Relive some of the most notable moments from the winter season at Richardson Bay Audubon as we prepare for even more excitement in the New Year.
| Winter Newsletter December 2022 | | | | |
| The last months of the year have been filled with newness and change at Richardson Bay, and it has been a joy to watch it all unfold. From seasonal waterfowl gracing our Sanctuary to never-before-seen animals at the Center, the wintertime has proved yet again to be one of the most bountiful times of year. Our small staff team has also grown, and alongside it our demonstration gardens, conservation programs and high school internships have expanded. As we enter the New Year, we at Richardson Bay are hopeful for all the things 2023 has to offer and equally grateful for what we were able to accomplish in 2022 with the support of our community. To everyone who visited, donated or volunteered: thank you, on behalf of all of us here. To those who have yet to experience the magic of Richardson Bay: we hope to cross paths with you soon! Click here to learn more about our wintering waterfowl and what else we've been up to at the Center recently. | | | | |
| Northern Flicker. Dawn Key / Audubon Photography Awards | | | | |
Birds aren't the only animals that migrate through Richardson Bay, a fact we were reminded of by the presence of hundreds of Monarch Butterflies that appeared at the Center this year! An explosion of Monarch caterpillars feeding on the showy milkweed for our demonstration gardens soon transformed into a sky full of butterflies that delighted the staff, Harmony Montessori preschool team, and visitors alike. It also served as a powerful indication of the delicate ecological connections all around us — the showy milkweed attracted pollinators that then helped our native plant gardens thrive, bolstering the entire ecosystem of Richardson Bay along with it.
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| Monarch Butterfly. Brooke LaValley / Audubon Metro Park Photography Event | | | | |
| The wildlife at Richardson Bay Audubon includes far more than just birds! This year, we were lucky enough to spot an extremely uncommon species at the Center in a very unusual spot. Amphibians like salamanders are not usually prevalent this close to the ocean, and the circumstances we discovered them in were even more improbable! This amazing animal is known as an indicator species because the health of local populations tells us important information about the ecosystem as a whole. | | | | |
| California Slender Salamander. Brian Gratwicke / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) | | | | |
| Bufflehead. John West / Great Backyard Bird Count | | | | This year, Audubon launched a groudbreaking digital tool that allows users to track and visualize the journeys of the 458 migratory birds in North America. You can track individual species, see what locations host which migratory birds, and learn more about the conservation threats impacting them on their routes. Explore the tool and all it has to offer here! | | | Common Goldeneye. Karl Bardon / Audubon Photography Awards | | | | | |
| For nearly a decade, the Audubon Youth Leaders program has played an active role in bettering the Center through restoration projects, conservation programs, and community education. The program offers local high schoolers a paid internship to connect with the outdoors. This year, the newest group of teen interns has been hard at work bettering the Center and engaging with the community — both the local community and the broader natural community we are embedded within — in meaningful ways. | | | | |
| Audubon Youth Leaders. Haymar Lin / Richardson Bay Audubon Center & Sanctuary | | | | |
| Thank you for your continued support of Richardson Bay Audubon Center & Sanctuary. Visit us weekdays from 9-5 and for our monthly bird walks on the second Thursday of every month. | | | | |
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