Visit our Programs
Our programs are open to anyone who wants to participate. You don't have to be a member of Audubon or our local chapter to join the fun. But after you have come to several of our programs, we think you'll want to join and support us. :-)
- Details
Happy Birthday! Willapa Hills celebrates Fifty Years!
Young folks, old folks, current WHAS members, former members, birders, wildlife lovers and conservationists: come and help us celebrate our founding anniversary, Saturday, September 13, 2025 at the Skamokawa Grange just off SR 4 and next to the Wahkiakum County fairgrounds.
All the events are free and the public is welcome. If you can
The Grange will open at 1 pm if you want to arrive early and meet current board
members, volunteers and other early arrivals. We’ll have newsletters, some taxidermy mounts, other memorabilia, and conversation with other members.
From the Grange you can easily walk to and explore Vista Park, bordering the Columbia River and with a nature trail that runs a mile through mature forest. Or, you can walk over to Redmen Hall, that explores the history of the area and also hosts some WHAS taxidermy specimens. Across the highway is the Skamokawa Paddle Center where you can rent kayaks for the day (make sure you check with them in advance), and from there the Julia Butler Hansen NWR is only a short walk away.
At 2 pm Russ Koppendrayer and Becky Kent will lead a field trip to the JBH refuge where there are often many species of ducks and geese, as well as songbirds and maybe some early migrants. Russ has covered the refuge during the CBC here for over 20 years. Meet at the Grange Hall for carpooling.
From 4 pm until 5 pm there will be food and drink (BYO beer and wine) and special entertainment provided by locals Andrew Emlen and Kyleen Austin, both accomplished musicians and birders at the Grange. Andrew is the founder and leader of the Wahkiakum CBC and promises some “bird songs” as part of the repertoire.
Meet some of the founders of our chapter at 5 pm and it's time to introduce Robert Michael Pyle, well known local naturalist and author, who will round out our celebration with his program, “50 Years in the Willapa Hills: A Naturalist’s Reflections in Poetry and Prose.”
We hope that some of you will visit from afar to see old friends and renew acquaintance with the beauty of the Willapa Hills and lower Columbia Estuary. If you do there are many local B & Bs to choose from or you can camp or rent a yurt at Vista Park, conveniently connected to the Grange by a bridge over the creek.
For any information needs contact Steve Puddicombe