Verdin photo by Eddie Bartley

Birding Info: Frank Ruiz, Salton Sea Program Director for Audubon California, will provide an update on some recent breakthroughs for conserving the Salton Sea. The Salton Sea is a perfect example of the water crisis in the west, affecting thousands of birds and exacerbating the already existing health crisis in the region. Water diversion and the ongoing drought has prompted the Salton Sea to recede at a faster pace calling for an expedite implementation of the Salton Sea Management Plan. How is Audubon and its partners helping to alleviate this crisis?

Phainopepla by Eddie Bartley

Main Program: Birding California’s Big Sink with Eddie Bartley

Join Eddie Bartley for a fast-paced spin around one of California’s most important birding areas: the Salton Sink.

Though much altered by humans in the past century, the endorheic (drain-less) Salton Sink holds magnificent bird diversity and abundance, especially in winter, which will be the seasonal focus of this presentation. Eddie will share photography and natural history stories about the unique biodiversity, regional specialty birds, and favorite wildlifing spots that he and his partner, Noreen Weeden, have discovered in their 25+ years visiting this natural phenomenon-prone region.

A conservation activist since his teens, Eddie is a volunteer researcher and instructor with the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory, California Academy of Sciences, and Golden Gate Audubon Society, and is currently the President of the Yerba Buena Chapter of the California Native Plant Society as well as the Farallon Islands Foundation. Eddie and Noreen lead natural history, bird watching, and photography tours for Nature Trip out of their home base in San Francisco.