Just place your bid by naming the item and your bid in an email to eac@svn.net. NOTE THE MINIMUM BIDS.

Keep checking back as more items will be added. On-line bidding will close on Tuesday, April 20, 2010 at 11 P.M. PDT, to be re-opened for in-person bidding at 3 P.M. PDT Saturday, April 24.

All-Day Birding Adventure on the Big Island of Hawaii
For 2 persons: Choose one of two all-day (11 hour) Big Island birding adventures
Minimum Bid $85, Value $358
High Bid: $135

Rainforest and Dryforest Birding Adventure
This trip involves the exploration of two rare habitats: the cloudmist kipuka rainforest on Mauna Loa and the sub-alpine dry forest of Puu Laau on Mauna Kea. Thee are two places that represent Hawaii before human contact; places where plants and birds found nowhere else on earth reveal an evolutionary epic of the islands. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to witness Hawaii’s native birds and forests.

~or

Hakalau Forest Wildlife Refuge Adventure
Hakalau means “many perches” in Hawaiian, and is recognized as critical bird habitat. Once part of a large cattle ranch, it was the first national wildlife refuge in the country established for forest birds and is home to some of the rarest plants, insects, and birds on earth. This trip provides access the Pua Akala tract (which is not open to the public) by special permit.

Generously donated by Hawaii Forest & Trail. Certificate is valid through April 23, 2011. For more information, please visit: www.hawaii-forest.com.

Apple Cottage, 3 nights, Sun-Thursday
Minimum Bid $250, Value $375

Apple Cottage is a charming studio in Inverness Park that faces out onto an apple orchard. The friendly owners are well versed in the flora and fauna of the area and have nature guides for visitors to borrow. When apples or berries are in season, you will be treated to fresh fruit from the property.

The gardens are spectacular and well cared for including enclosed gardens for flowers and produce. You will find your stay at Apple Cottage relaxing and it will soon feel like home. Many guests return year after year for a particular season they like in West Marin.

Donated by Rigdon Currie and Trish Johnson.

Berry Patch B&B, One free night, Sun – Thurs
Minimum bid $40, Value $129

Cloud Forests of Peru. Trip for two.
Minimum Bid $3000, Value $4560. Air fares not included.

13 days at fabulous Manu Lodge in the cloud forests and mountains of Manu National Park, Peru. Many day trips to surrounding countryside. Manu Lodge has a long history of leading highly productive birding trips, with very experienced expert guides. Your life list will take a huge jump upwards, and you will see the birds you have dreamed about for years. Fabulous photography opportunities.

Does not include any air fare. Local air travel can be arranged by Manu Lodge. Donated by Manu Lodge.

Cloud Forests of Ecuador. Trip for two.
Minimum bid $2000, Value $2740.

6 days of some of the most diverse bird habitats in Ecuador. Led by one of the best touring companies in Ecuador, Mindo Birding Tours. Stay at a variety of comfortable lodges and see dozens of exotic and beautiful bird species. 300 species or more are often seen on this trip.

Does not include any air fare. Donated by Mindo Birding Tours.

Dancing Coyote Beach, Sun – Thurs, 2 night stay
Minimum bid $100, Value 350

Egret Overlook, Sun – Thurs, 3 night stay
Minimum bid $610, Value $900

Fir Tree Cottage, Sun – Thurs, 2 night stay
Minimum bid $160, Value $590

Kowa Optimed, Genesis 33 8x Prominar Binocular
Minimum bid $400, Value $1,250.

This new model of binoculars is small and light-weight (only 20 oz.) and features high quality lenses and coatings, a wider field of view, and close focus. Generously donated by Kowa Optimed, Inc.

Loft at Woodville Ranch, Bolinas, Sun – Thurs
3 night stay. Minimum bid $410, Value $600.

Lone Fir Cottage, Sun – Thurs
3 night stay. Minimum bid $290.

Monterey Seabirds, For 1 Person: 8-Hour Pelagic Seabirds Trip
Minimum bid $25. Value $105

Monterey Seabirds features year-round pelagic trips, enabling you to experience the seabirds of the Monterey Bay in their respective seasons. Just offshore of Monterey, California lies a 6000-foot deep submarine canyon running down the middle of the Monterey Bay. This geologic feature creates cold-water upwellings that are rich in nutrients, fostering a remarkable diversity of seabirds and cetaceans. The combination of these elements within a semi-protected bay makes Monterey a worldwide destination for pelagic birding. Just a few miles from shore one can observe pelagic seabirds that travel across the oceans of both hemispheres to feed in the bountiful waters of Monterey Bay.

Space on each voyage is limited to 25 persons, in the interest of having a reasonably-sized group that is conducive to pelagic birding and photography. Certificate is valid through April 25, 2011, and a reservation required. Generously donated by Monterey Seabirds.

Motel Inverness
Minimum bid $150. Value $580.

2 nights for two persons with no restrictions as to date. Must be used by April 26, 2011.

The Heart’s Desire Suite: Like its namesake beach at nearby Tomales Bay State Park, this serene and expansive suite is the perfect spot for a tranquil respite. With 2 separate bedrooms, the Heart’s Desire Suite also features a kitchenette, a large bathroom with tub, and its own private deck with mesmerizing views across Tomales Bay to the rolling hills beyond. This especially lovely ADA-compliant suite meets the Universal Design standard for Barrier-free space. Accommodates 4 in 2 queen beds.

