Field Trip Leader Bios
Read all the biographies here.
A special note about Field Trips
Please arrive at the location indicated 20 minutes prior to your scheduled event. This will allow us time to check you in and ensure the trip leaves promptly. We ask that you follow your field trip leader from the meeting location to the final destination. Anyone arriving after the field trip leader has left may not be able to join the group. Walk-in registration may be available for some events during the weekend of the Festival.
Weather may change a trip's itinerary, but most trips will be conducted rain or shine. The weather in the valley during January is variable. It is generally cold and sometimes rainy, with daytime highs ranging from 50F to 65F.
Be sure to bring the following on your field trips: rain gear, waterproof footwear, layered clothing, binoculars, camera, field identification guide, water and snack or lunch as needed. Please also check out the Tips & Etiquette below to help you enjoy your day to the fullest.
Tips & Etiquette for Bird Watchers
To make your trip more enjoyable for yourself and others, we ask you to please use these following etiquette tips:
- Wear clothing suitable for the weather and area you'll be hiking in. It's practical to layer clothing to accommodate fluctuations in temperature. Wear comfortable shoes that have a good grip and are waterproof when necessary. You may want to take sunscreen, a hat or rain gear.
- Bring binoculars or a scope for a better viewing experience.
- Bring water on long outings to stay hydrated.
- Bring a Field Guide if you are interested in learning more about the birds you see. If you are a beginning birder, look for a guide that specializes in birds of northern California.
- Be courteous to other explorers. Stay with your group and pay attention to your trip leader. Walk quietly and slowly. Do not disrupt animals or damage their habitats (breaking branches, trampling vegetation). Turn off cell phones or other electronic devices. If you are taking children with you, explain to them proper etiquette before the trip. Always behave in a manner that will enhance the image of the birding communities in the eyes of the public.
- Tune up your senses and listen carefully. Scan the horizon and tree canopies. Look to the ground for prints, feathers and other traces of wildlife. Please remove litter and leave natural items where they belong. This will keep it enjoyable for others when they visit.
- No dogs or pets allowed on any Snow Goose Festival event, workshop, or program. Please leave Fido with friends or family and not in the car during a field trip.
Field Trip: Dye Creek Preserve - Sold Out!
$35 Adult; $15 Youth
Friday, Jan 24, 2025
Meet at Patrick Ranch - Pat's Barn (Map) at 8:45 am
Meet at Dye Creeek Preserve (Map) at 9:30 am
More vigorous hiking, some elevation gain/loss
Description
In the Lassen Foothills of eastern Tehama County, scenic Dye Creek Preserve will be an adventure for the hiker and birder. While hiking the rugged Dye Creek Canyon, we will discuss land management efforts by The Nature Conservancy, Yana Cultural History, local geology, and the ecosystem. Expect to see birds common to oak woodlands and riparian habitats in January, such as the Belted Kingfisher, Lewis's and Acorn Woodpeckers, Oak Titmouse, Brown Creeper, and Western Bluebird. Sightings of raptors could include Golden Eagles, Peregrine Falcons, Bald Eagles, Northern Harriers, and Red-tailed Hawks. The hike is a strenuous, rugged and uneven, five-mile trek with a creek crossing on stepping stones. The depth of the water crossings is subject to weather conditions. Bring lunch and drinks. Boots/sturdy footwear is a MUST! !
Field Trip Leaders
Larry Jordan
Larry Jordan moved from the Bay Area to Oak Run in 1980 to escape the crowded, noisy, hustle and bustle of city life. Among the gray and ponderosa pine, and the oak savannah, he found himself surrounded by nature. Coyotes howled in the winter evening, deer and fox were abundant and birds seemed to be everywhere. On the way home from an evening out, he and his wife found a tiny owl standing in the middle of the road to his home. He didn't know what it was and had to look it up in his first edition Peterson Field Guide. It was his spark bird - a Burrowing Owl! Larry joined the Wintu Audubon Society and became the group's webmaster in 2008. He is the Shasta County Coordinator for the California Bluebird Recovery Program and monitors an active Burrowing Owl habitat in the Chico area.
Larry Jordan's Events
- Dye Creek Preserve (1/24/2025)
Don Beers
Don Beers worked for the California State Park System for over 30 years. The Roads, Trails and Resource Section that he supervised were responsible for the District's trail construction and maintenance, backcountry road re-engineering and maintenance, and watershed restoration project implementation. Don has been one of the lead instructors in the National Trails Training Program, and the California State Park Trails Training Program. This included working on developing the curriculum for these two programs. He has lectured and presented workshops at State, National and Professional trail conferences. Don is currently working on the California State Park's Trails Handbook revision and is one of the principal authors of that handbook.
Don Beers's Events
- Dye Creek Preserve (1/24/2025)
Scott Hardage
Scott Hardage is a land steward for The Nature Conservancy in the Lassen foothills area. Scott organizes public outreach hikes at the Dye Creek Preserve and manages a group of volunteer docents who help to lead the hikes. He enjoys hiking and photography, and has recently used camera traps to document burrowing owl activity on the preserve.
Scott Hardage's Events
- Dye Creek Preserve (1/24/2025)