By Jeff Osmundson

Greetings friends and members of Skagit Audubon:

Well, here we are in the bee-tweener time of year.  It doesn’t feel like winter anymore, but spring seems a ways off.  Many of us would love to get out in the garden or yard and start getting our hands dirty.  But you may want to practice a little patience.  There is an internet meme that says 5 days of 50 degrees is needed before the insects, especially pollinators, hatch and start to move about.  As you know, insects are a primary source of food for many of our bird species.  So, if you can, be a little lazy about getting started in the garden.

Your Board of Directors is also working hard this spring season.  As you know, we will have elections and install officers and at large directors in June.  To get there, the Nominations and Governance Committee is working to put together a slate of nominees for your consideration.  In my opinion, this Board has been very good at getting things moving and starting new initiatives.  Last month you saw the incredible, but incomplete, list of the accomplishments over the past year.  But as usual, there are some Board members that will step down.  We are starting now to recruit new members that will continue this great work (see Pg. 6 for more information). 

I would like to make a special request for anyone that is willing to help with the field trips.  Everyone loves field trips, but we need trip leaders to make that happen.  You don’t have to be the best birder, just know where the bathrooms are!  Seriously, we can help you partner with an experienced trip leader to try it on for size.  Without trip leaders, we will have no field trips.  Please consider whether you can help out.

We hope to see you with your binoculars and hiking shoes out in the field very soon.  Until then…..  Thanks, and happy birding. Be safe, wear your mask, get fully vaccinated.

Jeff Osmundson, President