About Desert Rivers Audubon
Great Egret - Photo by Michele Dodge
Our Mission:
Educating and inspiring our community to protect and preserve birds,
wildlife, and their habitats.
Conservation
We are tackling some of the man-made conditions that threaten the survival of birds, such as commercial and residential windows which cause fatal bird collisions, and excess outdoor lighting which destroys natural darkness and disorients migrating birds.
Education
Our programs are designed to build knowledge of wildlife and the environment. Speaker meetings, Free Family Bird Walks, the Early Birds Kids Club and other events are intended to transform communities.
Sustainability
We encourage our community to make changes for the planet in their daily lives, by educating about the threats to our planet, by modeling sustainable practices at our events and by advocating for policies that will foster a greener future.
Community
Desert Rivers Audubon is inclusive, welcoming members of diverse communities to join us in the work of protecting birds and their habitats. We connect people with the environment through bird walks, nature hikes, and activities, so that they will be inspired to live sustainably and speak out for wildlife.
Who We Are:
Desert Rivers Audubon Society
Photo by Tom Muehleisen
Contact Desert Rivers Audubon
Desert Rivers Audubon Society, an affiliate of the National Audubon Society, was founded in 2007 by a group of birders who believed that educating the public about birds and nature builds communities that protect and preserve wildlife.
To this day, the chapter has remained true to this mission.
From the beginning, monthly meetings have been free and open to the public, bringing ornithologists, photographers, artists and others to the East Valley.
Photo by Peter Hawkins
Current Board Members
Free Bird Walks
For more than 25 years, our Free Family Bird Walks have unveiled the beauty of birds and nature to adults and children who never before thought about birds.
Our first Free Family Bird Walks were at Gilbert Riparian Preserve.
Soon after, our Early Birds Club became a regular part of that event.
Later we added a monthly walk at Veterans Oasis Park in Chandler
We take special interest groups into the field and engage the public at Earth Day celebrations and other community events.
And we organize field trips led by experienced birders to great birding spots in the Valley and around the state.
Family Bird Walks
Guided Field Trips
Birds & Brew
Snowy Egret – Photo by Francois Portmann
Conservation
Without a clear focus on conservation, the birds we love will continue to disappear.
At our meetings and through our publications we encourage everyone to support policies that protect wildlife.
We are members of the Western Rivers Action Network, a policy arm of Audubon Southwest that advocates for the waters our chapter honors in its name.
And we are partnering with the Town of Gilbert to erect a Motus Wildlife Tracking System receiving tower, which will be part of an international network gathering data about the migration patterns of birds and animals.
Learn more about Desert Rivers Audubon local convervation efforts
Action
Volunteers tend to the Hummingbird Habitat at Desert Breeze Park in Chandler.
We also get our hands dirty!
For years Desert Rivers volunteers have spent one Saturday a month maintaining the Hummingbird Habitat at Desert Breeze Park in Chandler.
Recently we have focused on hazards resulting from the man-made environment.
We are promoting simple solutions homeowners can employ to prevent birds from crashing into their windows.
We work with the managers of high rise buildings encouraging them to dim the lights during migration.
We support programs aimed at reducing unnecessary artificial lighting.
Whether you join, donate or participate you make a difference!