3 Nights at the Historic Old Point Reyes Schoolhouse
Minimum Bid $770

3 Bedrooms (sleeps 7): 1 Queen, 1 Double, 1 Twin, 3 Cots; 3 Baths; Gourmet Kitchen; Private Gardens: Patio, pond & lawn; Gas grill & chaises; Beautiful views; Fireplaces: living room & bedroom; Large library; Baby grand piano; Wireless Internet; Private phone; TV with cable; Laundry

Olema Cottages, Sun – Thurs, 2 night stay
Minimum bid $100, Value $350

Olema Inn
Minimum Bid $200. Value $348.

A two night stay for one or two people with the following restrictions: Sunday – Thursday stay good for six months from auction date (will expire October 23), not combinable with other offers or certificates, not valid on holidays, valid for rooms 5 or 6 only.

One Mesa Bed and Breakfast, Sun – Thurs
3 night stay. Minimum bid $350, Value $504

Osprey Peak, Sun – Thurs
Minimum bid $100, Value $270

Two consecutive nights stay, Sunday through Thursday nights, excluding Holiday Weekend Sunday nights (listed on the Osprey Peak Website). Stay must be redeemed for available dates during the period from May 1 through September 30, 2010.

Relax and renew in a beautifully simple Japanese Farmhouse aesthetic set on the northern slope of Mount Vision above Third Valley.

Savor rare and complete privacy and restfulness in a two-room inn. Each room has queen bed, full private bath/shower and expansive sun-filled windows looking into the mysterious Bishop Pine forest. Enjoy the sunny private deck over which hover the beloved ospreys. Hummingbirds are constant companions. Vultures, ravens, hawks, woodpeckers and numerous other birds swoop overhead and perch in the giant pines , bay and madrone trees. Industrious and acrobatic grey squirrels continuously race through the eye level canopy.

Included is our Deluxe buffet breakfast of fresh fruits, bread, pastries, cheeses, granola, etc., mostly from local artisan producers.

Pacific Spirit Alchemy Spa services available on site (not included as part of auction offer).

Neblina Forest Birding Tours
Minimum Bid $400, Value $840

For 1 person: 4 days, 3 nights at the fabulous Sani Lodge on the Rio Napo in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Does not include air fare, but does include transportation (mostly by boat on the Rio Napo) between the airport at Puerto Francisco de Orellano (”El Coca”) and the Lodge; a guide; and all meals. Although no airfare is included in the package, Sani Lodge is happy to assist you with the booking of your flights to and from Quito and Coca ($125 round-trip).

Sani Lodge is located between two of the most diverse ecological reserves in the world, the Yasuni National Park and the Cuyabeno Reserve. This area represents a natural corridor for an amazing variety of bird species. On the north is the Cuyabeno Reserve with 603,380 hectares of protected land (mostly flooded forest); on the south, the Yasuni National Park with 980,000 hectares of lowland forest and terra firma. The Lodge is a birdwatchers paradise, where species new to the area are regularly found. The amazing Rufous Potoo and the Paradise Jacamar are just some of the examples that make Sani Lodge such an impressive place to bird watch.

Lodge stay must occur within one year of auction date. Please enjoy a visit to www.neblinaforest.com for more information.

New Year at Ramsey Canyon Inn
Trip for 2, December 28, 2010 – January 2, 2011
Minimum Bid $1,775, Value $2,950

This elegant birding adventure has been generously donated by High Lonesome Birdtours, known for its small-group tours. Ramsey Canyon is deemed by many to be the best winter birding area in Arizona. Areas to be visited in the tour are Patagonia and the San Raphael Valley, as well as the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area. Wintering raptors and cranes will likely be seen in the Sulphur Springs Valley, and of course, the high-elevation species in the Huachuca Mountains. The old mining town of Bisbee will also be visited. Why not welcome the New Year in a birders’ paradise?

The level of difficulty of the excursions is easy, with one moderate to difficult, optional hike for Spotted Owl. From Tucson Airport, includes five nights lodging, all meals, transportation, entry fees, guides, taxes, tips.

Sacha Tamia Rainforest Reserve Lodge
For two persons: 3 day/2 night stay. Includes all meals.
Minimum Bid $90, Value $320

Sacha Tamia Rainforest Reserve is a private ecological reserve containing in excess of 120 hectares of cloud-rain forest. It is located next to the protected forest of Mindo-Nambillo, renowned as one of the foremost in terms of wealth of biodiversity. One of the two registered leks in Ecuador of the Long-Wattled Umbrellabird (Cephalopterus penduliger) is found within the Reserve.

Guiding services and transportation are not included. Lodge stay must occur within one year of the auction date. Donated by Neblina Forest Birding Tours.

