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Christi Norman, Director, Great Washington
State Birding Trail, 360-786-8020 x202
Hilary Hilscher, Communications, 206-963-9454

WASHINGTON BIRDING TRAIL EXPANDS TO WINE COUNTRY
Visitors with binoculars bring dollars, conservation incentive to rural areas

OLYMPIA, February 19, 2009—Under the watchful golden eyes of a live Great Horned Owl and Red-tailed Hawk, two species of bird regularly seen in Southcentral Washington, the fifth and newest route of the Great Washington State Birding Trail, the Sun and Sage Loop, was unveiled in the Cherberg Building on the state capitol campus Feb. 19th.

“The Sun and Sage Loop will bring new visitors and new dollars to our rural areas, and gives us yet another reason to be good stewards of our lands and waters,” said Sen. Mike Hewitt (R-Walla Walla), who’s also an Audubon member and bird photographer.

He and Sen. Jerome Delvin (R-Richland) were given framed copies of the map at the unveiling event.

“It is a good thing to pause and appreciate the natural world around us,” said Sen. Delvin. “The birding trail is a guide to some of the special places around the Tri-Cities – and one more connection to our agriculture and wine tourism,” he added.

According to Audubon Washington Birding Trail Director Christi Norman, birding “trails”, now offered in more than 30 states, are usually self-guided driving tours to places where birds are likely to be seen.

With 40+ million Americans describing themselves as interested in bird watching, developers of the Great Washington State Birding Trail hope to entice both local residents and out-of-state visitors to the Sun and Sage Loop which features more than 200 of Washington’s 346 annually recorded bird species.

This varied Eastern Washington landscape – sculpted by ice-age floods, weather, and human design – nurtures Pacific Flyway travelers and avian residents of sage hillside, wildflower meadow, and leafy forest. Hundreds of bird species – warbler to woodpecker, kinglet to kingfisher – thrive amid wide valleys, intimate canyons, and waterways large and small. During migration, hawks soar through mountain passes and shorebirds traverse river lowlands. Winter brings snow to high-country plateaus, and gathers waterbirds onto natural wetlands and lakes formed by dams on the Columbia River.

Here, irrigation channels and seasonal ponds transform desert into orchard and vineyard beneath lofty basalt cliffs. Find abundant wildlife in protected places: Wild and Scenic rivers, national wildlife refuges, national parks and state parks, plus the natural and cultural history of the Yakama Nation. Here are myriad opportunities to bird by foot, by bike, and by boat – all in the heart of Washington’s wine country.

The new map can be seen online here.

Live birds highlighted the Feb. 19th unveiling of the Great Washington State Birding Trail’s newest route, the Sun and Sage Loop. Sen. Jerome Delvin, second from left, and Sen. Mike Hewitt, fourth from left, hosted the presentation and received framed copies of the new map. Others participating in the ceremony included (l to r) Audubon Washington Birding Trail’s Hilary Hilscher holding the Great Horned Owl, Birding Trail director Christi Norman, Audubon Washington Policy Director Nina Carter, and Tee Martino holding the Red-tailed Hawk. Both birds are from the non-profit WolfTown on Vashon Island. Photo by jefflarsen.com.

The Sun and Sage Loop of the Great Washington State Birding Trail was developed and funded by Audubon Washington, the Washington State Department of Transportation, and individual contributors. Like the first four maps, the new route features original artwork by noted Washington wildlife painter Ed Newbold.

The live birds featured at the Sun and Sage unveiling ceremony come from Vashon Island’s Wolftown, a nonprofit facility that rescues and rehabilitates injured native birds and other wildlife, and offers them for educational presentations.

Together with its local chapters, Audubon Washington produced its first map of the birding trail in 2002, the Cascade Loop. The Coulee Corridor followed in 2003, Southwest Loop in 2005, and Olympic Loop in 2007. Two additional routes covering eastern Washington and the Puget Sound area will complete the birding trail by 2010. All maps contain information about habitat, bird species, access, and best seasons for birding. Signs marking birding trail sites will be installed in coming years.

Copies of the Great Washington State Birding Trail maps can be ordered online.