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.
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
Board of Directors
Dan Salemi: President
Lisa Reed: Immediate Past-President, Governance Chair
John White: Treasurer, Finance Chair
Sam Bellis: Secretary, Idaho Young Birders Club contact
Martha Brabec: At-large
Louisa Evers: Education Committee Chair, Field Trip Leader, At-large
Karen Fullen: At-large, Habitat Patch Adviser, Advocacy Committee chair
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
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
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.
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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!
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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!
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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.