Rosemary Cottage, Sun – Thurs, 2 night stay
Minimum bid $150, Value $510

South Africa’s Finest Birding with Rockjumper
Birding Tours
Minimum bid $3975. Value $7700

For two people: This two-week Eastern South Africa tour offers the classic African savanna of the world-renowned Kruger National Park, the teeming Zululand game reserves, the endemic-rich mist-belt forests and grasslands of the Natal Midlands and the lofty peaks of the magnificent Drakensberg. Target birds include Southern Bald Ibis, Bearded Vulture, the rare Taita Falcon, Blue and Wattled Crane, Barrow’s and Blue Korhaan, Pel’s Fishing Owl, Ground Woodpecker, Rudd’s and Botha’s Lark, Spotted Ground Thrush, Drakensberg Rockjumper, Gurney’s Sugarbird and the lovely Pink-throated Twinspot. Our chances of achieving the classic ‘Big Five’ (Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Buffalo and Rhino) are excellent and less common mammals on the route include African Wild Dog, Cheetah, the endemic Black Wildebeest and even Aardvark. Airfare not included.

Dates in 2010 are 8/1-14; 10/19-11/1; 11/12-25; 11/17-30. Tours may be full so reservations must be made directly with Rockjumper Birding Tours.

There is an optional added-cost extension to each trip to the Western Cape area.

Wild Bird Center of Santa Rosa: Optics from Alpen
Minimum Bid $150, Value $400

Alpen 20-60×80 waterproof, multicoated scope with a tripod and aluminum case.

American Birding Association
One year membership. No minimum bid. Value $45

For 40 years the American Birding Association has been at the forefront of birding. Today ABA is expanding its efforts to protect birds and enhance the avocation of birding. By becoming a member you are joining thousands of individuals who for the last forty years have helped us improve birding. Your membership helps us to be successful in all our efforts.

Bay Nature
No minimum Bid, Value $22

One year subscription to the premiere nature magazine of the Bay Area.

Lifetime Membership to BirdersHostingBirders.com
Minimum Bid $90, Value $499

BirdersHostingBirders.com (BHB) is an online, international community of traveling birders sharing their homes with other traveling birders. Birders’ homes are shared at no charge, in the interest of building friendships and memorable birding adventures. Benefits of membership include meeting fellow birders and thus enhancing your birding experiences; taking advantage of a budget-friendly way to arrange your travel all over the world; and joining an online community that supports and welcomes your enthusiasm for birding! As a member of BHB, you are both a host –at your discretion– to other members, and during your own travels, a potential guest at the homes of other members around the world.

Please see detailed information (including FAQs) at: www.birdershostingbirders.com. This item has been generously donated by BHB.

DVD: Birding Brazil – The Atlantic Rainforest.
No Minimum Bid, Value $30

Presented and produced by Malcolm Rymer. “Birding Brazil”, a two-hour travelogue filmed over two extended trips, incorporates a wide range of species from a diversity of habitats found on typical guided excursions from the bird lodge. The film features the birdlife of the lodge’s productive grounds and surrounding forest. The team treks several different rainforest trails, birding more open high elevation terrain, visiting lowland wetlands – including great views of the sought-after Three-toed Jacamar. This program features 150+ bird species typical of the region, including footage of 47 endemics.

The film has been produced to appeal to both the newcomer to South American birding as well as the more experienced neotropical birder. The filming location was based at Serra dos Tucanos Lodge in the Tres Picos State Park, which gives ready access to this ever increasingly popular, endemic-rich rainforest environment. 
Duration: 2 hours – Filmed in 16:9 wide screen format, 19 chapters.

Donated by Serra dos Tucanos Lodge

Eagle Optics Denali Spotting Scope
No minimum bid, Value $100

Denali scope and small tripod. Perfect for beginning or young birders.

Feather-Watching Guide: An Interactive CD Guide for Watching Birds in the Field. By Lisa Hug
Minimum bid $5, Value $24.75

This is a narrated, self-running CD that explains the subjects of feather topography and molt in an interactive, entertaining way. There are some interactive quiz slides scattered throughout. The first part of the CD goes over the names of commonly referred-to feathers such as coverts and tertials and explains just where these feathers are located on a bird’s body. The last sections of the presentation explain the latest theories on molt strategies in birds. The CD presents the meanings of molt-related terms such as basic, formative and alternate in a detailed, yet easy-to understand manner.

The CD is 80 minutes in duration; however, individual sections of the CD can be accessed with links, so it is easy to watch just a small portion in one sitting.

This highly informative CD has been generously donated by Festival Guide Lisa Hug. For additional information, please visit her website.

Nikon 50mm 13-30x Angled ED Fieldscope with a Manfrotto 7301 MYB Tripod.
Minimum bid $300, Value $830

The optics on this small scope are very impressive. It is a wonderful main spotter or an ideal second scope for someone wanting a lighter weight alternative to the heavy spotters many birders use. The tripod is also compact and lightweight, but it has a smooth movement appropriate for following birds in flight.

Generously donated by Out of This World, a fine optics shop in Mendocino. Visit them at www.discountbinoculars.com.

Point Reyes Field Seminar Certificate
Minimum bid $25, Value $100

Good for one field seminar (your choice of any) offered by the Point Reyes National Seashore Association. Must be used by April 30th, 2011. Reservations required.

Deepen your connection to nature, strengthen your understanding of the environment and have fun with your peers. PRNSA’s Field Seminars are led by experts in their field, to take you out of your everyday life and into the natural world. Whether you’re interested in flora or fauna, hiking or history, weaving or watercolor, PRNSA Field Seminars offer something for everyone.

