There’s a lot happening at Wild Cortes this summer.
“Come to Wild Cortes because it’s the coolest place on the island, literally and figuratively. Literally because we’re in the basement and it’s always cool here,” said co-curator Donna Collins.
Continue reading This Summer At Wild Cortes
The Cortes Island Museum has been sponsoring two birding events every year for the past two decades.* 2,873 birds were seen during the 2023 Christmas Bird Count, but this number would have been much higher if there were more participants.
“We can only go to a certain number of places where we know there will be birds, and that’s mostly along the coastline,” explained Laurel Bohart, a keen birder as well as co-curator of Wild Cortes.
Continue reading The 2023 Christmas Bird Count
Laurel Bohart and Donna Collins were the recipients of this year’s Jo Ann Green Award.
“We thought they encapsulated what the Joanne Green Award is about. We had a number of nominations, but we considered their’s to be the best because of all the work that they’ve done for Wild Cortes. They put in a lot of unseen work in the background to make the Wild Cortes exhibit the success it’s been, and they’re doing that as volunteers,” explained Helen Hall, Executive Director of the Friends of Cortes Island (FOCI).
Continue reading This year’s recipients of the Jo Ann Green Ward: Laurel Bohart and Donna Collins
The most recent addition to Wild Cortes may turn out to be a species that has not been seen on Cortes for close to 50 years. Or it could be a Horned grebe, which is said to be fairly common.
“It’s a Black-necked grebe. It’s possibly an adult molting, or it could be an immature. I believe it’s an adult male,” said Laurel Bohart, taxidermist and co-curator of Wild Cortes.
Continue reading Return of a bird species not seen on Cortes for 50 years? Or a Horned grebe?
The Southern Cortes Community Association (SCCA) estimate 500 people may have turned out for Cortes Day on Saturday, July 15, 2023.
Mike Manson, whose great uncle(1) and grandfather(2) were among the island’s first known European settler, remembers there were once two festivals.
Continue reading Cortes Day: Then and now
