UPDATE October, 2020
Public Health — Seattle & King County recently confirmed community spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Our thoughts are with the individuals and families who have already been affected. In light of recent developments, we are taking a series of precautionary measures to protect the most vulnerable members of our community, while still allowing those who choose to do so to continue to enjoy our many bird- and nature-centric programs. We would like to encourage everyone to remain calm throughout this time and to stay abreast of the latest recommendations from health officials.
International Trips
- No international trips are scheduled.
Trip Report: Birding the Highlands of Guatemala - Feb 2018
An intrepid group of nine adventurers joined Seattle Audubon Science Manager, Toby Ross on a birding trip of a different kind to the highlands of Guatemala. The trip included amazing birds, both familiar and exotic, errupting volcanoes, earthquakes and one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. Read about the trip on the Seattle Audubon blog, view photos from the trip on our Flickr account and see the full trip report here.
Trip Report: Birding Southern Ecuador - Feb 2017
Seattle Audubon took a group of birders on a trip to explore the birds and habitats of southern Ecuador where they encountered 255 bird species over the span of 8 days. Read about their adventures on the Seattle Audubon blog.
Watch live: Panama Fruit Feeder Cam at Canopy Lodge
The Panama Fruit Feeder Cam is a collaboration between the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Canopy Family. Read more about the program and site here: Panama Fruit Feeders.
Provided by Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
International Birding Trips Program - Goals and Guiding Principles
Program Goals
- Engage Seattle Audubon’s birding community more deeply in our work through international birding experiences.
- By visiting destinations along the ‘Pacific Flyway’ demonstrate that “our birds” are shared by many locations along well-established migratory flyways.
- During birding trips, support capacity building, conservation and habitat preservation efforts, and visit projects that focus on applied bird conservation where possible.
Guiding Principles
- The travel companies engaged in providing services to the program will be environmentally responsible. Where possible, the travel companies will work with in-county companies that are also environmentally responsible by supporting local employment opportunities and businesses through the engagement of local guides, utilizing locally owned and managed food establishments and accommodation providers.
- Where appropriate, Seattle Audubon will choose in-country tour companies in order to support in-county enterprise, promote the preservation of birds and their habitats and demonstrate the financial benefits of bird-based ecotourism.
- Destinations will focus primarily on countries along the Pacific avian migratory flyway of the Americas, also known as the Pacific Flyway.
- Where possible, Seattle Audubon’s International Trips will visit in-county locations and communities where National Audubon’s International Alliances Program has focused its efforts. The International Alliances Program works with local partners to conserve habitat in Latin America and the Caribbean through capacity building and training.
- During International Trips with Seattle Audubon, participants will be engaged in a deeper understanding of science and conservation. Trips will educate participants in local conservation and science issues to increase awareness and appreciation of threats to birds and ways to alleviate these threats through conservation efforts.
- In order to appeal to a broader range of our community, trips might focus on different birding themes for example: Photography, Art/Painting, and Applied Conservation Science. For example, a trip could take participants to a field station where they take part in a banding project, monitoring surveys, or habitat restoration work.
- In order to contribute to science during International Trips, all birds seen will be recorded and submitted to eBird.
- Seattle Audubon, or the travel companies they collaborate with, will provide carbon offset mechanisms, whereby participants can offset their flights and other travel.
- Trip participants will contribute to Seattle Audubon’s work through a donation of no more than 10% of the trip costs.
- In order to support the work of Seattle Audubon, it is expected that International Trip participants will be current members of Seattle Audubon.