Becky Uhler

Artist's Statement

"I find the natural world and its intricate workings fascinating and beautiful.  It is my goal as a Natural Science Illustrator to accurately represent the unique features of a species, and especially to bring out the essence of the being.   As I work on an illustration, I try to develop an understanding of the character of the subject I am working with.  I hope to provide the viewer with some clarity and insight about the subject, thus facilitating new connections."

Bruce Newhouse

is an experienced Lane County naturalist and has led numerous educational walks on natural history topics. Bruce is a botanist and field ecologist, specializing in plants, birds and butterflies.

Buzz Kawders

Cameron Bishop

is a Natural Resources Specialist for the Army Corps of Engineers Willamette Valley Project and a recent graduate of the U of O Biology program. He conducted wildlife monitoring and management as a Corps of Engineers wildlife tech for 3 years and participates in U. S. Forest Service and BLM efforts to inventory and monitor bats in Oregon and Washington through the Northwest Bat Grid program.

Dan and Anne Heyerly

Dan & Anne have both been birding since they were kids.  They have led bird walks for Lane Audubon and Mt. Pisgah Arboretum.  Dan has been an area leader for the Lane County Christmas bird count for many years.  They are active members of Oregon Field Ornithologists. Dan is currently the Treasurer and Anne is a past board member and is now in charge of membership.  They love to bird locally and enjoy traveling to distant places to find new birds.

Dan Gleason

author of Birds! From the Inside Out, an introductory textbook about birds that is richly illustrated by his wife, Barbara. Dan retired from the Biology Department at the University of Oregon where he worked for nearly 30 years and still teaches the summer Field Ornithology class. Dan is on the Board of Directors of Lane County Audubon Society and has been actively involved in environmental education throughout the Eugene area leading field trips, workshops and volunteer guide training. He enjoys sharing his knowledge and interest in birds and the natural world.

Daniel Farrar

is a biologist and a graduate of the University of Oregon biology program with a keen interest in birds and conservation. Dan moved to Veneta in sixth grade and became a birder after attending high school biology field trips to Malheur NWR. He fell in love with the birds and listing the different species. He worked for five years as a wildlife technician with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers monitoring bird populations at Fern Ridge Lake and other Willamette Valley reservoirs using point counts, bird banding, and other bird survey techniques. Daniel currently works as a wildlife biologist studying and protecting Snowy Plovers on the Oregon coast.

Dave Bontrager

is a former biologist/educator with National Audubon Society at the 4,000 acre Starr Ranch Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary in California.  He was also a research biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and co-authored the California gnatcatcher chapter in Birds of North America. Dave currently teaches a variety of bird and natural history classes in Eugene, including classes for the WREN organization.

Dick Lamster

will discuss Bird Feeders, Bird Boxes, and attracting wildlife with landscape ideas.  Dick has been active with Audubon for over 30 years and is past-President of Lane County Audubon Society.

Jim Maloney

is a board member and volunteer guide for Lane Audubon.  He has been a Christmas Bird Count area leader for the  past four years and conducted monthly beached bird surveys on the Oregon coast for several years.  He is currently rounding out his interest in wildlife conservation by nearing completion of a post-bac degree at Oregon State University specializing in avian ecology. He is also a skilled field photographer providing images for educational, environmental, and conservation organizations.

Kat Beal

is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Manager with experience as a wildlife biologist, with an emphasis on wildlife diversity and habitat management.

Kevin Roth

is a Fish and Wildlife Senior Technician and Assistant Manager of the Fern Ridge Wildlife Area. He has been with the ODFW for 10 years with the majority of the time spent on the Fern Ridge Wildlife Area conducting wetland/upland restoration activities for the benefit of all species.

Kris Kirkeby

is a Lane Audubon Board member and scientific illustrator. She developed the "Audubon in the Schools" program that teaches drawing techniques to school children using bird specimens as models. This popular program reaches thousands of children in Lane County schools.

Leila Snow

is the Field Trip Coordinator for Lane Audubon and loves to travel around Oregon and beyond to see birds and experience the outdoors.

Louise Shimmel

founder and director of Cascades Raptor Center, a Eugene nature center and wildlife hospital specializing in birds of prey.  For 20 years, Louise has been sharing her fascination with the natural world with all ages, presenting hundreds of classroom programs, leading field trips at the center, and teaching classes in wildlife rehabilitation.

Peg Boulay

is a wildlife ecologist with a broad background in natural resource research, management, planning, policy and conservation. Peg spent 17 years as a professional wildlife biologist and has worked extensively with large carnivores and migratory birds.

Rick Ahrens

local nature guide and volunteer for Mt Pisgah Arboretum, Nearby Nature, West Eugene Wetlands, Cascades Raptor Center, ODFW and Lane County Audubon Society. Rick has been a nature guide volunteer for the past 20 years, has birded on 7 continents and started his love of birding early in life when his grandmother taught Rick and his brother about the birds near their home.

Roberta Swift

is a wildlife biologist with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Fern Ridge Lake. She studies non-game wildlife species at Willamette Valley reservoirs and works to improve wildlife habitat. In past lives Roberta has contributed to research, conservation, and management of fish and wildlife species around the country.

Tom and Allison Mickel

have been birding since the mid-1970's when they met at OSU. Since then they have been active in the local birding community with both Oregon Field Ornithologists and Lane County Audubon (LCAS). They compile the Field Notes column in The Quail, the publication of LCAS, and have contributed chapters in other birding publications. Tom led field trips for the American Birding Association convention in Eugene in 2003 and has been a Christmas Bird Count leader for at least two decades!

Vjera Thompson

is an avid local birder who contributed to the publication, Birds of Lane County. She started birding at 14 and was on the board of Oregon Field Ornithologists while in high school. Vjera often birds with her husband while bicycling the many bike trails around Eugene and Springfield.

Wes Messinger

is a  U.S. Army Corps of Engineers botanist.