About Us

 

Spotted Sandpiper. Photo by Ken Miracle.

Who We Are

Golden Eagle Audubon Society (GEAS) is Southwest Idaho’s chapter of the National Audubon Society, based in Boise, Idaho. We offer birding trips for all ages, monthly educational presentations, community science programs, and the New Roots Program for refugee youth, as well as conservation and restoration of public lands. GEAS is dedicated to offering a majority of our programming for free and open to the public.

Our Mission

Golden Eagle Audubon Society 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.

Burrowing Owl. Photo by Verdon Tomajko/Audubon Photography Awards.

Leadership

Visit our Contact page if you would like to connect with a member of our staff or Board of Directors!

Staff

Cynthia Wallesz: Executive Director

Danae Fails: Boise River ReWild Project Coordinator

Liz Paul: Program Coordinator

Danae, Cynthia and Liz

Board of Directors

Dan Salemi: President

Lisa Reed: Immediate Past-President, Governance Chair

John White: Treasurer, Finance Chair

Sam Bellis: Idaho Young Birders Club contact, At-large

Martha Brabec: At-large

Louisa Evers: Education Committee Chair, Field Trip Leader, At-large

Karen Fullen: At-large, Habitat Patch Adviser

Patti Guicheteau: At-large, Field Trip Leader

Jo Anne Lafferty: At-large, Field Trip Leader

Sierra Laverty: Development Chair, At-large

Jon Mathews: At-large, Presenter

Kelsey Tatton: Advocacy Committee Chair, At-large

Abby Urbanek: At-large

Additional Leadership

Sam Bellis: Idaho Young Birders Club Leadership

Danette Henderson: Coffee Club Coordinator

Sean Finn: Native Plant Network Founder & Director, Past President, Manager for Boise River ReWild Project

 

Cedar Waxwing. Chip Gross/Audubon Photography Awards.

Board of Directors

Community Partnerships

Golden Eagle Audubon is a highly collaborative nonprofit organization. Much of what we accomplish is possible because of our caring and connected community.

  • Golden Eagle Audubon commits to assisting the City of Boise in maintaining and improving the Warm Springs Park and east section of the Bethine Church Nature Trail through multiple volunteer efforts each year.

    From weeding to spreading mulch, to cleaning up litter, and wrapping trees to protect them from beavers, we partner to make an impact!

  • The Idaho Wildlife Federation (IWF) is a statewide conservation nonprofit that advocates for Idaho’s fish and wildlife, habitat, and outdoor heritage. By being an affiliate of IWF, we are able to amplify our voice on behalf of birds.

  • The City of Boise Parks and Recreation, Idaho Fish and Game, and Golden Eagle Audubon are the coordinating partners for the Boise Area City Nature Challenge. This community science initiative takes place over four days in the spring and is part of a friendly global competition to help capture biodiversity while engaging people in nature. Check out the global results!

  • Bird by Bird is an educational program supported by GEAS, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, USFWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, Partners in Flight, Idaho Department of Fish and Game's Watchable Wildlife Program, Bureau of Land Management, Wild Birds Unlimited, and Land Trust of the Treasure Valley.

  • The Idaho Bird Conservation Partnership (IBCP) is a cooperative of state and federal agencies, nonprofits, the private sector, and anyone interested in the science, outreach, and conservation of birds and their habitats in Idaho. This partnership also contributes to high-priority regional and continental bird objectives aligned with national and state initiatives. Participation in the partnership is open to all—feel free to attend the twice-a-year meetings!

  • The Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Idaho Botanical Garden, and Golden Eagle Audubon are partners in the Sagebrush-Steppe Chapter of the Idaho Master Naturalists. The Idaho Master Naturalist Program aims to develop a corps of well-informed volunteers to actively work toward stewardship of Idaho’s natural environment and has nine chapters throughout the state.