Generously donated by the Point Reyes National Seashore Association

Point Reyes Backpack, plus a set of 5 PRNSA Publications and a one-year PRNSA Family Membership
Minimum bid $40, Value $150

Package includes: PRNSA Family Membership; PRNSA Backpack; Discovering Birds, Rich Stallcup; Discovering Ranches, Dewey Livingston; Natural History of Point Reyes Peninsula (Revised Edition 2009), Jules Evens; Point Reyes Wildflowers; Point Reyes Bird Checklist

Stay connected to Point Reyes with a membership to Point Reyes National Seashore Association (PRNSA) and a set of five of our Bookstore publications you can tote inside our Tule Elk backpack on your next outdoor adventure. Sales from our Bookstores, located in Park Visitor Centers, help us raise critical funds for park projects and our environmental programs. We have a range of gifts that will suit every naturalist in your family. Please visit us today!

Generously donated by the Point Reyes National Seashore Association

Wild Birds Unlimited, Santa Rosa — Bird Feeder and Bag of Bird Seed
No minimum bid, Value $50

Medium tube feeder with Quick Clean bottom, and life time warranty. Five pound bag of WBU Supreme sunflower seed mix.

Eagle Optics Ranger SRT 8 x 42 binoculars
Minimum Bid $100, Value $335

Generous donation by Wild Birds Unlimited of Santa Rosa

Vortex Vanquish 10 x 26 binoculars
Minimum Bid $50, Value $135.

Generous donation by Wild Birds Unlimited of Santa Rosa

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We would like to thank the following cosponsors for their generous support:

Point Reyes National Seashore Association	Point Reyes National Seashore
PRBO Conservation Science

Thanks to our Generous Auction Donors and Cosponsors

(see the Auction page for links and auction item descriptions)

Apple Cottage
Manu Lodge
Mindo Birding Tours
Woodville Ranch
Motel Inverness
Lone Fir Cottage
Olema Inn
Neblina Forest
American Birding Association
Bay Nature
Serra dos Tucanos Lodge
Eagle Optics
Wild Bird Unlimited
Wild Bird Center

[ Back to the top ]

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Point Reyes Birding & Nature Festival
Environmental Action Committee
P.O. Box 609
Point Reyes Station, CA 94956
415.663.9312
Fax: (415) 663-8014
Email: prbnfestival@gmail.com

Sarah Allen has studied marine birds and mammals of California for some 30 years and has been affiliated with both PRBO Conservation Science and Point Reyes National Seashore. She has authored  scientific papers on harbor seals and other topics and is currently the senior science advisor with the Seashore.

Scot Anderson has studied great white sharks in the Gulf of the Farallones Marine Sanctuary for more than 20 years. In that period, he has authored more than 20 papers on white sharks and salmon sharks. One of his studies included equipping a surfboard with a camera. From underwater, the surfboard’s silhouette resembles the Great White’s normal pinniped prey which might partially explain shark attacks on humans.

Len Blumin is a retired physician and avid birder. In the course of digiscoping over the past six years, he has taken more 30,000 images of birds. Preview some of his favorite images at www.flickriver.com/photos/lenblumin.

Josiah Clark Josiah grew up steeped in the natural history of the Bay Area, where he has been birding for more than 20 years. Defining moments of birding experiences include: observation and mist-netting on Southeast Farallon Island; extensive travel, study, and tour-leading in Latin America; and a 24-hour birding and bicycling marathon in Marin County during which he spotted 158 species. Josiah owns Habitat Potential, an ecological consulting firm dedicated to interpreting, preserving, and creating habitat for wildlife in human settings. He recently started a nursery growing plants for habitat installations.

Emiko Condeso is a biologist and GIS specialist for Audubon Canyon Ranch. At the Cypress Grove Research Center, she manages ACR’s long-term biological monitoring projects and collaborates with staff and partners in conservation research. Her own research interests include understanding how spatial patterns, particularly in human-altered landscapes, influence biological communities. Her graduate work focused on Sudden Oak Death and examined the role of the spatial pattern of host woodland on disease dynamics.

Rigdon Currie A long-time birder, Rigdon has led a local birding group for five years. He took up video photography in 2000 as a way to keep a record of his many international birding trips. He has created 25 videos of these foreign excursions which illuminate his goal of seeing a representative of every bird family in the world.

Dave DeSante founded The Institute for Bird Populations which is located in Point Reyes Station in 1988. He currently serves as its president. Prior to that, Dave served as Director of Terrestrial Research at PRBO (1978–1988) and as Assistant Professor of Biology at Reed College (1975–1978), and at Stanford University (1974–1975). He received his Ph.D. from Stanford in 1973.

Barbara Deutsch Barbara has been studying, writing on, and teaching about gardening for butterflies for more than 25 years. In multiple ways, she has attempted to awaken and enliven awareness of what she calls “the other world that is in this one.” She organized a day-long symposium, “Insect Diversity: The Missing Component in Ecological Restoration” for the 1998 Society for Ecological Restoration conference.

Wendy Dreskin Wendy teaches nature education to pre-school and elementary- age students, including the Junior Bird Watcher Program for Marin Audubon and the Junior Botanist program for Wildcare. She also provides nature education through the College of Marin Community Education program and leads Point Reyes National Seashore Association Field Seminars on butterflies, tidepools, and wildflowers. In 2003, she was awarded the Terwilliger Environmental Award for her work inspiring both children and adults.

