​National Audubon shared some facts with its board members at their meeting this past June. You might want to take notice.

This summer, Doug and Nancy Chang were invited by National Audubon to Washington, DC, to meet with members of Congress to discuss policy issues important to birds. The national board set up meetings for its members to meet with their respective elected officials regarding two timely issues: The Migratory Bird Treaty Act and The Land and Water Conservation Fund.

The current administration is seeking to change how the MBTA will be enforced. It will specifically decline to prosecute businesses for incidental bird deaths, leaving little incentive for businesses to develop and adopt practices that would avoid such deaths. National Audubon believes that the proposed changes to the Act, which turned 100 years old this year, will be extremely harmful to many species of birds.

Red Rock Audubon is fortunate to have many members that volunteer countless hours supporting the club's mission to bring people together in the enjoyment and conservation of birds and nature.

One of those members is Bob Furtek who has been with Red Rock Audubon since the 1980's. Bob's work for our organization was recognized at our April, 2018, general meeting.

Red Rock Audubon proudly displayed the winners of the 2017 National Audubon Photography Awards at a reception at Lake Las Vegas on Friday September 28th. Club members and guests enjoyed this wonderful view of nature hosted by the Lake Las Vegas Sports Club, Chef Scott Commings and Raintree Investments. The exhibit showcased some incredible photographs and included interesting information regarding the featured birds. Approximately eighty attendees were happy to learn about our organization and things we do to promote people being outdoors and enjoying nature.

​On Saturday September 22, 2018, about a year and a half after hatching, four California condors took flight off the Vermilion Cliffs and across the Arizona sky north of the Grand Canyon.

​On April 28th several RRAS members volunteered at Clark County Wetlands Park Bioblitz! This annual family friendly event let participants be field biologists for the day. Stations were set up around the park to help people identify everything from plants to fish, birds, mammals and reptiles. Many organizations set up fun, educational activity tables, too.

Clark County Wetlands Park celebrated International Migratory Bird Day on March 28, 2018. Red Rock Audubon was there helping kids learn about birds in the area. The game was designed by Nancy Chang and kids have to put their hands or feet on the food a particular species of bird eats.

Bristlecone Audubon (Elko based) hosted the Nevada Audubon chapter’s field trip in the Elko area. Bristlecone Audubon led a field trip to the Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge where we explored the ponds and many breeding bird species. On the Lamoille Canyon – Island Lake field trip Lois shared with us her extensive knowledge of plants and wildflowers in the area while some of us looked for the elusive Himalayan Snow cock and the Black Rosy Finch. Other members (led by Bill Grossi) explored Lamoille canyon. Other members chose to stay in Elko and participated in various Basque Day events. We especially appreciated backyard get together at Lois’ backyard. A wonderful opportunity for Nevada Audubon members to connect, make new friends and explore beautiful Nevada together. Thank you Bill Grossi, Jane Burnham and Lois Ports for making this trip happen.

Red Rock Audubon teamed up with BirdAndHike.com, and six birders headed three hours north to Basin and Range National Monument, one of the new national monuments in Nevada. Our goal was to go camping and do a bit of birding, but mainly to knock down a bunch of illegal, abandoned, bird-killing hollow-pipe mining claim markers. These hollow-pipes act as traps for cavity nesting birds and other creatures that seek hollow cavities (e.g., old woodpecker holes in a Joshua tree, rotten holes in old cottonwood trees, etc.). Birds go into the pipes to inspect the “cavity” for nesting, but then can’t get out. Birds, lizards, chipmunks, bats, and insects of all kinds become trapped in the pipes and die from thirst or starvation. Read more...