Pilchuck Audubon Society, our neighbor chapter to the north, needs help. Executive Director Brian Zinke is still short about a dozen volunteers for Swifts Night Out on Saturday, September 12, and he is asking Eastside Audubon members to fill the gap.
The event is at Frank Wagner Elementary School, 639 W. Main St. in Monroe. The draw is the school's old brick chimney. Every September, thousands of Vaux's Swifts funnel into it at dusk to roost. On the biggest nights, more than 20,000 birds go in.
The event is free and runs from 4:30 p.m. until dark, with a presentation by swift expert Larry Schwitters at 6 p.m. Swifts are expected around sunset, roughly 7:30 p.m. There will be kids' activities, vendor booths, loaner binoculars and a food truck.
Setup is already covered. Three jobs are not:
Information tables, 4:30 to 8 p.m. Answer questions about Vaux's Swifts and Pilchuck Audubon, take donations and sell a few items. Pilchuck supplies the talking points. Shifts run 1.5 to 2 hours. Five or more volunteers still needed.
Crafts and children's activities, 4:30 to 8 p.m. Help kids build their own bird, run the chimney toss game and more. Same shift lengths. Four or more still needed.
Cleanup, 8 to 9 p.m. Carry tables and chairs from the Wagner Center back to the church next door. Zinke is hoping for younger backs. Three or more still needed.
To sign up, email Brian Zinke at director@pilchuckaudubon.org. Full event details are at pilchuckaudubon.org/swifts-night-out.