In the forests, meadows, and backyards of western Washington, the blur of iridescent wings and a high-pitched hum often signals the presence of one of nature’s most important workers: the hummingbird. These small, vibrant …

Academic year 2024-2025 marked the second year of the OPAS Natural Sciences Scholarship Award. In May, five deserving graduating seniors received $1,000 each in honor of James “Jim” Gift, who served OPAS for nearly two decades in various roles including Conservation Chair and President.

Fawn Wagner, Wildlife Refuge Manager and Ecologist for the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe’s Refuge Management Program, talked about the groundbreaking agreement between the Tribe and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to …

OPAS just received exciting news from the National Wildlife Federation (NWF). Our environmental initiative—the North Olympic Wildlife Habitat Project—has earned NWF recognition as a certified Community Wildlife Habitat™!

We had a delightful morning on Sunday, May 11 exploring Peabody Creek Trail. I encourage folks to do this walk as it’s a pleasant introduction to the Olympic Foothills. While the birds weren’t always easy to spot, we identified at least 19 species along the way.

The OPAS Board is pleased to announce the following individuals who have offered to serve the chapter as its elected officers for the one-year term, beginning on July 1, 2025 and ending on June 30, 2026.

Watch this engaging video presented by Ken Wiersema from our April 26, 2025 Backyard Birding program that explores birds many folks dislike, such as European Starlings, House Sparrows, …

The climate is affecting the birds around you. Since 2016, OPAS volunteers have been collecting data that Audubon scientists use in peer-reviewed research to document how birds are responding to climate change …

Dive into this fascinating video from our April 16, 2022 program featuring Barbara Callahan, Senior Director of Response and Preparedness Services at International Bird Rescue.

On Saturday, March 22, 2025, we met at the Dungeness Levee Footpath parking area at 9 a.m. by the Old Dungeness Schoolhouse at Towne Rd and E Anderson Rd. The weather was delightful, very cooperative, no wind, no rain, even some sunshine!

Join us for an insightful journey into understanding the ecological role of swans in Washington. At our March 19, 2025, OPAS meeting, Kyle Spragens delivered a compelling presentation on an innovative marking project initiated by WDFW and a CalPoly Humboldt graduate student.

Watch the February 19, 2025 video presentation by CJ Urnes as he explores the magnificent world of local insects, revealing their fascinating distributions and …

Watch the video of our February 1, 2025 “Bird Nesting and the Great Backyard Bird Count” Backyard Birding presentation.

Watch the captivating video of the January 15, 2025 OPAS Members Photo Night, skillfully organized by Christina Heliker. View OPAS members proudly displaying …

Whether weekly, monthly or annual in frequency, all of our OPAS Swan Study surveys are just snapshots of the current numbers and usage locations of the swans in our area through periods of migration and …

At our November 20th program, Dr. Douglas Wacker, Associate Professor of Animal Behavior at the University of Washington Bothell, shared fascinating research conducted with undergraduates to determine if crows …