Public Programs

All Monthly Programs are open to the public.

October 21st 7:00 – Seabirds, Storms, and Science in the Gulf of Alaska

Earlier this year, I came across an article in Audubon about a remarkable research tower on Middleton Island in the Gulf of Alaska. The same tower where I spent the summer of 2002 working as a seabird biology technician. The article described how a severe storm had blown in one of the tower’s walls, threatening a structure that has been central to decades of seabird research. Seeing that article brought back a flood of memories from my own season on Middleton Island, and reminded me how unusual it is to have been a small part of a research project whose story is still unfolding twenty-five years later.

Where: Tuolumne County Library
When: October 21st, 7:00pm
Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84448631673?pwd=tkdgm34H41mOki6CfYDwW5TCXB1aIS.1

Searching for Wildlife with Remote Cameras – Stan Dodson & John Buckley

“Basically, it’s almost like a year-round treasure hunt. We never know what results we’ll get. All we can do is to choose where to set up the cameras and then return to check the results.”

For more than 35 years, the staff with the Central Sierra Environmental Resource Center (CSERC) has set up and maintained motion-and-heat triggered cameras within the forests of the vast local region. During those years the CSERC staff has done year-round photo-detection surveys in the Stanislaus National Forest, and for seven years, the staff also did camera surveys in Yosemite National Park.

Stan and John will explain how and why they set up the Center’s cameras, describe the diversity of areas they’ve surveyed, and share about some of the challenges of dealing with extreme terrain, winter snow, terrible backcountry roads, and summer heat.

But most of interest, they will provide LOTS and LOTS of photos showing examples of the wildlife species that have visited the camera stations over the years. From common wildlife such as squirrels and deer to very rare and elusive furbearers such as the Sierra Nevada red fox.

Yosemite Wildlife

Yosemite Wildlife – Robb Hirsch

Wednesday May 20th 7:00 – In Person and on Zoom

Yosemite is primarily known for its world class scenery and, as a result, the park’s wildlife is unfortunately often overlooked. Join biologist/naturalist/photographer Robb Hirsch for a presentation highlighting the diversity of Yosemite’s incredible wildlife and how he creates photographs that tell their stories. He’ll share natural history anecdotes and experiences in the field capturing images over the past 30 years.

Biologist by training, naturalist by heart, and photographer by passion, Robb Hirsch has an intimate relationship with
the natural world. This connection was established early during annual childhood visits to Yosemite, which forged his
bond with this magical place. After receiving his undergraduate degree from the University of California–Irvine, Robb began a career as a field biologist, working on a variety of projects for California State Parks, the US Geological Survey, and several private firms.

“Big Glass” Photography – Dave Douglass

Wednesday April 15th at 7:00 – In Person at the Library and on Zoom

“Big Glass” or Big Lens photography refers to using long telephoto or super-telephoto lenses (typically 300 mm to 800 mm or more) to photograph distant subjects, such as wildlife, sports, or even astronomy.
These lenses, often called “big boys,” bring far-away subjects
close, compress background distances, and create shallow depth of-field, allowing for sharp subjects with heavily blurred backgrounds.

Dave Douglass is a retired illustrator living in Groveland, CA. Dave’s favorite subjects are raptors and he particularly
enjoys getting the “action” shots – taking off, landing and eating prey. To get those shots requires patience and Dave’s
favorite technique is to position himself in a likely spot, get real still and wait for his subject to show up.
Dave’s photography takes him from his backyard to San Luis and Merced National Wildlife Refuges and beyond.

The American Art of Bird Carving – Chet Wilcox

Wednesday March 18th – 7:00 In person at the Tuolumne County Library and on Zoom

Bird carving is a distinctly American, indigenous folk art, rooted in Native American decoy-making and refined by colonists for hunting. Since then, bird carvings have evolved into a prized and highly collectible, decorative, and realistic art form, featuring species like songbirds, owls, ducks, geese, and shorebirds.

Duck decoys are generally crafted from soft woods like white pine, sugar pine and cedar, while true to life songbirds require hardwoods like Tupelo, Basswood and Jelutong that can perfect feather details. Chet Wilcox started carving when he was 8 years old after winning a pocket knife in a softball throwing contest. In 1982 he carved his first duck decoy, after his mother gave him a decoy carving book for Christmas. Now an octogenarian, Chet is a Master Carver. His “hobby” woodshop, built from a converted garage, holds carved species in varying states of completion, awaiting the painting touch of a master. His collection of more than 2,000 bird carvings from hummingbirds to full size hawks are worthy of display in any museum in the country.

The Birds of Costa Rica – Presented By Barry Boulton

Wednesday, February 18th @ 7:00

Barry Boulton is a past president of CSAS. His primary interest in birding lies in understanding how birds behave, survive, reproduce, adapt to environmental and competitive pressures, and contribute to the ecosystems they inhabit.

Costa Rica’s wildlife is exceptionally rich and vibrant, with birds at the heart of that exuberance. Despite its small size, the country has remarkably diverse topography that creates multiple ecozones, wet tropical forests, seasonally dry forests, cloud forests, and paramo (above the tree line). Situated near the equator, Costa Rica receives strong and
relatively stable solar energy year-round, along with abundant rainfall. As a result, plant growth is continuous
such that flowers, fruits, insects, and small vertebrates are available throughout the year, without the pronounced
seasonal cycles typical of temperate regions. For birds, this means food is consistently available, reducing the need for
long-distance migration.

