Altacal Audubon’s Snow Goose Festival of the Pacific Flyway
See you next year at the
26th Snow Goose Festival of the Pacific Flyway, January, 2026
Events
Meetings & Events
Meetings are held the third Monday of each month at
6:30 p.m.
All meetings are open to the community via a HYBRID meeting: either in-person at the Chico Creek Nature Center (1968 E 8th St, Chico, CA 95928) or via Zoom.
See descriptions below.
Send program suggestions to:
Field Trips
Liability Waiver
Altacal Audubon Society requires that the Liability Waiver be completed and signed before participating in any field trip. Each participant only needs to complete one per year for Altacal (although this does NOT cover the liability waiver for the Snow Goose Festival). The Field Trip Coordinator will keep the Master File of all completed forms and send the information to the Field Trip Leaders before their trips.
Pre-registration required
- Signing an Altacal Audubon Society Liability Waiver is a requirement to attend all field trips. Altacal Audubon’s scheduled field trips are a great way to experience a variety of birding areas, with an experienced trip leader. Occasionally “Pop-up” Birding Field Trips, that aren’t listed here, will be posted on the Altacal Facebook Page.
Monthly Program Presentations
Monthly Programs and Presentations for the general community are held on the 3rd Monday of each month at 6:30 pm. In December the meeting is held on the 2nd Monday.
In June, July, and August there are no meetings.
March 2025 Program Presentation
Monday, March 17, 2025
at 6:30 p.m.
Chico Creek Nature Center
1968 E 8th St, Chico
and on Zoom
Or join Zoom using Meeting ID: 922 795 8804
and Passcode: 468753
Tuscan Aquifer and Groundwater-Dependent Ecosystems
Presented by Taylor Broadhead, CA Audubon
and Jim Brobeck, Aqualliance
Groundwater-Dependent Ecosystems (GDEs), and the mighty Tuscan Aquifer that sustains them, are the topic of this month’s program. These ecosystems, which include wetlands, oak woodlands, and riparian forests are essential habitat for local and migratory bird populations. Taylor Broadhead, from CA Audubon, will present an overview of Audubon California’s work both state-wide and within the Sacramento Valley, with an emphasis on water policy challenges and objectives. This presentation will also dive into Audubon CA’s work with TNC and local stakeholders on Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems (GDEs).
Also joining us is local water expert and protector Jim Brobeck with AquAlliance who will talk about the complexities of the Tuscan Aquifer, its importance GDEs, and shortcomings in water policy to ensure protection of the aquifers GDEs rely on. Central Valley trees are dependent on the shallow aquifer. Since trees are important bird habitat, many Central Valley birds are also dependent on the shallow aquifer. Jim will discuss how current Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs) do not protect shallow aquifers and how AquAlliance is mounting legal challenges to the GSPs managing the Tuscan Aquifer System.
Taylor Broadhead is a senior manager of water policy at Audubon California.
Jim Brobeck has served on the Butte County Water Advisory Committee and was appointed to represent the environmental community on the Vina Groundwater Sustainability Agency Stakeholder Advisory Committee.
Board Meetings
Board of Directors Meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month. Contact Altacal President Ken Sobon for time and location.
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
23
9am Logan Creek Trail Winter Debut
24
25
26
27
28
1
8:30am First Saturday at the Yahi Trail
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
10am Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge
9
8:30am Beginner Birding at Verbena Fields
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
9am Exploration Along Sacramento River Bend
17
6:30pm Tuscan Aquifer and Groundwater-Dependent Ecosystems
18
19
20
8:30am Rio Vista Unit of the Sacramento River NWR
21
22
23
8:30am Birding & Wildflowers at Red Bluff Recreation Area
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
9am Table Mountain Bird and Flower Walk
31
1
2
3
4
5
8:30am First Saturday - Yahi Trail