Field Trips, Special Events and Work Days
Redwood Region Audubon Society advocates for the protection of birds and wildlife by supporting local conservation efforts to protect wildlife and their habitat.
Our guided walks and other activities are free and open to the public unless otherwise stated.
Special Events
Saturday, August 2, from 8 to 11 a.m.
Elk River Estuary Restoration Project at the south end of Eureka.
Since its completion, this site has already been hosting good numbers of both resident and migratory waterbirds. Let's see what the early Fall migration period produces here! Meet at the Tooby Road Accessible trailhead parking area, 5300 Tooby Road, at 8 am and plan for 2-3 hours of birding and easy walking. Bring binoculars and spotting scopes if you have them. Please contact Sean McAllister (707-496-8790 / whiteouters@gmail.com) for more information and to register for this free event.
Saturday, August 30, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Table Bluff and Ocean Ranch
Join us for a combined seawatch and hike around one of the area’s premier wetland birding sites. We will start with a seawatch from Table Bluff, and then proceed to the adjacent Ocean Ranch Unit of the Eel River Wildlife Area. With good visibility, Table Bluff serves as a great location to spot migrating seabirds and whales. Ocean Ranch is a hotspot for shorebirds, other waterbirds, sparrows, raptors, river otters, and more! Meet at the Waluplh Lighthouse Ranch at Table Bluff at 08:00 am. Bring binoculars and spotting scopes if you have them. Please contact Sean McAllister (707-496-8790 / whiteouters@gmail.com) for more information and to register for this free event.
Sunday, August 31, at 4 p.m..
Sunday, August 31, at 4 p.m..
Arcata Bottoms
Join Redwood Region Audubon Society and trip leader, Ken Burton, on a 3.4-mile evening bird walk on Jackson Ranch Road passes pastures and wetlands on the west side of the Bottoms.. We'll look for uncommon species such as Ross's Goose, Greater White-fronted Goose, and Pacific Golden-Plover, as well as the more common species found in these habitats. This late-afternoon trip is planned to coincide with high tide when shorebirds are more likely to be present. Participants can turn back on their own for a shorter walk. Meet at the intersection of Highway 255 and Jackson Ranch Road at 4 p.m. Contact the leader, Ken Burton (shrikethree AT gmail.com), if you have questions.
Through the summer:
Through the summer:
Monthly Pelagic Birding Trips
Beginning in May, RRAS will be hosting monthly trips out of Humboldt Bay aboard the Stellar Sunrise, a 43-foot US Coast Guard-inspected vessel, with Captain Lowell Wallace Jr. and his crew. The Steller Sunrise is an ideal platform for birdwatching and whale-watching, with a spacious exterior walk-around deck, enclosed bathroom, and heated cabin.
Reserve your space for one or more of these trips to search for birds that are seldom if ever seen from shore, as well as whales, dolphins, and other marine animals. Shearwaters, albatrosses, storm-petrels, jaegers, fulmars, auklets, and more are to be expected. The trips will generally depart around sunrise and return in the early afternoon.
The following dates (Saturdays) are open for sign-ups: July 12, August 16, September 13, and October 11. Note that we ask participants to be flexible with the dates so that we can target the best possible conditions. The cost is $150 per person, and each trip is limited to fifteen participants. To reserve a spot for any of these trips, contact Sean McAllister via email at whiteouters@gmail.com, or call/text (707) 496-8790.J
Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary Weekly Walks - Saturday mornings, 8:30 am to about 11:00 am.
All our regular, weekly guided walks at the Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary meet at the end of South I Street (Klopp Lake) in Arcata.
Bring your binoculars and meet your trip leader to see beautiful views of Humboldt Bay, enjoy easy-to-walk trails, and see a great diversity of birdlife.
Our walk leaders this month:
August 2
Gary Friedrichsen
August 9
Tylor Bell-Rogers
August 16
Bob Battagin
August 23
Kathryn Wendel
August 30
Mark Colwell
Other regularly scheduled walks and activities:
Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge - Second Sunday of each month
Sunday, August 10, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Meet leader Ralph Bucher at the Visitor Center for this two-mile walk along a wide, flat trail that is packed gravel and easily accessible. Just outside of town, this refuge offers astounding and easy access to tidally-influenced habitats including mudflats, riparian vegetation, conifers, and a bay that hosts a variety of geese, raptors, shorebirds, and waders. Email Ralph to sign up at thebook@reninet.com.
Eureka Waterfront Trail - Third Sunday of each month
Eureka Waterfront Trail - Third Sunday of each month
Sunday, August 17, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Join leader Ralph Bucher on this relatively urban trail that offers the potential to observe species abundance and diversity compared to many more remote locations. Watch out for cormorants, loons, grebes, and even otters diving for their meals in the bay alongside the trail. This walk is on a flat, paved trail that is wheelchair accessible. Email Ralph to sign up for this field trip at thebook@reninet.com
RRAS Conservation Committee - Third Tuesday of the month
Tuesday, August 19, at 12:00 noon
We will be meeting on the Marina Cafe deck, Woodley Island.
Here is the Zoom link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87263853457?pwd=RHNKR0FrWEJ4WHJIcFZFWDB4M0FFZz09
Wigi Wetlands Volunteer Workday - Fourth Saturday of each month
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87263853457?pwd=RHNKR0FrWEJ4WHJIcFZFWDB4M0FFZz09
Wigi Wetlands Volunteer Workday - Fourth Saturday of each month
August 23, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Help create bird-friendly native habitats and restore a section of the bay trail by removing invasive plants (and trash.) We will be cutting seed heads, pulling small Scotch broom and pampass grass plants, and tending to our recently-planted native plants. The trail section is located behind the Bayshore Mall and volunteers will meet in the parking lot directly behind Walmart. We will provide tools, gloves, and delicious, homemade cookies. Please bring drinking water. Contact Eric Nelson etn3115(at)icloud.com for more information.
Southern Humboldt -
Fourth Saturday of each month
Next walks:
October 25, 8:30-11am
November 22, 8:30-11am.
It is too hot during the summer for this to be enjoyable, but the walks will continue once things cool down!
This walk includes 2-3 miles of gentle walking through riparian, grassland, and mixed hardwood forests with bird species varying by season. Year-round residents we may observe include jays, towhees, woodpeckers, and several raptor species. Meet at the Tooby Park parking lot located 1 mile west of Garberville on Sprowl Creek Road. This trip occurs on the fourth Saturday of every month, generally starts around 8:30 a.m., and the leaders vary by month. Contact Tess at Tmcguire9130atgmail.com for the correct start time or with any other questions.
Our Purpose
The purposes and objectives of this corporation shall be to engage in such educational, scientific, investigative, literary, historical, philanthropic, and charitable pursuits as may be part of the stated purposes of the National Audubon Society, of which this corporation shall function as a Chapter.
Contact Us
Mailing Address:
PO Box 1054 Eureka,
CA 95502