Outreach: Share the love (of birds)
SCVAS periodically hosts informational tables at community events and with other conservation organizations. Spend a couple hours of your time to help these SCVAS outreach events and share your love of birds with other people!SCVAS periodically hosts informational tables at community events and with other conservation organizations. Spend a couple hours of your time to help these SCVAS outreach events and share your love of birds with other people! This month we have events with Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful, Veggielution, California Native Plant Society, and Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge!
Join our email group to easily get updates about these tabling and outreach events here
Review the list of upcoming events and dates, and pick a time you can help!
Coyote Creek Watershed Day, Saturday, October 1 with Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful. Sign Up
First Friday, Friday, October 7 with Veggielution. Sign Up
Don Edwards 50th Anniversary Celebration, Saturday, October 8. Sign Up
California Native Plant Society 50th Anniversary & Plant Sale, Saturday, October 8. Sign Up
Field Trips: Bringing people to birds
Backyard Bird Writer
Are you a backyard birder who loves to write? We are looking for someone to write blog posts on the Western Bluebird, Yellow-rumped Warbler or House Sparrow. These articles will complete our Backyard Bird series mostly written by Dave Zittin. He is moving on to other volunteer opportunities.
Required: SCVAS member
Self-Guided Field Trip Writers
Do you have a favorite birding place that would make a great self-guided field trip? We are looking for more submissions. This task does not require any technical skills besides email, it only requires a love of your location and basic birding knowledge. We will make the maps for you, collect any bird photos you need, and even take the location photos. In particular, we are looking for new guides on Pacheco State Park and Rancho Cañada del Oro.
Required: SCVAS member
Field Trip Leaders
Hey Birders! Have a favorite birding spot that you’d like to share with others? Consider joining our team of volunteer field trip leaders. We have a lot of fun! To get you started, we can provide mentors and shadowing opportunities. You don’t need to be an advanced birder to lead; you’ll be successful by organizing an enjoyable walk at an interesting location.
Ages 18 & up, intermediate birding skills; SCVAS member
Please contact Eve Meier at fieldtrips@scvas.org for more information.
Education Docents: Engaged in the environment
Wetlands Discovery Program Docent
Do you love nature? Do you have experience with students or a passion for sharing an appreciation for the environment? We're looking for docents to be available on weekday mornings to volunteer in schools and lead field trips for the Wetlands Discovery Program. Volunteers teach students grade 3-5 about local wetlands, adaptations, and migration in the classroom and out in the field in this program, all while sharing their love of local birds. Minimal birding and education experience required. All volunteers must be fingerprinted, submit proof of a negative TB test, and submit a county vaccination record.
Fill out this form with interest. New volunteers will be shadowing experienced docents through the month of October.
Conservation Corner: Engaging the community
Cupertino Residents and friends: The Cupertino Memorial Park Specific Plan is shaping out. Please respond to a survey by Sunday, Oct. 9. This parks serves as a community gathering space for small and large events, but as always, when trees are planted or landscaping installed, using locally native species of trees and shrubs helps create habitat for song birds and butterflies!
The California Legislature has passed our SCVAS’ sponsored bill to reduce harm from nighttime light pollution! AB 2382 by Assemblymember Alex Lee asks that state buildings update outdoor night lighting on state buildings, to promote safety for people, reduce harm to pollinators, and reduce bird deaths. In addition, this reform conserves energy and reduces our carbon footprint. Please send this letter to the Governor (select Legislation issues/concerns in the drop down topic menu).
Naturalists Needed: OSCSP
Explore the Coyote Valley with us! The Oak Savanna Community Science Project is a three year project funded by the Open Space Authority to bring the community into nature and introduce high school students to community science at the North Coyote Valley Conservation Area.
BioBlitz Naturalists: On October 8, 9am-12pm SCVAS will be holding our third BioBlitz in the North Coyote Valley Conservation Area. Naturalists will be asked to help guide groups of 5-10 people in exploring the site and helping document sightings using iNaturalist. Register Here.
Ages 14 & up with parent participation, familiarity with native species (of any taxa) and iNaturalist preferred.
Monthly Bird Surveys: Wednesday morning, once a month, 7:30-11am. Birders survey transects in the North Coyote Valley Conservation Area, making special note of breeding and nesting birds. This site is closed to the public and has been the location of birds like the Tri-colored Blackbird, Yellow-breasted Chat, and Lawrence's Goldfinch! The next survey will be Wednesday, October 19.
Ages 12 & up with parent participation, some birding and eBird experience preferred.
Contact programs@scvas.org with interest/questions.