Birding at Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument

Name: Birding at Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument
Start: 2023-01-23T18:00:00-08:00
End: 2023-01-23T19:00:00-08:00
Location: Bird Alliance of Oregon

Join us as we take a tour through the diverse mosaic of habitats created by the 1980 eruption and learn where to see Mount St. Helen’s signature birds. This interactive presentation will excite and prepare you for birdwatching in the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. Bring your questions and curiosities!

On May 18, 1980, a cataclysmic event occurred at Mount St. Helens as the north flank of the volcano slid off in one of the largest landslides in recorded history, unleashing a powerful eruption. This eruption buried 230 square miles of existing old-growth forest with hundreds of feet of volcanic debris. In some places closest to the crater of the volcano, almost no living organisms survived. Ash from the eruption blew across the United States, and megatons of logs and volcanic debris clogged up rivers, lakes, and streams. The eruption dramatically reshaped the landscape, creating a mosaic of habitat types that are now home to a diverse suite of birds.

In 1982, the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument was designated to protect the land closest to the volcano as a place for research, recreation, and education. Today, home to more than 80 species of nesting birds, the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument offers unique birding opportunities.

Summer blooms at Mount St. Helens, D.T. Strouse

Learn about why birders and scientists alike flock to the landscape surrounding Mount St. Helens.

Online Class Details

Class: January 23, 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Class fee: $20 members / $30 non-members
Note: Class recordings will be sent out automatically to everyone who registered post-class. Thank you!

Meet the Instructor

Gina Roberti

Gina grew up exploring the wetlands and coastline of southern Rhode Island and then the rocky outcrops of New England through the earth science and geology program at Brown University. Gina’s passion for field-based education led her across the country, where she worked as a naturalist and educator in the Colorado Plateau, Snake River Plain, the Klamath-Siskiyou mountains, and the North Cascades. In each of these places, she taught thousands of youth and adults about earth science in a variety of field-based and classroom settings. She received a Master's in Education from Western Washington University in a joint program with The North Cascades Institute.

Gina currently lives in Portland, Oregon, where she works as an educator with the Mount St. Helens Institute coordinating field trips and teaching about community resilience and volcanic hazards. Gina strongly believes in the value of education to inspire awareness, appreciation, and stewardship of the natural world. When Gina’s not thinking about volcanoes, you’ll most often find her enjoying the company of birds, foraging native foods, and riding her bicycle.

Contact Gina

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