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: Lower Deer Creek Natural History & New Clairvaux Winery
- Sold Out!
$60 Adult
Friday, Jan 23, 2026 8:00 am - 3:00 pm
Meet at Patrick Ranch - Pat's Barn (Map)
Walking, could involve distance but largely flat
Description
Join the Northern California Regional Land Trust and explore two private-access Deer Creek riparian forests on two conservation easements. Our first stop is Hamilton Ranch, a working cattle ranch where wildlife-friendly grazing and ranching has been practiced for generations. Where the creek spills from the foothill canyons and meanders across a vernal pool dotted plain, Bald Eagles and other raptors often cross the sky searching for small mammals. We will walk as a group along a levee road looking for passerines and waterbirds, stopping to watch and listen. We will then drive to Abbey of New Clairvaux, where participants will get to take a walk along an additional privately-accessed section of Deer Creek before meeting up with the Wings and Wine Field Trip participants for a tour of the church building, and conclude at the Vineyard Tasting Room for history and cultural displays, and wine tasting for those who wish to participate. Bring your binoculars, lunch and plenty of water. Sturdy shoes and carpooling strongly encouraged. Tour and wine tasting fees are included in the price.
Field Trip Leaders
Kim Armstrong
Kim Armstrong is a Chico native and biologist who has been working in conservation in the northern Central Valley for fifteen years. Her interest in birds began as a Scientific Aid at the Oroville Wildlife Area, managing the area's wood duck box program and participating in efforts to band ducks and geese. Her passion for birding was sparked while taking ornithology with the late Jay Bogiatto at CSU, Chico, where she earned her degree in Environmental Science. Kim has spent the last several years focused on riparian and floodplain restoration throughout California, monitoring birds within those ecosystems, and honing her birding-by-ear skills. She is now the Stewardship Manager for the Northern California Regional Land Trust where she's excited to work with landowners to conserve valuable habitat in Butte, Glenn and Tehama counties. In her free time, she volunteers with AltaCal banding northern saw-whet owls.
Kim Armstrong's Events
- Exploring West of the Five & Raging Bull Winery (1/22/2026)
- Lower Deer Creek Natural History & New Clairvaux Winery (1/23/2026)
John Perrine
John Perrine is a Professor of Wildlife Ecology at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and has taught ornithology, mammalogy, ecology, and conservation biology over the past two decades. He earned his PhD. From UC Berkeley studying Sierra Nevada Red Fox population ecology in the Lassen Park region and has recently returned to Northern California to work as a wildlife supervisor for California Department of Fish and Game in Region 1 to supervise carnivore management projects that include SNRF, wildlife-human conflict resolution, and wolves. John has developed a keen interest in birds and teaching birding by ear over his years instructing undergrads.
John Perrine's Events