Monthly Programs
Next General Meeting Program: Thursday, October 8, 2026 in person at the Performing Arts Center at Coupeville Middle School.
Our monthly programs feature a guest speaker presenting a subject of interest to those who love birds. We have nine programs a year, with no program in July, August and December, on the second Thursday of the month, and they are free and open to the public. Drop by and enjoy the company as we all learn something new from our featured guest. See our Calendar or Events List for upcoming programs.
Banner photo by Jann Ledbetter
Working Together for Spotted Owl Resilience in Washington
with Emilie Kohler and Emma Gashi
7:00 PM, October 8th, 2026
via Zoom and in-person at the Performing Arts Center, 501 S Main St., Coupeville, Washington
Join Emilie Kohler from Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) for an engaging talk exploring the competitive relationship between barred owls and the endangered northern spotted owl, including how barred owls alter PNW food webs and threaten other vulnerable wildlife. Emilie will also discuss the current status of spotted owls, conservation challenges for the species in Washington and strategies the state and its partners are using to recover them.
This meeting will be held both on Zoom (registration available soon) and in person at the Coupeville Performing Arts Center.
Emilie Kohler is a conservation biologist at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. She received her M.S. from Florida Atlantic University and her B.S. from Shippensburg University. Her career began in the temperate rainforests of Olympic National Park, where she monitored northern spotted owls and supported the reintroduction of Pacific fishers. She currently serves as a species lead in the Wildlife Diversity Division, focusing on recovery actions for species of greatest conservation need including northern spotted owls and western gray squirrels
Registration not necessary to attend in-person.
Photo by Anour Elsa
Deep Birding: Exploring the Past, Present, and Future of Birds in a Rapidly Changing Climate
with Steve Hampton
Recorded September 10th, 2026
From large-scale habitat changes associated with European colonization to rapid climate change today, the birds of North America have faced, and will face, dramatically changing conditions across the continent. Examining the past, present, and future of our birds, we explored why some are adapting, and some are not.
Steve Hampton is an award-winning writer who integrates stories of Indigenous history, climate change, and birds. He has been birding since he was 7 years old and has a PhD in natural resource economics. He worked for the California Department of Fish & Wildlife for 25 years, where he was involved in oil spill response, seabird restoration, and coordination with Native communities. He is an enrolled citizen of Cherokee Nation. He currently serves as the Conservation Chair and CBC compiler for Rainshadow Bird Alliance in Port Townsend. His article in the December 2022 issue of Birding magazine summarized the scientific research on birds and climate change.
