Outdoors events: Bird count, hiking and more

Mushrooms: Langdon Cook, author of “The Mushrooms Hunters,” will be speaking about his book in Seattle on Wednesday. I took a class with him once and he’s knowledgeable and engaging. Get more details here.

Solstice: Cama Beach State Park is offering a winter solstice program on Saturday. Watch “Forest for the Trees,” a photo presentation celebrating forests, accompanied by poetry and violin music. If visitors are interested, a short hike will follow the presentation. Call 360-913-0253 for more information.

Talk a walk: Guided walks are offered on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Jan. 26 at Rockport State Park off of Highway 20. The interpretive hikes travel through thick forest to the river, where you may see eagles. There’s also a visitor center nearby that offers family friendly activities. Get more info here.

County birds: The Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count is Saturday in the Edmonds area. Less experienced birders can be paired with those with more experience. If you’d like to participate, get more info here.

Winged Migration: Learn about birds around the world in the beautiful documentary “Winged Migration.” The film is being shown at the Northwest Stream Center at 7 p.m. on Friday. It’s free, but you need to call 425-316-8592 to register. Get more info here.

Go for a hike: Go for a hike for New Year’s Day. On Jan. 1, there will be hikes at 15 Washington state parks. The nearest hikes for Snohomish and Island county folks are at Wallace Falls, Cama Beach, Camano Island, Ebey’s Landing and Deception Pass state parks. Get more info here.

PCT record holder: Heather Anderson, who hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in 60 days, 17 hours and 12 minutes, will speak at an event in Bellevue on Jan. 9. The event is $10 in advance, $13 at the door. It’s a fundraiser for the Snohomish County Helicopter Rescue Team. The helicopter team is trying to raise money as a major source of funding runs out. Get more information about the event here.

Western bluebirds: Learn about the reintroduction of the western bluebird at an Audubon event on Jan. 10. Gary Slater will speak about the effort in Everett. Get more info here.

Snowshoe for free: Try out snowshoeing on Jan. 11 with the Mountaineers. They will lead short tours on Snoqualmie Pass. Registration is requested. Get more info here.

Backcountry film festival: See 10 independent films that celebrate the joys of the outdoors in winter. The Winter Wildlands Alliance Backcountry Film Festival is Jan. 10 in Seattle. Tickets are $12 ($10 for Mountaineers members.)

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