Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor are sites of regional and hemispheric importance for shorebirds and waterfowl, supporting nine Important Bird Areas (IBAs) and two Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network sites of hemispheric importance: one designated at Grays Harbor and one pending at Willapa Bay. As the fourth largest estuary on the U.S. West Coast, Grays Harbor supports a diverse array of birds and marine wildlife, including exceptional numbers of migratory shorebirds and waterfowl. Willapa Bay is one of ten major flyway stopover points on the West Coast, and it is a vital wintering area for waterfowl and shorebirds and the last remaining breeding area for Western Snowy Plovers in Washington State.
Audubon’s work in these areas is aimed at protecting Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor birds and habitats from ongoing and emerging threats related to pesticides, oil, shipping, and climate change, and building local community support for avian conservation. Conservation success in Grays Harbor and Willapa Bay will require the full power of the Audubon network in Washington and, in particular, the dedicated actions of trained Coastal Ambassadors.
More information is available on Washington Audubon's website here:
Program Purpose
Cultivate an informed constituency and build sustainable community support to 1) raise awareness and inclusion of avian values in coastal management, 2) build constituency for birding ecotourism, 3) mobilize community-based conservation
Timeline:
First meeting and group planning session on October, 26, 2017 from 6-8pm at Cranberry Museum, 2907 Pioneer Rd, Long Beach, WA 98631 - RSVP here