KAS Monthly Program -
Live Speaker - Hybrid - Attend in person or via Zoom

Thursday, September 10th, 2026

Lights Out Kitsap & West Sound Wildlife Shelter with Live Wildlife Ambassadors

Kitsap Audubon President Kevin Eyer will highlight why Audubon’s "Lights Out" program is a critical, accessible initiative that allows everyone to help protect migrating birds. Each year, billions of birds travel north in the spring and south in the fall. The majority fly at night, using the stars and night sky to navigate their pathways. However, as they pass over urban areas, bright artificial lights and atmospheric sky glow disorient them, frequently leading to fatal collisions with buildings and windows.

Beyond direct collisions, artificial lighting poses another major threat by disrupting birds' migration routes. The disorientation causes birds to circle disoriented structures and call out in confusion, quickly depleting the essential energy reserves they need to complete their long journeys. Through the Lights Out program, simple actions to reduce unnecessary nighttime lighting can significantly lower these preventable fatalities and ensure safer passage for migratory wildlife.

Building on these conservation efforts, representatives from the West Sound Wildlife Shelter (WSWS)—the region's primary wildlife rehabilitation facility—will join the presentation alongside a few of their live Ambassador birds.

As WSWS provides expert, second-chance care to injured, sick, and orphaned local wildlife, they recognize that hands-on education is essential for long-term species protection. By sharing the stories of their permanent animal ambassadors, WSWS works to foster public awareness and empower the community to take direct action—from preventing bird-window strikes to advocating for habitat preservation and responding appropriately when vulnerable wildlife needs help.