Ron Sanford, a professional photographer for over thirty years, who, along with his wife Nancy, has traveled the world taking photos for many hundreds of calendars and magazines including National Geographic, Audubon and National Wildlife, will present a slide show on Alaskan wildlife entitled "The Alaska You Might Have Missed."  It provides a comfortable alternative to something between a cruise ship and a kayak exploration of Alaska. With a thousand islands and ten thousand miles of edge this is truly the last 'best wild place' remaining on earth, containing hundreds of whales, thousands of bears (and even more eagles). Ron presents it in a show-and-tell fashion with room for lots of questions.  Come join us at Conference Room #1, City of Chico Municipal Center, 421 Main Street, from 6:30 to 9 p.m.  This is an incredible journey you don't want to miss!

February General Meeting – February 20, 2006, Chico Creek Nature Center

Jackson Shedd, (local author and wildlife artist as well as current Director and Past-President of the Altacal Audubon Society) presented a beautifully photographed and informative electronic slide show on the Chico area’s herpetofauna (amphibians and reptiles), their evolutionary relationship to birds, their importance and role in ecology, our declining species, and why he wrote the book "Amphibians and Reptiles of Bidwell Park."  The audience responded with questions and comments during the fascinating session.  Jackson also had some of his beautiful paintings of herpetofauna on display.  Earlier, Mike Fisher, Altacal co-Vice-President, announced upcoming field trips and elicited bird sightings from attendees.  Helen Beall reported on, and recommended, a book entitled “The Big Year, by Bob Obmascik, and Dawn Garcia informed the group of an ambitious (Butte, Glenn and Tehama counties) Burrowing Owl nesting-site study she is heading.  She passed around a volunteer sign-up sheet and requested that anyone interested contact her at mel.dawn@sbcglobal.net .