Yachats, OR. — Bird City Yachats (BCY) will officially launch its designation as an Oregon Bird City on March 1 at 1:30 p.m. at the Yachats Lions Hall, where Bird City Oregon representatives will present the certification to the Mayor of Yachats.
The celebration will include a presentation titled “Taking Refuge on the Oregon Coast,” highlighting the history of Oregon’s coastal wildlife refuges and their role in protecting critical seabird nesting habitat.
In fall 2025, Yachats became the first community on the Pacific Coast to receive the Oregon Bird City designation. The certification recognizes cities that take measurable steps to protect birds and their habitats. Yachats joins more than 300 communities nationwide participating in the Bird City Network.
Bird City Yachats is sponsored by the Yachats Lions Club, which has served Yachats and South Lincoln County since 1950. The club supports a range of community efforts, including vision and hearing assistance, school programs, scholarships, food pantry donations, and conservation projects. It is part of Lions Clubs International, a worldwide service network of 1.4 million members.
A local steering committee has been established to guide BCY initiatives aimed at protecting and promoting wildlife. Projects include educational programs such as speaker series and guided bird walks, marketing efforts to position Yachats as a birding destination, and practical conservation measures to reduce threats to birds.
Among those threats are bird-window collisions, which kill millions of birds annually. BCY has worked with the city manager to incorporate bird-safe window treatments in the new pavilion to minimize strikes. Volunteers, in partnership with Seven Capes Bird Alliance, have also surveyed 24 state parks in Lincoln County and identified more than 150 open pipes that can trap birds, with plans underway to cap them.
BCY recently launched a website and has made birding information available at the Yachats Visitor Center. This month, the group will unveil a photo exhibition of local birds and wildlife in the children’s section of the new Yachats library.
Community members seeking more information can contact Lion Jim Welch at 970-217-4424 or jameswelch1009@gmail.com.
About the Author
Discover more from Right Now Oregon
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
