The Last Island — Sea to Sky Guiding

Small Group Course | FULL Spaces Max: 11

VIRTUAL Spaces Max: 5

COURSE BOOKING CLOSES: Wednesday July 24th, 6PM (PST)

You consider yourself bird-curious - from a complete beginner to intermediately knowledgeable and you desire to know more.
You enjoy a good read, a good mystery, connecting with like-minded people, and desire hands-on, field-based excursions to connect you deeper to the subject matter and the Salish Sea.
Hope to learn and/or experience something new!

This course is for you if -

FULL Course & Excursions Price:

MONDAY JULY 29th: Course Connection via Zoom | 6:30-8:30PM - Welcome & presentation on seabirds, focusing on Alcids & Tufted Puffins; introduce “The Last Island: A Naturalist’s Sojourn on Triangle Island” book.
MONDAY AUGUST 5th: Course Connection via Zoom | 6:30-8:30PM - presentation on tips for identifying bird species on the water; chapters discussion.
MONDAY AUGUST 12th: Course Connection via Zoom | 6:30-8:30PM - “Getting Intimate with the Tufted Puffin through Sketching & Observations” presentation/group exercise; chapters discussion.
SATURDAY AUGUST 17th: Excursion: Vessel Charter from Anacortes, WA (1PM-4PM*) for potential viewing of Tufted Puffins (and more!). Social to follow in Anacortes from 5pm-7pm
MONDAY AUGUST 19th: Course Connection via Zoom | 6:30-8:30PM - presentation on threats and ways we can help Washington State’s endangered Tufted Puffins.

Schedule: Zoom Meetings & Excursion:

Alison Watt’s “The Last Island - A Naturalist’s Sojourn on Triangle Island” book
Sketching supplies - pencils (both graphite & colored) or other mediums you’re comfortable working with.
Zoom Account - free, but must sign up and create an account!

NEEDED for this course:

ALL Zoom Sessions and Vessel Excursion - roughly 14 hours of small group, community learning & discussion paired with a vessel excursion to deep dive into the Salish Sea and Tufted Puffins!
Guided Birding & Naturalizing with a focus on Tufted Puffins, where applicable - roughly 3 hours aboard a private charter equipped with experienced Captain and knowledgeable Sea to Sky Guiding Naturalist. While we’re charting a course to observe Tufted Puffins in the Salish Sea, we’ll also watch for other birds and marine mammals during the entirety of the excursion. Our chartered vessel leaves from Skyline Marina in Anacortes, Washington. *Please note: as with all wild animals and birds, we commit to doing our best to locate Tufted Puffins but cannot make any promises—these birds move about each day. But, with knowledge of different, preferred areas, our chance for an encounter is good!
Optics - Binoculars: Nikon PROSTAFF P3 8x42 (4 pair available for use).
Educational Materials Available While in the Field and Onboard: Birds of the Puget Sound Region; Sibley Birds West. Laminated sets of IDs, created by Sea to Sky Guiding.
eBird Checklist(s) - compiled and shared with participants within 24-48 hours of the end of each excursion.
Trip Report - within two weeks of the end of the last excursion, a detailed trip report with photos will be shared for participants to enjoy. Details will also be found on our blog!

Included in the price:

NOT Included in the price:

Beverages/snacks - participants are responsible for their own food and drink on the excursion; these items are not available for purchase aboard the vessel.
*Tips - captains and crew work hard to ensure we have the best day on the water that we can. While never expected, if you feel so inclined, tips for the vessel Captain and crew are always appreciated!

Fill out the information block with all the required information.
ADD: amanda@seatoskyguiding.com to your email contacts — I have had a rough go at my emails heading to “junk” and “spam” inboxes!
Trip Policies and Procedures, Trip Contract, and Deposit/Payment Requirements will be emailed back to you *within 24-48 hours if the number of spots you request to reserve are available.
*I am working aboard the Snow Goose in SE Alaska for about 3 weeks this summer (June 14th-July 7th); it is likely I will not have access to internet at this time. Emails will be responded to in the order they are received as soon as it’s possible! Thank you for your patience during this time!

Ready to Book?