by Alex Juchems

Bird populations are on the decline as reported in the 2025 US State of the Bird report. The report describes how 229 bird species in the US are at a critical point, requiring immediate conservation to avoid extinction. At the same time, insect species worldwide are declining at an alarming rate of 9% each decade as reported in the journal Science. The journal also reported that over the last 150 years, the world has lost up to 10% of insect species which equates to 500,000 species that have gone extinct on our watch.

The relationship of these two trends, and how one birder’s journey to moth enlightenment offers hope that we can reverse the decline of both birds and insects, is what our speaker Alex Juchems will share at the September 15th Rainier Audubon meeting.

Alex has been a member of Rainier Audubon Society for nearly 25 years. He has served RAS as a Board member, Christmas Bird Count coordinator, and Bird-a-thon coordinator. Most recently Alex provided field support for Puget Sound Bird Observatory’s shore bird surveys as part of the Nature Conservatory’s estuary study at Port Susan Bay near Stanwood, Washington.

He is also one of many RAS birders assisting PSBO in collecting data for their secretive bird surveys. He is currently serving on the Board of the Foothills Trail Coalition, providing habitat conservation support along the 22-mile trail. He lives and gardens with his family in Bonney Lake.

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