Hover over photos for description and photographer
Welcome to the Mid-Willamette Bird Alliance!
(also known as Audubon Society of Corvallis)
Where birds and wildlife count
MWBA (previously ASC) is headquartered in Corvallis, Oregon and welcomes members and visitors from the mid-Willamette Valley and beyond. We host speakers, lead half-day birding walks to local areas, guide multi-day field trips to regional birding areas, present education programs to all ages, and support conservation of birds, other native wildlife, and natural habitats.
What’s Happening?
Republic Services Landfill Expansion
* Oct 20 at 5 pm Written testimony due for staff report to Commissioners. If submitting by Oct. 23 by 5 pm, must be handed in personally at county office.
* MWBA testimony submitted to Benton Cty Board of Commissioners Oct 5 2025
Easy testimony guide LINK
* Oct 22-23: 5:30-10 pm public hearing for appeal, Benton Cty Fairgrounds Auditorium
* See Coffin Butte Facts
MWBA/ASC Events – all programs are free (except where indicated) and open to the public.
* Oct 18 Hesthavn Open House 11am-2pm
* Nov 8 – Second Saturday Field Trip, meet at Willamette Park shelter 8 am. INFO/Registration
* Nov 20 – Monthly speaker Luke Stuntz “Predation of Sea Birds by River Otters”
Hesthavn Nature Center and Trails
* Work Party TBA – grounds & trails, bring sturdy gloves, snack, refillable water bottle. Contact
* Trails – open dawn to dusk every day
Community Events
* Nov 8 – 6:00-7:30 pm “125 Years of Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count” Cooper Farr INFO
* Dec 3 – 6:00-7:30 pm “Giving Back to Birds by Contributing Observations to eBird” Douglas Robinson INFO
* Conservation Volunteer Opportunities Calendar
Podcast
* Recent cougar sightings in Corvallis – “Bad reputation: Oregon cougars are not the killers some believe“
“Predation of Seabirds by River Otters”
Luke Stuntz – November 20, 2025
Hundreds of thousands of nesting Leach’s storm-petrels in southern Oregon share the coastline with a diversity of terrestrial carnivores. Luke Stuntz will describe the results a three-year research project at OSU about the predatory behavior of river otters on seabirds and their impacts on nesting.
Members and non-members are welcome to attend the meeting in person at the C3 Chandler Ballroom on NW Tyler Ave. in Corvallis. The social gathering starts at 6:30, business meeting at 7:00 pm, and the slide show presentation starts as early as 7:20 pm and lasts about an hour. Tune in to the Zoom meeting at 7:15.
October speaker Zoom link
Monthly Speaker Info
Coffin Butte Landfill: New Hearing on Oct 22-23
The Benton County Planning Commission staff reviewed 1,957 written and oral comments submitted by the public that opposed the landfill expansion – only four comments were in favor. The Planning Commission voted to deny the expansion and the findings were officially adopted on July 29. Republic Services (RS) appealed on Aug 12 and was granted a 60-day extension.
Benton County Board of Commissioners will hold a new public hearing both in -person and via Zoom on October 22 and 23, with final decision by Nov 26. Written testimony received by email, website, etc. by Oct 22 at 5 pm will be part of record. May personally hand in testimony at county office by Oct 23 at 5 pm. RS may appeal a negative decision to State Land Use Board of Appeals.
Please make your voice heard by writing testimony! Coffin Butte Facts LINK, Easy Testimony Guide More Info
Birding Field Trips
Second Saturday (half-day) field trips to local birding areas are led by Duncan Evered and Caryn Stoess from September through June. INFO
The 2025 Multi-day field trips will be led by experienced birders driving rented vans. Signup sheets are available at monthly meetings starting in January 2025, or click here Contact
See Field Trips for registration and more information
Birding & Resources
Our region is a prime place to find, watch, draw, and photograph many species of birds. Half-day field trips to local areas and multi-day trips to regional birding areas are led by ASC guides. New birders and anyone else interested are invited to participate.
Birding Field Trips Resources
Conservation
ASC participates in grassroot conservation by providing information about pending actions on national and state environmental laws. Locally, ASC has joined partners to conserve habitats, provide access on trails, and restore native plants. Conservation of Western Bluebirds and Streaked Horned Larks are other major initiatives for ASC.
More info: Audubon in the News or Conservation/Protection or Priorities
Education
Check the website for the dates and activities for 2025. The Nature Center is open for special events. Education volunteers offer many activities, such as making bird masks, leading guided walks on the trails, introducing Elsie Elzroth, the “Bluebird Lady” who began a nest box program to increase the Western Bluebirds population is Benton and Linn counties, and more!
Visit the museum room which has taxidermied birds common to our area. See the feather and bone case, play nature games, and learn about birds – how feathers work, why beak length and shape gives birds an advantage when feeding, and measure how big your wingspan is.
MORE INFO, Education Program
Bluebird Trail
The ASC Bluebird Trail committee was created to promote the conservation of the Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana) and other native cavity-nesters through field work, scientific studies, and education. A series of bluebird boxes have been placed in ideal habitat for the birds. Volunteers monitor the nesting success throughout the breeding season, and results are reported to several organizations.
Hesthavn Grounds & Nature Center
Hesthavn Nature Center started life as a barn, and now it offers a museum with taxidermied birds, Bluebird Trail and other exhibits, and a classroom. It will be open to the public for special events. The grounds include trails, bird feeders, and a native plant garden and are open are open from dawn to dusk everyday. Meadow restoration is one step in the long-term goal of restoring all habitats. Admission is free!
Join Us!
New to the area? Meet people who also like nature! Would you like to volunteer to share your passion or contribute to restoration? Become a member of ASC and help us continue our important work. You can also donate time or dollars to ASC. We also appreciate your tax-deductible contributions to our local education and conservation efforts.
Membership Volunteer Donate
Partners
ASC welcomes partnerships with other agencies and organizations. Together we provide equal opportunities for all children, allowing them to experience nature through games, art, and activities that enhance both classroom and special-event learning. Other partnerships pool funding, staff, and other resources to accomplish conservation and other education goals.
Education Conservation
Our Newsletter
Each issue of The Chat contains information about monthly speakers and their presentation. Also included is the latest news about education, conservation, Hesthavn Nature Center, field trips, bird sightings, Board meetings, calendar items, and more. Ten issues are produced by our volunteers each year, from September through June. Archived newsletters are available in PDF format from April 2003 to the present.
October 2025 Issue
The Chat Newsletter and Archives