By Jeff Osmundson

As spring turns into summer and we start getting out a little more, we can be surprised by the great week of 70-degrees days which will inevitably turn into rainy 50-degree days later.  The spring migrants are inviting us to take little day trips and maybe a longer journey to see them.  More people are venturing out as the pandemic seems to slowly start to fade.  Vaccines will become more available, and the weather will warm to summer temperatures.  Your Board of Directors will take a well-earned break this summer in July and August.  We went straight through the year in 2020 to try and provide some interesting and thought-provoking presentations to ease the discomfort of quarantine.

But what does the future look like for us?  September will arrive and we will look forward to our meetings again.  Will they be in person, on Zoom or hybrid?  We really don’t know yet.  We have been lucky to have the Zoom option and some great programs that we can enjoy from our computer screens.  But we miss our in person social hours and face to face greetings.  

You can help us by letting us know what you think.  I’m sure that there will be some that would like to avoid driving to meetings, especially in the dark months of December and January.  Many also really value the social hour and miss having conversations before and after meetings.

If you are familiar with technology perhaps you can help us figure out what a hybrid meeting might look like.  It would be great to have the ability to go to the meeting without the drive.  Would it be acceptable to have future presentations via Zoom when we have the option of in person meetings?  There are many questions that we will wrestle with in the next few months.  If you could help by sharing with a board member how you feel about our future, it would really be helpful.  You can always email me at president@skagitaudubon.org

One more short note - please take time to thank Phil Wright for his service to Skagit Audubon.  The long time Board member and former President will step away from duties at the end of June.  He has served for more than 20 years in a variety of positions, led field trips and kept us on track with financial audits.  His voice on the Board will be missed.

Until next month, stay safe, wear a mask and wash your hands.

What’s the best time to go bird watching?   When you can!

Jeff Osmundson, President