From the desk of
Katherine Emery, Executive Director
Through our Education and Conservation/Science committees, Santa Barbara Audubon Society (SBAS) is actively working on several initiatives. This update provides an overview of selected current projects, goals, and opportunities for member engagement.
Dear SBAS Friends and Members,
I write this update with gratitude. Thanks to you, members, donors, our hardworking Board, volunteers, and staff, SB Audubon Society continues to work wholeheartedly to protect area birdlife and habitat and connect people with birds through education, conservation, and science.
We thank Darlene Chirman and Julie and Marc Kummel for generously sparking a $10,000 match for SBAS’s Annual Campaign.
“I am so impressed with the work of the SB Audubon Conservation/Science Committee, protecting birds and habitats in the Santa Barbara area. I love the Eyes in the Sky Program (EITS) that gives school kids and Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History visitors up close and personal connections with birds of prey. I am proud to support this organization and all the volunteers that make the magic happen!” – Darlene Chirman, President Emerita
“SBAS has done so much over the years to preserve and support the health of the unique and complex natural world around us. SBAS has long provided topnotch educational opportunities for our schools and community, and I am grateful to give my support!” – Julie Kummel, Board Emerita
SBAS is lively with evening programs, bird walks, and conservation/science work. We welcome Maeve O’Hara, Aviary Raptor Caretaker and Outreach Assistant, and Tango, a three-year-old female Red-tailed Hawk to SBAS’s
EITS program. We prepare for our winter Meet Your Wild Neighbor classrooms. Please note that we seek a Director for EITS. If you know of an experienced raptor handler with a heart for conservation outreach, please direct them our way.
With all the buzzing, I also appreciate access to our beautiful Santa Barbara open spaces. A bird walk by Campus Lagoon, a magical moment of quiet with likable people, seeing a striking Green Heron that actually looks green. What could be better?
Wishing you a healthy, peaceful holiday season
Katherine Emery, PhD
Executive Director
Santa Barbara Audubon Society
