NEW Opportunity! Morning Bird Walks
Join the Lahontan Audubon Society for a brisk morning bird walk down to the Truckee River. Enjoy the Truckee River, a diverse river that originates at Lake Tahoe. We will see numerous migratory and resident species and discuss both avian and terrestrial species we encounter on our walk.
Three morning walks will be offered, with each morning led by a different member of the Lahontan Audubon Society chapter. We will leave at 7:00am returning in time for the morning’s conference activities to begin. We will meet at the courtyard across from the southeast corner of the Silver Legacy Resort-Casino. This is an easy level walk, entirely paved.
Registration is required – please follow the links below to register for a particular day.
Monday: https://nevadaaudubon.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/nevadaaudubon/event.jsp?event=2704&
Tuesday: https://nevadaaudubon.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/nevadaaudubon/event.jsp?event=2709&
Wednesday: https://nevadaaudubon.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/nevadaaudubon/event.jsp?event=2714&
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Field Trips
NACCB will host four field trips, and provide some self-guided field trip ideas for those looking for additional flexibility. Trips are planned for the days immediately prior to and after the meeting. They have been selected to showcase areas and projects of conservation interest located within and close to Reno as well as wild spaces in relatively close proximity to the city.
The guided trips are scheduled for specific dates and will have a series of planned events, talks, and activities. The self-guided trips can be done on any day; a suggested itinerary and meeting date and time will be proposed to facilitate congress attendees traveling and exploring together.
Important: Please note that guided field trips are subject to cancellation pending minimum attendance by May 31, 2022. If a trip is cancelled, attendees will be notified well in advance, provided a refund, and given an opportunity to swap for a different field trip pending availability.
GUIDED FIELD TRIPS
Conservation in Action: Rosewood Nature Center
Sunday, July 17, 7am – 10am PDT
Join us for a unique opportunity to view one of the Reno area’s newest parks. The Lahontan Audubon Society and Truckee Meadows Parks Foundation invite you to join us on a leisurely walk through Rosewood Nature Center, a former golf course that is being restored to the natural wetlands that it used to be. We will learn about the restoration activities from the TMPF officers in charge of the project, then do a walk on a mile-long loop trail to observe the different species of birds and other wildlife that are now calling this area home.
Registration Cost – $25 – will include Transportation
Bring: Lots of water, snacks, sunscreen, and a hat (July sun in Nevada can be brutal!) plus binoculars (if you can) and cameras. Restrooms are available in the Nature Center building.
Accessibility information: Coming soon.
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Truckee River and Pyramid Lake Field Tour
Sunday, July 17, 9am – 3pm PDT
Come tour the Truckee River and Pyramid Lake with USFWS-Lahontan Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office biologists and see first hand the transformation that the Truckee River has undergone over the past 25 years. Learn about the re-establishment of variable in-stream flows that have restored the river function of the Truckee River to the benefit of all native aquatic species, the riparian forest, and water temperatures for the listed fishes of Pyramid Lake. Pyramid Lake is one of only a handful of terminal lakes in the world and is home to the endemic and endangered Cui-ui sucker and the newly re-established lake form of Lahontan cutthroat trout (LCT). Pyramid Lake and the lower Truckee River is within the boundaries of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe. Among other stops, we’ll visit Derby Dam, the oldest Bureau of Reclamation Dam in the country to learn of its historic impact on the Pyramid Lake ecosystem and tour the newly constructed Fish Screen that will allow passage of the listed LCT past the dam for the first time in nearly 90 years. We’ll also visit the Marble Bluff Fish Passage and Research Center and make a scenic stop to view Pyramid Lake and Anaho Island – one of the largest white pelican rookeries in the country.
Registration Cost – $40 – will include Transportation
Bring: Packed lunch, appropriate outdoor clothing, hat, sunscreen, water, sturdy footwear
Accessibility information: Very accessible, walking on smooth/paved paths < 0.5 miles, one option to walk around on uneven ground to view areas at one stop, but not required.
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Highway 395 Road Ecology Tour
Thursday, July 21, 8am – 2pm PDT
Located at the transition zone between the Sierras to the West and desert landscapes to the East, the biggest little city sits amongst a network of invisible, but established, migration routes for mule deer, pronghorn, and elk. Increasing development and traffic on roadways threaten to sever these corridors, resulting in an increase in wildlife conflict and collisions with vehicles. Join Wildlands Network, Caltrans, Pathways for Wildlife, and Nevada Department of Wildlife, to learn how project partners are working to make Highway 395 safer for motorists and wildlife. Participants will travel the stretch of Highway 395, spanning from Reno to Honey Lake, to learn about local herd’s seasonal migration corridors, wildlife directional fencing and jumpout projects, and initial findings from an ongoing study, conducted by Pathways for Wildlife, to determine where wildlife are successfully crossing and where additional permeability enhancements and crossing structures are needed.
Registration Cost – $35 – will include Transportation + Lunch
Bring: appropriate outdoor clothing, hat, sunscreen, water, sturdy footwear
Accessibility information: Some of the stops require walking from the roadway down to culverts. Hiking won’t require more than a couple hundred feet at most, but must be confident walking down embankments on rough terrain.
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Lake Tahoe Tour
Thursday, July 21 (7:30am – 5:30pm PDT)
Lake Tahoe is one of the deepest, clearest lakes in the world. In the last 150 years the lake has been influenced by development in the watershed leading to the progressive degradation of the lake’s water quality. Historical development was associated with the clear cut logging of the forests to promote mining extraction in the mid 1800s and more recently included development associated with tourism and urbanization. Researchers have been investigating and monitoring ecological changes to the lake including the water clarity, thermal dynamics, biological composition, as well as primary and secondary production. The science-led efforts have been utilized to develop a Regional Planning Agency and coordinated efforts by federal, state, local, and nongovernmental organizations to implement environmental policies to conserve and restore the lake. In this full day visit, we will learn about current status of the ecology of the lake by visiting the following locations:
1) Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences facility at Incline Village to discuss the efforts that are underway to conserve the lake related to clarity and native ecology of the lake,
2) Tahoe City Dam and Truckee River outflow,
3) Emerald Bay, to discuss emerging ecological issues in the Bay and active restoration concerns to protect Lake Tahoe’s most visited location,
4) The Tahoe Keys marina which was built over North America’s largest mountain wetland, and historically home to an important rearing area for native fishes. Here we will visit with policy makers to understand policy level implications for controlling invasive species.
5) End with a (no host) visit to a brewery, Alibi Ale to wrap up our discussions.
Registration Cost – $50/person – includes transportation + lunch
Bring: swim suit (if desired), sun hat, sun screen, sun glasses, light jacket, comfortable shoes, water bottle, snacks, money/wallet for brewery stop near end of trip
Accessibility information: This trip does not involve any strenuous hiking/walking
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SELF-GUIDED FIELD TRIPS
Birding By Bus
The Lahontan Audubon Society has a Birding By Bus program in partnership with the Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County (RTC). The Reno/Sparks area is home to various parks – each hosting diverse bird species. Many of these parks are within walking distance of RTC RIDE bus stops, so check their calendar for future events through the Birding By Bus program. Each park map is marked with interactive tools and symbols about its birding and recreational opportunities.
Mural/Art Walking Tour in downtown/mid-town Reno
More information coming soon!