Bird migration—Photo: Dave Shreffler

“Birds in Migration”—movement, and motivations
Presenter: Nikki Pyle, Environmental Educator, Dungeness River Nature Center 
Saturday, March 7, 2026—10:00 a.m. to noon
Dungeness River Nature Center
Suggested donation: $5

Nikki Pyle

Nikki will present a program focused on the migration patterns and timing of birds local to Clallam County. She will describe the instinctive motivations that drive birds to return each year to their breeding or winter-feeding grounds. She will review tools and skills we, as citizen scientists, can use to monitor migrations, compile data, and document the importance of our migratory habitats.

The program also examines the risks and challenges birds face along their journeys—environmental, geographic, and anthropogenic. Join us to learn how you can support migrating birds in your own backyard and help protect the many species that travel the Pacific Flyway and rely on our unique North Olympic Peninsula.

Nikki Pyle hales from Minneapolis, Minnesota and has sustained a lifelong passion for animal behavior and ornithology. She earned a BS degree from the University of Minnesota in Ecology, Evolution & Behavior Science, where she also served as a teaching assistant for undergraduate microbiology courses. In 2025, she joined the Dungeness River Nature Center staff as an Environmental Educator through AmeriCorps.

Having grown up in the Midwest, Nikki is excited to explore the Pacific Northwest and deepen her understanding of its evolving flora and fauna. She’s grateful for the opportunity to learn while doing work she loves, and she plans to pursue a master’s degree in Conservation Biology in the future.

Admission to this program is free. However, we ask attendees to consider a donation of $5.00 per person to support ongoing OPAS education and conservation programs. Thanks for your support and interest!