Briefs: Spokane Audubon meeting features woodpecker researcher
From staff reports
The Spokane Audubon Society meeting scheduled for May 10 will feature a presentation on woodpecker research by an Eastern Washington University ornithology lecturer Ruby Hammond.
The presentation will be both in person and available online via Zoom.
The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. in the Ponderosa Room of the Woodland Center at the Finch Arboretum, located at 3404 W. Woodland Blvd. Details on joining the online Zoom meeting can be found at audubonspokane.org/the-pygmy-owl.
Hammond will present information about her studies of unusual hairy woodpecker foraging ecology in northern Arizona forests.
Hammond, who teaches EWU vertebrate ecology and wildlife biology classes, documented hairy woodpeckers excavating food from live rather than dead or dying trees – highly unusual for woodpeckers that aren’t sapsuckers – and has been exploring how tree characteristics, age and environmental stress in arid landscapes may drive the behavior.
Hammond has done field work across the U.S. and abroad and obtained her degrees from Middle Tennessee State University and Northern Arizona University.
“State of Lake” meeting video
Anyone who missed the Lake Pend Oreille “State of the Lake” meeting on April 13 can watch the presentations that were given and the videos that were shown at the meeting by visiting the Lake Pend Oreille Fisheries website.
Fishery staff from the Panhandle Region spent the evening giving presentations and answering questions about the diverse fisheries and management practices occurring in Lake Pend Oreille.
The video provides an in-depth look at the latest population trends and research related to kokanee, rainbow trout, lake trout, walleye and more.
For more information, visit the Lake Pend Oreille Fisheries website or contact the Panhandle Regional office at (208) 769-1414.
Application period closes May 10
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will establish a statewide Scenic Bikeways program. As part of that effort, the agency will establish an advisory task force to work with agency staff throughout the development and implementation of this new program.
Parks is recruiting approximately 15 members of the public to serve a two-year term on a volunteer advisory task force. Most task force meetings will take place virtually.
The task force may occasionally meet in person. Travel expenses for in-person meetings can be reimbursed in some cases. Members who are low-income or have life experience as part of a historically marginalized group may apply for a stipend, in accordance with the state’s Office of Equity guidance.
Task force duties include:
• Reviewing and discussing draft processes, such as evaluation criteria for route proposals.
• Reviewing and evaluating route proposals.
• Providing recommendations on Scenic Bikeway designations to the commission.
• Assisting in other aspects of program formation.
Parks seeks to incorporate community knowledge throughout the process to create a program that welcomes a broad group of recreational visitors. The task force is intended to reflect the diverse populations served by the agency.
Scenic Bikeways will include bicycle routes made up of existing trails, roadway shoulders and/or bike lanes that have exceptional scenic, historic, recreational or cultural value, as proposed by individuals across the state.
The commission will designate a collection of scenic bikeways statewide.
Parks will provide route signage and promote the areas as extraordinary places for cycling in Washington.
Task force applications and additional information can be found at: parks.wa.gov/128/Trails.
The application can be found in the middle of the page, under “Join the Scenic Bikeways task force.” Applications must be filled out and submitted by email to ScenicBikeways@parks.wa.gov by May 10.