Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
A new educational feature is coming to Wawawai County Park. A bird checklist is taking shape to be distributed in a kiosk at the park’s entrance next year.
The project began when Whitman County Parks Director Tim Myers suggested more educational materials for Wawawai, and Ranger Dave Mahan thought a list for bird sightings might be welcome.
Lavon Frazier of the Palouse Audobon Society spoke to the board at its meeting in October. She then worked with the rest of the Palouse Audobon Society to design a checklist of birds visitors might see at Wawawai Park, along with a map.
She took the list to Mahan, who picked out a dozen or so birds to feature.
“I wanted some items on there for someone like me, who’s not a birder,” said Mahan. “Certain species that someone could recognize who is not an avid birdwatcher.”
Featured on the 122-species list are animals such as red-tailed hawks, California quail, blue herons, Canada geese and barn owls.
Frazier said that once the checklists are finalized and printed in tri-fold brochures, they will be displayed in a small kiosk, to be built for the park. The Audobon Society will provide the plastic holders for the brochures, which Mahan will keep stocked.
“The motivation is to get the public more aware of the birds, and appreciate the birds,” said Frazier, who is married to Parks Board member Bruce Frazier. “My husband and I go birding down there a lot and we just like it.”
The checklists are organized by scientific groupings, such as shore birds, warblers, ducks and hawks and owls.
Parks board member Denny Cartwright has expressed interest in helping to build the kiosks.
“When things like this are discussed, I always welcome volunteer help from the board,” said Mahan. “Once we get a design together, he’ll build it or we’ll build it together.”
Materials used will be on-hand items such as surplus signposts. Myers said that added materials will be bought with funds from park donations.
The kiosks and brochures are expected to be ready in the spring or summer of 2013.
“The project is getting there but we still have to go through the process,” he said. “Our timeline is based on their timeline,” referring to the Palouse Audubon Society.
“It’s always a good thing to have some more educational things out there for the public,” said Mahan.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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