A Consulting Biologist, Daniel Edelstein has led birding tours for more than 25 years and presented public birding presentations in more than 20 states. Daniel has several blogs and websites about northern California birds on the WorldWideWeb and is currently conducting songbird and raptor surveys for two projects.

Jules Evens, naturalist and writer, has been living and birding in the Point Reyes area for more than three decades. He is the founder and Principal of Avocet Research Associates and a long-time research associate with PRBO Conservation Science and Audubon Canyon Ranch. His primary research focuses on tidal wetlands and avian population trends. He is the author of The Natural History of the Point Reyes Peninsula and An Introduction to California Birdlife (both University of California Press), as well as various scientific papers and natural history articles.

Allen Fish has been the director of the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory since 1985. He leads its Hawkwatch Program and oversees hawk-nesting studies in the Presidio and Berkeley. A northern California native, he is particularly interested in bird population responses to urban development, climate change, and other human pressures. He has taught an upper-division Raptor Biology class at UC Davis since 2003, the same year he was awarded the Maurice Braun Award by the Hawk Migration Association of North America for his contributions to hawk migration study and conservation.

Mary Anne Flett is a native northern Californian who has been birding for more than 30 years. As a local wildlife biologist, she studies birds in Marin and elsewhere in California. She identifies birds by their songs and calls and tunes into them to find local species as well as unexpected avian visitors. Listening to bird vocalizations not only also helps her gain clues to their behavior, it also makes her incredibly happy.

Harry Fuller is a trip leader for Partnership for International Birding and works as trip host for Neblina Forest Tours. He leads numerous birding trips along the Pacific Coast and teaches classes for Point Reyes Field Seminars.

Tom Gaman is a naturalist and consulting forester who lives in Inverness. His environmental consulting firm, East-West Forestry Associates, Inc., uses GIS-based technology to conduct field assessments in California and in communities around the world. He has been involved in numerous projects focused on conserving and regenerating bishop pine forests, preserving and enhancing wildlife habitats, managing fire impacts, and monitoring biological and vegetation changes.

Keith Hansen had a childhood interest in birds that has developed into a lifelong passion. He is a wildlife illustrator specializing in birds, and he leads birding tours to Guatemala, Panama, Costa Rica, Mexico, and the Yucatan. He is currently illustrating a field guide to the birds of the Sierra Nevada to be published by the Yosemite Association. He works from his gallery in Bolinas.

David Herlocker is the Marin County Open Space District Interpretive Naturalist. He has been guiding nature walks in Marin County on a full-time basis for 10 years and leads 2–3 walks each week for MCOSD. Dave can teach you about birds, insects, trees, snakes, salamanders, and birds. You name it, and David knows something about it.

Alan Hopkins has been leading field trips in the Bay Area for more than 30 years. Alan was one of the founders of the San Francisco Christmas Bird Count, and he has lead the Home Ranch area of the Point Reyes Count for more than 20 years. As president of Golden Gate Audubon Society he started the Save the Quail Campaign in San Francisco. An avid photographer, Alan’s photographs have been published in many books and journals.

Steve N. G. Howell is an international bird tour leader with WINGS, a Research Associate at PRBO Conservation Science, and a widely published author. He recently finished the Peterson Reference Guide to Molt in North American Birds (to be published in spring 2010 by Houghton Mifflin) and is working on a photographic guide to North American albatrosses and petrels. Steve has kept lists, taught numerous workshops, led many tours around the world, worked with young birders, puzzled over the molting strategies of pelicans, spent three years of his life at sea, and he still enjoys watching House Sparrows. He has been watching birds for as long as he can remember – of course, this may simply mean that his memory is not very good! The common thread to his life is that birding should be fun. When not in the field he tries to be in the field.

Lisa Hug is a freelance naturalist and contract biologist. An experienced birder in the North Bay, her haunts include Bolinas Lagoon, Point Reyes National Seashore, and Bodega Bay. She teaches bird identification classes for the community education program at the College of Marin. She is also an energetic co-leader for Shearwater Journeys Pelagic Tours. She loves to share her knowledge of and enthusiasm for the natural world with others.

Megan Isadore is lead watershed naturalist for SPAWN (Salmon Protection and Watershed Network). She has been walking the creeks, observing, studying, learning, teaching and writing about the critically endangered Lagunitas population of coho salmon and their ecology for 10 years. Megan is a wildlife rehabilitator with Yggdrasil Urban Wildlife Rescue/Rancho Raccoon and owns a wildlife exclusions business, Good Riddance! Wildlife Exclusions.

Rick Johnson loves nature and sharing its wonders with others. Recording the sounds of nature bridges his love of the outdoors with his previous career in the software industry. He has used his recordings to develop an interactive “Introduction to Bird Songs,” available at his website, Hearbirds.com. Rick also volunteers as a winter wildlife docent at Point Reyes National Seashore and leads tidepooling trips.

John Kelly is the Director of Conservation Science and Habitat Protection for Audubon Canyon Ranch. He develops programs on ACR lands and associated systems such as Tomales Bay. His scientific interests focus on habitat relationships, foraging, and energetics of coastal and estuarine birds, and on the breeding biology of herons and egrets in the San Francisco Bay Area. He also works on local and regional conservation issues, and serves on the Tomales Bay Watershed Council and the Tomales Bay Advisory Committee.

