Evening Programs, Spring 2026
Dates for Upcoming Meetings (at Unitarian Universalist Church)
Wed. February 11 — Bob Foehring on a Big Year
Wed. March 11 — Cathy Wise on Pinyon Jays
Wed. April 8 — Evalyn Bemis, Birding the Texas Coast
Birding the Texas Coast
Presented by Evalyn Bemis
Wednesday, April 8, 2026 — 7:00 p.m.
Unitarian Universalist Church, 107 W. Barcelona Rd, Santa Fe
Between Refugio and Goliad, Texas, a 660,000-acre private ranch is actively cooperating with The Nature Conservancy to preserve the Attwater’s Prairie Chicken by means of a captive breeding program. Their success has resulted in over 100 of these highly endangered birds now successfully breeding on their own. We start at this site and another TNC property on the coast near Corpus Christi, seeing numerous herons, migratory birds and a very rare Aplomado Falcon, before proceeding up the coast to Aransas NWR, Brazoria NWR, and onto the Bolivar Peninsula. We end with a day at High Island and Anahuac NWR before flying home from Houston.
Evalyn says: “I have been an avid birder since my first Christmas bird count in Santa Fe 30+ years ago, when I saw a flicker through a pair of binoculars and was blown away by its many splendored plumage. I have traveled the world to find birds (and bees and butterflies and all the things that go with them) while hauling around an enormous lens for photographing them.”
Saving the “Blue Crow”: How You Can Help Pinyon Jays
Presented by Cathy Wise of Audubon Southwest
Wednesday, March 11, 2026 — 7:00 p.m.
Unitarian Universalist Church, 107 W. Barcelona Rd, Santa Fe
How many nuts can a Pinyon Jay fit in their sublingual pouch (under their tongues)? Discover the answer to this and other mysteries during this interactive presentation! You aren’t imagining it…Pinyon Jay numbers are decreasing across their range, and quickly. Come learn more about this iconic bird of the Intermountain West, and how you can help Audubon and the Great Basin Bird Observatory collect meaningful data close to home. If you like looking at birds–and have a smart phone—we want you!
Cathy Wise holds a BS in Avian Sciences from UC Davis and has studied birds throughout the west. She is currently Senior Manager for Community Building with Audubon Southwest, a regional office serving both Arizona and New Mexico. Cathy oversees habitat restoration and bird survey programs in both states, and promotes intentional landscaping through Audubon’s “Plants for Birds” program. An avid hiker and snowboarder, she is also a gardener, beer enthusiast and chicken fancier.
Santa Fe Birder Bob Foehring Shares What It Took To Make 2025 His “Big Year”
Wednesday, February 11, 2026 — 7:00 p.m.
Unitarian Universalist Church, 107 West Barcelona Rd, Santa Fe
It’s been called “extreme birding.” A movie has been made about it, many birders dream about it, but few actually attempt it. Of course, we’re talking about a birding “Big Year” when everything else in life takes a backseat to compiling the longest list of bird species possible. Santa Fe birder Bob Foehring committed to reaching at least 600 species in the U.S. in 2025. Fresh off his quest, Bob will share the strategy, planning, execution, and frustrations of his Big Year attempt. What did he encounter along the way? What bird was his nemesis? Mosty importantly, did he hit 600? Come find out — everyone is welcome. There is no charge and the building is wheelchair accessible. There is plenty of parking and we suggest bringing a flashlight for your departure.
Evening Programs, Fall 2025
Wed. Nov. 12: no meeting this month