What's Happening in Bend, OR…

Each year, Bend’s Swainson’s hawks join other from the region to make their annual migration to South America. These powerful birds of prey return in the spring, and an event has been planned for local “bird nerds” to welcome these feathered friends home for the summer.

One of High Desert Museum’s resident wildlife specialists will be conducting a field trip that will see a group visit Fort Rock, which is a popular location to observe Swaison’s hawks and other wildlife. One of these creatures will be the Belding ground squirrels that will be waking up after their seasonal hibernation, and the group will have an opportunity to learn about these small creatures as well.

The attendees in the outing will learn about the ecology of the region and the complex predator-prey relationship that exists between the hawks and the ground squirrels. They will find out how the population level of one impacts the other, and along with this, they will be given details about how humans can impact this ecosystem in both positive and negative ways.

The fee to register for this excursion, which will depart from the museum, is $50 for the general public, with a 20 percent discount available for its members. An event like this can be a great learning opportunity for local amateur naturalists, and a poster printing company can help to promote it by creating eye-catching marketing materials.

The date for the ‘Swainson's and Squirrels’ field trip will be May 18. The group will set out at 7:00 am.