John (Jack) Muir Laws is a naturalist, educator, author, and artist who delights in exploring the natural world and sharing this love with others. His books include: the Laws Guide to the Sierra Nevada, a pocket guide to over 1,700 species found there; and Sierra Birds: A Hiker’s Guide. He is trained as a wildlife biologist and is an associate of the California Academy of Sciences. In 2009, he received the Terwilliger Environmental Award for outstanding service in Environmental Education.

Galen Leeds has been photographing birds on Tomales Bay for many years, and his work has appeared in several publications. He regularly assists Audubon Canyon Ranch with bird wetland shorebird counts, and he counts and bands raptors with the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory. Born and raised in West Marin, he is an avid kayaker and a guide for Blue Waters Kayaking.

Ron LeValley is a professional nature and wildlife photographer with 40 years experience and an enthusiasm for sharing his knowledge with others. He owned an ecotourism business and is also the founder and Senior Biologist at Mad River Biologists, a biological consulting firm in Eureka, California. He serves as Treasurer of the Pacific Seabird Group and is Associate Editor of “Western Birds, the Quarterly Journal of Western Field Ornithologists.”

Susan Cochrane Levitsky served as Manager of the California Natural Diversity Data Base at the California Department of Fish and Game, and is a recognized expert on California native plants. She produced “California’s Wild Gardens” at the Department of Fish and Game.

Carolyn Longstreth is president of the Environmental Action Committee of West Marin (EAC). She is an avid birder and the creator of the CD, Birding By Ear at Point Reyes. She previously has taught classes on birdsong at an Audubon Center in Connecticut.

Mia Monroe is the Site Supervisor at Muir Woods National Monument where she has been a ranger for 25 years, finding her niche among the non-flowering plants from tall to small.

Joe Mueller has taught biology at College of Marin for 20 years, and was instrumental in developing the Environmental Science Program there. In his work as a local naturalist, he leads field courses on ornithology, marine biology, ecology, and mammalogy for Point Reyes Field Seminars and other natural history groups. He was the recipient of the 2008 Terwilliger Environmental Education Award.

Xavier Muñoz has been guiding for nearly 15 years and has been a tour leader and/or guide for Naturetreks, Wings, and other major tour companies. His guiding experience covers Colombia, Peru and Ecuador. He is the co-founder of Neblina Forest birding tours. Xavier participates in a number of conservation efforts and is currently serviing on the Board and Executive Committee of the Jocotoco Conservation Foundation (Fundación de Conservación Jocotoco).

The Jocotoco Conservation Foundation is an Ecuadorian organization established in 1998 to protect land of critical importance to the conservation of Ecuador’s endangered birds and associated biodiversity. The Foundation achieves this by purchasing lands and managing them as private ecological reserves. It also carries out habitat restoration for this purpose, by replanting deforested areas with native trees and shrubs.

Don Neubacher has been the Superintendent of the Point Reyes National Seashore for the past ten years. He previously worked in the Presidio of San Francisco and at Glacier Bay National Park.

Terry Nordbye has lived in West Marin for 40 years. He is an avid birder and has collected census data for PRBO, Audubon Canyon Ranch, and the Christmas Bird Count. Besides West Marin, he has birded in Costa Rica, Texas, Cape May, Minnesota, and spots between.

Gary Page is Wetlands Ecology Division Director. Gary came to PRBO in 1971 from his native Canada, where he had studied shorebirds as part of his job as warden of Long Point Bird Observatory. His work has included an ecological study, focused on shorebirds, of Bolinas Lagoon; a long-term study of the geographic distribution, status, life history, and population ecology of the Snowy Plover in central California; waterbird surveys of Point Reyes wetlands; the assessment of the effects of several major oil spills on marine bird populations; a large study of the distribution and abundance of shorebirds in wetlands west of the Rocky Mountains; and currently with other researchers at PRBO, an intensive study of bird use of San Francisco Bay wetlands.

Ed Pandolfino keeps busy with local conservation work, bird-related research, and birding all over California. He leads field trips and teaches birdwatching classes for Sierra Foothills Audubon and gives presentations on habitat conservation and basic bird identification. Ed is on the boards of Western Field Ornithologists and Sierra Foothills Audubon Society and serves as a Regional Editor for the publication “North American Birds.”

Lorraine Parsons is a Vegetation/Wetlands Ecologist for Point Reyes National Seashore, and she was the Project Manager for the Giacomini Wetlands Restoration Project. She has been with the park since 2001. Prior to that, she worked for local county agencies and consulting firms managing wetland and riparian mitigation/restoration projects and conducting monitoring of wetland and riparian systems.

Claire Peaslee is a naturalist, auctioneer, writer, editor, theatre artist, and radio programmer. She leads custom nature tours from Point Reyes and speaks on topics from “nature-laughter” to sustainable living.

Melissa Pitkin is the Education and Outreach Director for PRBO Conservation Science where she has worked since 1997. Melissa has been a field biologist on the Farallons and also develops and implements projects that focus on translating the science of bird and ecosystem conservation to a wide variety of audiences, including adults and youths. She holds an M.S. in Environmental Science from Southern Oregon University.

