What walks, talks, and other nature-related events are coming up in Novato and North Marin in January? Read below for our upcoming events as well as our monthly compilation of local guided walks and nature-related events sponsored by other groups.
Want advance notice of upcoming events?
Nature in Novato events are posted over the course of each month. Near the beginning of each month, they are listed in the Wild Birds Unlimited email newsletter, at which point most events fill up within a day or two. If you would like to beat the bird store crowd to the punch, you can subscribe to Nature in Novato and receive an email notice whenever a new post is published, including this monthly event summary, which goes out out a few days before the bird store newsletter. Just type your email address below! (All contact information is completely private and will not be used for any commercial purposes; unsubscribing is easy.)Our Nature in Novato/Wild Birds Unlimited events are free of charge, but are limited to small groups for the best possible experience; please click through to each event to reserve your space.
Nature in Novato Events
Sunday, 1/12: Bahia Lagoon Bird Walk
Join guest leader Heather Cameron and Jack from Nature in Novato for this walk at the Bahia Lagoon in northern Novato. This pond near the mouth of the Petaluma River is a local hotspot for common goldeneye (with a few of the less common Barrow’s goldeneye often present), as well as other diving ducks and grebes, raptors including kestrels, kites, and harriers, and a variety of other wetland and open country songbirds.
This walk was announced early and is now fully booked, but registered participants can review the details here.
Sunday, 1/19: Backyard Bird Conservation
Seminar at Wild Birds Unlimited
What can you do to have more birds in your yard, your neighborhood, and your life? People often aim to help backyard birds with feeders, nest boxes, bird baths, and plantings: how can the benefits of these tools be maximized, while avoiding potentially negative side effects? At the same time, humans often unintentionally harm birds when we are unaware of both our detrimental impacts and viable alternatives: how can we ameliorate the harm caused by window strikes, pesticide and rodenticide use, and cat predation?
For more details and to reserve your spot, visit the event page here.
Sunday, 1/26: Las Gallinas Ponds Bird Walk
Join guest leader Mark Schulist and Jack from Nature in Novato for this walk at San Rafael’s Las Gallinas Ponds. These water treatment ponds offer year-round, food-rich waters that attract a wide variety of birds and this is the busiest season of all. We’ll see hundreds of ducks, as well as other waterbirds, raptors, and songbirds. This is one of the best places to start learning our local birds, with a large variety of distinctive, easy to see species at relatively close distances.
This walk is now fully booked, but registered participants can review the details on the event page.
Other Upcoming Nature Events
The two most active other groups that regularly offer free public bird walks in our area are Marin Audubon Society and Marin County Parks. Check their calendars for additional scheduled events in other parts of the county; Novato and San Rafael-based activities are listed below.
January 2: Birds at Deer Island and Simmons Slough, Marin Audubon. See our profile of Deer Island.
January 5: Birds at Rush Creek, Marin Open Space. See our profile of Rush Creek.
January 12: Volunteer planting day at Stafford Lake, Marin Parks.
January 16: Art of Bugology kids program at Novato Library, Marin Parks.
January 20: Nature for kids at Mount Burdell, Marin Parks. See our profile of Mount Burdell.
January 25: History of Mount Burdell, presentation at Novato Library.
Header photo: the gray ghost, the male northern harrier, by Don Bartling. Look for them at Bahia, Rush Creek, Deer Island, and Las Gallinas – open fields and marshes is what they like.