify as many species as they can to add to AWS's inventory. Fun, low-key walks will be led throughout the morning to identify plants, fish, mushrooms, reptiles and amphibians, and more. All walks last an hour - bird walks start at 9:30 and 12:30. Where to park, what to bring, and other information is available here.

We're seeking to fill vacancies on the Board of Directors for terms beginning October 2018. Directors serve in a volunteer capacity for renewable two-year terms. If you have a passion for birds and bird conservation and are interested in opportunities to lead in a nonprofit setting, please email a statement of interest and your resume (or summary of relevant experience and qualifications) to nominations@audubondc.org by September 10, 2018. To learn more, please read the detailed description here.

DC Audubon in Action: Volunteer Opportunity

Thanks to everyone who took our survey! We learned you're looking for more opportunities to make DC a better home for birds. We're proud to announce our first volunteer opportunity. Volunteer help is needed to restore the habitat of Kingman and Heritage Islands. The islands are overrun by bush honeysuckle and Japanese Knotweed, plants known to crowd out native plants, with almost no wildlife value. You will learn how to identify invasive plants, and how to treat them, and at the end the event there will be a walk around the islands to show some already restored habitats, look for birds, and to view the amazing wild rice marsh.

When: November 10th. 9:30am-12:00pm.
Where: Meet at the entrance off Benning Rd (https://goo.gl/maps/7UddzWkmYsz). The closest Metro is Stadium Armory. This site is very bike-accessible. If driving, you can park at the golf course across the street, or along the path on Kingman Island.
What to bring: Water, sunscreen, long pants, and shirt. There is very little poison ivy on the Island, but if you're sensitive, bring ivy treatment. Personal gloves and tools are optional but there are some for borrowing at the site.
Sign up: Here

Your Chapter in Action

Last month, DC Audubon Society led an effort to submit comments on the RFK stadium campus redevelopment plan. We are excited that the City has decided to upgrade portions of the site that are currently asphalt, but think that the plan has not taken environmental risks and opportunities into consideration. A total of 10 organizations signed the letter, and we are very grateful for their support. We will keep you posted on the City's response. If you are interested in reading the comments, contact us at dcaudubonsociety@gmail.com.