Bob Power is the Executive Director for Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society (SCVAS), a birding instructor at Palo Alto Adult School for five years, a day leader for 5 years for the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory’s HawkWatch Program, and a field trip leader for SCVAS, GGAS, SFBBO, and the Mono Lake Chautauqua.

Peter Pyle has lived and birded in the area for 30 years and spent 24 years as a biologist on the Farallon Islands. As an expert on molt, Pyle is perhaps most renowned as the author of the two-volume Identification Guide to North American Birds, an essential reference for the advanced birder and bird banders. He currently works for the Institute for Bird Populations in Point Reyes Station.

Bill Sandoval is the owner of Bear Basin Outfitters in Pleasant Hill CA and has been in the optics business for over 10 years.

Nat Seavy is the Research Director of the Terrestrial Ecology Division at PRBO Conservation Science. Nat has worked on ornithological research projects in North America, Central America, Africa, and Hawaii. These projects have included research on the breeding biology of raptors and owls, habitat associations of passerine birds, population ecology and monitoring of Pacific seabirds, and the impacts of environmental change on bird communities.

Dave Shuford has been a senior scientist in the Wetlands Ecology Division at PRBO since 1975. Primary interests include the status, distribution, trends, and conservation of birds in California and the West. Major research projects have focused on: shorebird distribution and abundance throughout the Pacific Flyway; colonial breeding waterbirds in California; reconnaissance surveys at the Salton Sea and Klamath Basin; and long-term trends and reproductive success of California Gulls at Mono Lake relative to concerns over water diversions.

Doreen Smith is the rare plant information coordinator for the Marin Chapter of the California Native Plant Society and has led field trips and native plant hikes for various groups and organizations since 1980. For more information about CNPS, visit www.marin.cc.ca.us/cnps.

SonomaBirding.org is a conservation organization founded in 2004 by Tom Rusert and Darren Peterie and based in Sonoma, CA. It sustains the two annual Sonoma Valley Audubon Christmas Bird Counts for adults and kids, bird camps, seasonal bird lists, a nature lecture series, classes, and other bird- and nature-related educational collaborations for all ages. For more information call 707-939-8007 or visit sonomabirding.org.

Rich Stallcup has been studying birds around Point Reyes for over 30 years. He is a founder of and current naturalist at PRBO Conservation Science, a Field Associate of the California Academy of Science, and a Research Associate at Audubon Canyon Ranch on its Scientific Advisory Panel. Rich has authored numerous publications, including: Field List of Birds at Point Reyes National Seashore, Ocean Birds of the Nearshore Pacific and the Nature Company’s Birding. In June 2002, Rich was presented with the Ludlow Griscom Award for Outstanding Contributions to American Ornithology, the nation’s highest award in the field.

Lynn Stenzel started as a intern at PRBO in 1971. Her mission was to identify the invertebrate prey of shorebirds, as well as their digested parts in shorebird pellets and droppings from Bolinas Lagoon. Since those early days, her work has included ongoing participation in the Wetlands research program; serving as the Observatory’s volunteer librarian in the 70s; managing and analyzing the Beached Bird Project data from 1977 to 1988; and analyzing the data from studies of Clapper Rails, Black Rails, and Double-crested Cormorants on San Francisco Bay. From the beginning, her primary interest has been estuarine and shorebird research, particularly the population ecology and life history of Snowy Plovers in the west, monitoring shorebird populations, and restoration of wetland habitat for birds and other wildlife.

Jenny Stock is the outreach coordinator for Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary and regularly guides trips to the area. She coordinates all education and outreach activities for the sanctuary, which includes developing teacher and student materials, hosting education workshops, creating outreach opportunities and publications, exhibits, signage, website content, and being the local “ocean DJ” as the host for her monthly radio show called “Ocean Currents” on community radio for West Marin, KWMR-FM.

Brian Sullivan has conducted fieldwork on birds throughout North America for 17 years. Birding travels, photography, and field projects have taken him to Central and South America, Antarctica, the Arctic, and across North America. He has written and consulted on books, and popular and scientific literature on North American birds. Research interests include closing the gap between science and birding. He is currently project leader for www.ebird.org and the Avian Knowledge Network, photographic editor of the “Birds of North America Online” at the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, and photographic editor for the journal “North American Birds.”

Richard Vacha has been studying tracking since he was a Cub Scout. He attended Tom Brown’s Tracking School and Jon Young’s Integral Awareness Series. Out of that the Marin Tracking Club was born; it has been meeting every month since its founding three years ago. Richard writes a monthly column on tracking for the West Marin Citizen. He lectures on the subject and leads tracking walks for Point Reyes Field Seminars and for private groups.

Jim White is an avid birder. He graduated as a chemical engineer from Iowa State University in 1962 , and has worked in the field of general contracting. He also enjoys hiking, camping, biking, and skiing.

Ken Wilson, a native New Zealander, is the owner of Talon Tours, a birding and nature guiding company. Since 1995, Ken has been designing and leading trips to numerous locations in Central and South America, Asia, and Australia. Ken has a passion for photographing birds and other animals whenever the opportunity presents itself. He also is active in birding and conservation activities in Sonoma County and has participated in the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory Hawk Watch Census for the past 12 years.