The birds of Costa Rica are not merely occupants of the ecosystem but co-architects of it.

Meet the Cranes – Presented By Jane Adams

Wednesday January 21st – 7:00. In person and on Zoom.

Each fall and winter, thousands of Sandhill Cranes migrate along the Pacific Flyway and make a seasonal stop in California’s Central Valley – especially around Lodi. These elegant birds are known for their distinctive calls, graceful courtship dances, and easily recognizable features.

Jane Adams was told about Sandhill Cranes after moving to Sacramento from the Midwest. After attending the Lodi
Sandhill Crane Festival, she was hooked. Adams is a 20-year Sandhill Crane docent with the California Department
of Fish and Wildlife, and she volunteers at the Audubon’s Rowe Sanctuary, Gibbons, Nebraska, during the crane’s
spring migration. She serves on the board of directors for the Lodi Sandhill Crane Association and is committed to educating others about this amazing bird.

Mother Lode Wildlife Care – Laura Murphy

Mother Lode Wildlife Care – Presented by Laura Murphy Wed. September 17th – 7:00 PM

Mother Lode Wildlife Care is an all-volunteer non-profit organization
dedicated to the care and rehabilitation of injured and orphaned
wildlife in Tuolumne and nearby counties, with special focus on
birds and squirrels. Our goals are to provide quality rescue,
treatment, rehabilitation and release assistance to orphaned, injured
and/or diseased wildlife while offering education and public
awareness of our native wildlife to the community.

We have permits from California Fish and Wildlife and U.S. Fish and
Wildlife to do this work. Our volunteers have the facilities and
approved training to ensure that the wildlife we care for receives the
best possible care and has the greatest chance of being released
back into the wild

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA BATS – Presented by Corky Quirk

May 21st at 7PM – Live at the Tuolumne County Library and on Zoom

NorCalBats is dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and release of bats throughout
Northern California. In addition, we are committed to public education regarding the
environmental benefits of bats, and dispelling fears and myths that lead to the death of roosts and colonies. Located in the Sacramento Valley, trained volunteers care for injured and orphaned bats throughout the valley and surrounding foothills. Learn about these animals and their importance as insect control. Inform others and help protect our natural world. Dispel misconceptions and save these highly valuable mammals with education and rescue.

Corky Quirk is the founder of NorCal Bats, and has been working intensely with native bats since 2004. She is permitted through the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the USDA. She is an experienced environmental educator who got her start with Camp Fire Boys and Girls. She has an undergraduate degree in natural resource planning and interpretation from Humboldt State University. Corky teaches three days a week at Yolo Basin Foundation, a wetland education program in the Sacramento Valley.

Protecting California’s Burrowing Owls – Presented by Jeff Miller

Center for Biological Diversity

Wednesday, April 16, 2025, 7:00 pm

Zoom At the Tuolumne County Library or Zoom from home (See Link Below)

Jeff Miller with the Center for Biological Diversity will discuss the status of the
western burrowing owl throughout California, the campaign to secure legal
protections, the recent designation as a candidate species for California Endangered Species Act listing, and the pending decision on endangered or threatened status for regional burrowing owl populations in California.

Jeff is a Senior Conservation Advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity.

Jeff was the primary author of the 2003 and 2024 state listing petitions for the burrowing owl and organized the coalition of conservation groups and biologists advocating for state protections. Jeff’s latest book is Bay Area Wildlife: An Irreverent Guide, published by Heyday Books and available at https://irreverentnaturalist.com/

Click Here To Watch Recorded Zoom Program

It All Begins in the Nest – By David Lukas

Wednesday, March 19, 2025, 7:00 pm

At the Tuolumne County Library and on Zoom (See Link Below)

Though it seems a bit early in the year to start thinking about the nesting season,
some birds have already started nesting and many more birds will be nesting before you know it!

Join us for the fourth and last of our series with naturalist David Lukas. He will introduce us to the fascinating world of bird nests and eggs. While spring is the most important time of the year for birds, much of that exuberant activity is hidden from view, so we will peek into the elaborate, precisely choreographed strategies that birds undertake in the nesting season as they mate, build nests, lay eggs, and raise babies.

Click Here to Watch Recorded Zoom Program

Understanding Bird Song – Presented by David Lukas

Wednesday, February 19, 2025, 7:00 pm

At the Tuolumne County Library and on Zoom (See Link Below)

Bird songs have been a source of fascination and mystery since humans started watching birds

Join us on February 19th for the third of naturalist David Lukas bird presentations to CSAS via Zoom. David will unpack the hidden meanings and profound complexity of this natural phenomenon that happens all around us and that so often goes unnoticed. David will decode and demystify the patterns, pitch, and purpose of birdsong, giving you a new way to hear and understand the natural world around you. To help unravel some of this mystery we will explore how and why birds sing, and how we study bird songs to understand what they are saying to each other. Bird songs and vocalizations are a huge part of how birds interact with each other, so this talk will open your ears to a whole new world!