Golden Eagle Audubon Society

The Golden Eagle Audubon Society (GEAS) is dedicated to building an understanding, appreciation, and respect for the natural world in order to conserve and restore natural ecosystems for birds and other wildlife. We believe people protect what they love, and that a love for wildlife and the environment comes from being able to experience, enjoy, and learn about it first hand.

Since 1972 GEAS has worked to engage southwest Idaho's community in the out-of-doors. We offer numerous opportunities and programs, all of which are free and open to the public. Current and ongoing offerings include:

• Free Birding Field Trips: Birding field trips are the heart of GEAS and we offer about 80 yearly trips for all ages and abilities! We take full day birding trips to the regional Wildlife Management Areas, Sage Grouse Leks, Bluebird Trails, Intermountain Bird Observatory’s fall migration station on Lucky Peak, and local Reservoirs. We also have urban birding trips along the Boise River greenbelt and in our local parks.
• Monthly Presentations: Our monthly presentation, often the 3rd Tuesday of most months, brings our community together to enjoy a presentation on a variety of bird related topics.  We often arrange to have local birders share their favorite birding places or experiences, biologists talk about their research, or natural resource professionals update us on wildlife and land management projects.
• Education and Outreach: Our educational programming is included in all our field trips, classroom and outreach events. We haves more in-depth programs including the New Roots Program (pictured above), which provides a free, two week-long, conservation and education camp experience each summer for refugee youth in our community. We believe that this program serves as an important first bridge uniting the conservation and refugee communities within southwest Idaho to offer a unique and positive experience for refugee and immigrant youth and their families. / We participate in the educational Bird-by-Bird Program, providing Natural Resource professionals an avenue to teach about birds in local schools.
• Conservation Programs and Advocacy: Our conservation programs aim to engage the community in regional bird and bird habitat conservation. Recently, we've initiated the Boise River ReWild Project with about 20 partners to rewild about 50 acres along the Boise River from the Diversion Dam to East Parkcenter Bridge. The project includes weeding, planting, watering, habitat education and lots of volunteer fun to enhance the river's riparian habitat for birds, wildlife and people.  /  A previous dumping ground, we initiated the creation of Blacks Creek Bird Reserve, an Audubon Important Bird Area, which is a crucial habitat for over 150 bird species.  /  In addition to on the ground and community conservation programs, GEAS advocates for conservation issues that affect our local bird populations and their habitat. We support management and conservation initiatives that improve habitat and sustain populations. If needed, we oppose actions that are not in line with our mission and degrade the natural resources that are important for conservation. 
• Citizen Science: We facilitate citizen science projects, such as monitoring area Bluebird nest boxes, and organizing Christmas and Great Backyard bird counts.  

We SO APPRECIATE YOUR interest and Support! It allows this mostly volunteer organization to provide so much to our community and the environment.