Thank you, Al Larson
A legacy of generosity, unwavering dedication and inspiration
On July 22, 2025, a founding member of Golden Eagle Audubon Society, Al Larson, passed away at 103. Al said he rediscovered birds around age 44, in part from participating in the Nampa Christmas Bird Count. Since then, Al’s drive to support, protect, and enjoy birds helped Golden Eagle Audubon grow into a powerful local organization which has improved the lives of thousands. Al’s legacy runs long and deep. He was supremely generous in sharing his knowledge and time. Al had an unwavering dedication to birds – conserving them, educating people about them, and advocating for them. Al was, and will continue to be, inspirational.
Service to Golden Eagle Audubon
Golden Eagle Audubon Society started with informal conversations among Al and other birders in 1971. Their work to establish a formal birding group led to official recognition of Golden Eagle Audubon Society as a chapter of the National Audubon Society with eight counties: Ada, Boise, Canyon, Elmore, Gem, Payette, Owyhee, and Washington in 1972.
Al served on the Golden Eagle Audubon Board of Directors for 16 years in various roles, including president. He led his first field trip in 1977 and continued into 2019 – that’s 42 years of unwavering dedication leading field trips! Al took on the task of newsletter editor for eight years, which was 100 newsletters. Hilda, Al’s wife, did the typing and illustrations. For 12 years, starting in 1980, Al wrote a column about birds on the back page of the newsletter.
Al spoke with many groups (schools, garden clubs, etcetera) to help educate people about birds, including teaching Beginning Birding classes through Boise Community Education for 15 years. For at least 17 years, Al and Hilda participated in Christmas Bird Counts, and Al compiled the data for many years. In 1980, Al and Hilda started hosting the Golden Eagle Audubon annual picnic at Hilda’s ranch. This generosity continued for 31 years.
“Every June, GEAS scheduled a field trip and picnic with Al. We first hiked along Mores Creek and up Dunnigan Creek. Then we all drove to Hilda’s ranch where we enjoyed a picnic lunch and watched the flocks of hummingbirds at the feeders. After lunch, Al would lead a “forced march” up the hill behind the house. On one trip, Al noticed that I was struggling and since he was such a kind man, he came to me counseled me on the method hikers use to walk up Everest: “Put one foot in front of the other, rest, then lift the other foot and place it in front of the first.” Of course, it didn’t help my ego much that I was struggling to follow an eighty year old man! After we checked some bluebird boxes and hiked further, we always stopped to rest at a shady spot where Al had constructed a handy bench. With a sly grin he would pull a cooler from the bushes, where there was a supply of sodas. It was such a treat to share Al’s reward for following him up the hill.”
Bluebird Man
And of course, there were Al’s bluebirds. Al began providing nest boxes for bluebirds in 1978 and continued to do so into his last years. Volunteers continue maintaining the boxes. Al’s remote and often quiet work of providing for Mountain and Western Bluebirds did not go unnoticed. For decades, media outlets have featured his dedicated service to improve bluebird populations and share his knowledge about them. Along the way, Al was rightfully dubbed ‘The Bluebird Man.’ In 1990, the Idaho State legislature recognized Al for his bluebird trails. At that time there were 700 bluebird boxes in southwest Idaho. Al lobbied the state legislature to approve a non-game license plate with a Mountain Bluebird. His efforts came to fruition in 1993, and Al was awarded the first plate, reading “Sialis” the Latin name for the bluebird genus.
“I think some of the best days of my life were spent on the bluebird trail with Al. Holding baby bluebirds until Al could band them is a religious experience.”
Bluebird box monitors Frank Marsh and Ann Parry in 2025
Award-winning Conservationist
In 1985, then Golden Eagle Audubon Board president Jim Lyons presented Al with an award from Golden Eagle Audubon where Al is cited for, “...being a bird’s friend for all seasons.” In 1996, Al received the Bushnell Conservationist of the Year Award from the National Audubon Society.
Our monthly program in May 2019 was dedicated to honoring Al and his contribution to bluebirds and conservation. He was presented with the World Shining Leadership Award, which recognizes exemplary, generous, caring, and courageous individuals who inspire others.
“He is truly a man of this place. He should be recognized for his love of sharing what he knows with other people, trying to kindle their interest and love for the bluebirds and many other things.”
Larson Legacy Fund at Golden Eagle Audubon
The Larson Legacy Fund, established by the Golden Eagle Audubon Board of Directors in 2021, is an internally-administered fund dedicated to honoring and continuing Al and Hilda Larson’s environmental legacy through support of community science and conservation efforts in southwestern Idaho. To support our programs via the Larson Legacy Fund, visit the donation page on our website. When filling out the form, please let us know you'd like your gift to go into the Larson Legacy Fund. You may also mail a check to Golden Eagle Audubon, Box 8261, Boise ID 83707 and indicate your intentions on the check for the funds to go into the Larson Legacy Fund.
Golden Eagle Audubon has a rich history and promising future thanks to Al’s legacy of generosity, unwavering dedication and inspiration. Golden Eagle Audubon Board President Patti Guicheteau says, “I know that we can all work together to carry on Al’s legacy. Whether it is mile-by-mile or inch-by-inch, we can make this world a better place.”
Thanks to the following people for their contributions to our historical record and to this post:, Bruce Ackerman, Dondi Black, Cathy Eells, Colleen Harden, Susan Hazelton, Al Larson, Hilda Larson, Matt McCoy, Sue Norton, Lisa Reed, Jennifer Robbins-Smith, Patti Guicheteau, and Alex Takasugi.
Daggett Creek photo credit: Birding is Fun webpage