Will Wilson has years of experience birding in Point Reyes National Seashore, and he co-leads a local birding group with Rigdon Currie.

David Wimpfheimer is a biologist and naturalist who calls Point Reyes home. For 25 years, his seasoned focus and wide expertise have enriched nature excursions in Marin and other parts of the Bay Area. He has guided programs for Point Reyes Field Seminars, Elderhostel, Oceanic Society, California Academy of Sciences, Wild Wings, Marin Agricultural Land Trust, and other groups throughout California, Alaska, Baja, Scotland, and many other locations.

Missy Wipf is PRBO’s Conservation Educator. She has worked as a field biologist in the organization’s Terrestrial Ecology Division, managed the Palomarin Field Station, and worked in Membership, Development, Education, and Outreach. She helps provide bird science opportunities to diverse communities in the Bay Area and leads monthly public bird walks for the organization.

Bill Yeates describes himself as an opportunistic, but patient birder, who is always up for an excuse to walk to Chimney Rock. He an attorney specializing in land use, California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), California Endangered Species Act (CESA), and election law and the former President of the Monterey Peninsula Audubon Society.

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Inverness and Olema are approximately 10 minutes from Point Reyes
Petaluma is approximately 40 minutes from Point Reyes

Berry Patch (415) 663-1942

Black Heron Inn (415) 663-8321

Blackthorne Inn (415) 663-8321

Egret Overlook (415) 381-3903

Knob Hill B&B (415) 663-1784

Lavender House Cottages (415) 269-9229

Lingonberry Farm (415) 663-2826

Lone Fir Cottage (415) 663-1380

Morning Glory Cottage (415) 663-5420

Neon Rose (800) 358-8346

Old Point Reyes Schoolhouse Vacation Rentals (415) 663-1166

One Mesa (866) 663-8866

Point Reyes Station Inn (415) 663-9372

Seven Gray Foxes (415) 663-1089

Treehouse B&B (415) 663-8720

Windsong Cottage (415) 663-9695

Motel Inverness (866) 453-3839
Motel Inverness is pleased to offer a 10% discount to Festival participants.

Tomales Bay Resort (formerly Golden Hinde /Boatel) (800) 339-9398

Inverness Valley Inn (800) 416-0405

10 Inverness Way (415) 669-1648

Abalone Inn (877) 416- 0458

Dancing Coyote Beach (800) 210-1692

Inverness Secret Garden (415) 669-7444

Marsh Cottage (415) 669-7168

The Mermaid’s House (415) 663-1104

Osprey Peak (415) 669-1467

We are offering registrants a special package for three nights, Thursday through Saturday April 23-25: Three nights, single or double occupancy with Early Bird Deluxe Breakfasts each morning: $435.00 total price, all taxes included. Box lunch option for Saturday and Sunday available for $10 per person/day.

Rosemary Cottage (800) 808-9338

Terri’s Homestay (415) 663-1289

The Point Reyes Hostel (415) 863-1444

Campgrounds (415) 663-8054

Ann’s View on Tomales Bay (415) 663-1558

Ravenswood (415) 663-1213

Point Reyes Seashore Lodge (415) 663-9000

Olema Inn (415) 663-9559

Bear Valley Inn (415) 663-1777

Inn at Roundstone Farm (415) 663-1020

Knob Hill B&B (415) 663-1784

Olema Cottages

Olema Druids Hall

Continental Inn (707) 878-2396

Woodville Ranch (415) 868.1618
Offering a special rate to festival attendees.

Motel 6 (877) 467-7224

Best Western (800) 780-7234

Quality Inn (877) 424-6423

Petaluma Valley Inn (707) 795-9000

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Pine Cone Inn
60 Fourth Street
(415) 663-1536
North end of town

Station House Café
11180 Highway One
(415) 663-1515
Mid-town

Café Reyes
11101 Highway One
(415) 663-9493
South end of town

Osteria Stellina
11285 Highway One
(415) 663-9988 
Mid-town

Tomales Bay Foods (one block south of The Dance Palace)

Palace Market (north end of town)

Toby’s Feed Barn (mid town)

Bovine Bakery (mid town)

Whale of a Deli (south end of town)

(Between Inverness and Point Reyes on Sir Frances Drake Blvd)

Busy Bee Bakery

Perry’s Deli

Priscillas Pizzeria and Café (mid town)
(415) 669-1244

Thepmonggong Thai and Asian (north end of town)
(415) 669-1114

Olema Inn
415) 663-9559

Farm House
800-404-5634

Coast Café
(415) 868-2298

People’s Store Market (behind the library)
14 Wharf Road (415) 868-1433

Bolinas Market Deli
40 Wharf Road (415) 868-1441

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Please send an email to eacadmin@svn.net to order an instructional CD of birdsongs of the Point Reyes area, called “Birding by Ear at Point Reyes”, produced by EAC. This CD will be invaluable to assist you if you are going on any of the Birding By Ear walks, or if you just want to be prepared for your Springtime breeding season trip to Point Reyes. The cost of the CD is $20. In your email to us, please mention that you want a copy of the CD, include your credit card type, number, and expiration date, and the address to which the CD should be sent.

The CD will be mailed in March.

Point Reyes Birding and Nature Festival t-shirt and tote bag