By Frank Hanson

The next Evening Talk at the ONRC will be “Breeding Land Birds of the Olympic Peninsula” by Dr. Scott Horton on Thursday, March 21 at 7 p.m., at the Olympic Natural Resources Center in our Hemlock Forest Room. ONRC is located at 1455 S. Forks Ave.

Dr. Scott Horton will be presenting on three related topics: a brief review of many of the 100 or so species of birds that breed on Olympic Peninsula uplands and fresh waters, including their migratory patterns, ecology, and conservation; an introduction to the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) and a review of findings from its first 50 years, trends in bird populations continent-wide and especially in our region, the “North Pacific Rainforest”; and a summary of land cover changes and survey findings from five decades of the Ozette BBS route, which he has run since 1994.

Dr. Horton retired as the wildlife biologist with DNR in Forks; Scott was instrumental in helping to integrate wildlife conservation with forest management. He spent most of his career working with spotted owls, marbled murrelets, and other forest-living animals on the Olympic Peninsula. He has a doctorate in conservation biology from the University of Washington, College of Forest Resources (currently The School of Environmental and Forest Sciences under the College of the Environment).

We have enjoyed past presentations from Scott on an overview of Olympic Peninsula seabirds as well as the reintroduction of Fishers on the Olympic Peninsula. Scott’s presentations are always enjoyable, informational, and connect us to the wildlife on the Olympic Peninsula.

Evening Talks at ONRC is funded through the Rosmond Forestry Education Fund, an endowment that honors the contributions of Fred Rosmond and his family to forestry and the Forks community. Refreshments will be served and a potluck of your favorite dessert is encouraged. For more information, contact Frank Hanson at 374-4556 or fsh2@uw.edu.