Recently, I had the opportunity to meet with Leslie Lowe of the Klamath Wingwatchers to learn about an exciting project they are working on along the Ken Hay Trail that starts from the Visitor Center and extends along the west side of Highway 97.
The trail is designed to allow people access to the local wetlands to view migratory birds who visit the area.
The Ken Hay Trail Project
The project on the Ken Hay Trail includes:
- Installation of an irrigation system
- Planting of native plants along the highway to provide essential habitat for the local species of wildlife
Wildlife Diversity
The native plants will support a variety of species including:
- Ducks and geese
- Red-winged blackbirds
- Yellow-headed blackbirds
- Marsh wrens
- Black-crowned night herons
— just to name a few.
The plants will also serve as a barrier for Highway 97 runoff — protecting the sensitive wetland habitat from automotive pollutants.
Project Funding and Community Support
The project has received grant funding from:
- The Mennen Foundation
- Klamath Basin NWR Complex Visitor Services
- Support from the local community of volunteers
- The City of Klamath Falls
That kind of multi-source funding partnership is exactly what makes long-term habitat restoration work financially sustainable.
Public Invitation to Participate
The Wingwatchers are inviting the public to participate in the planting of the new plants and installation of the irrigation system — planned to take place from May through October 2023.
Residents interested in participating in the improvement project or contributing to other work projects can contact Dave Potter at (541) 205-3293 to get more information.
For Klamath Basin families looking for multi-generational outdoor volunteer opportunities, the Wingwatchers' habitat-restoration work is ideal — kids learn native plants, parents contribute to community ecology, and the trail's improvements last for decades.
The Original Lake Ewauna Interpretive Trail
The original Klamath Wingwatchers Lake Ewauna Interpretive Trail — on the east side of Highway 97 across from Veterans Park — is a handicapped-accessible loop trail approximately 1.3 miles in length.
Trail Features
It offers a scenic view of Lake Ewauna, 2 wetland ponds, and riparian and upland habitat.
The trail can be accessed at the southern end of the Ken Hay trail — allowing visitors to walk the full Wingwatchers system from one continuous path.
The Klamath Wingwatchers organization has been responsible for developing the trail since 1992. Visitors can enjoy a leisurely walk or birdwatching along this beautiful trail.
The 2022 Mennen Foundation Grant
The 2022 Mennen Foundation grant for the Ken Hay Trail new entrance and wetland trail education project was completed August 2022 — in time for Wingwatchers 30th Anniversary celebration at Discover Klamath.
That 30-year milestone is significant. The Wingwatchers have been quietly building habitat, building trails, and building public education about Klamath Basin migratory birds for three decades — through every political and economic cycle, through droughts and snow years, through changing community priorities.
Key Trail Features
Some interesting key features of the trails include:
- A park bench dedicated to the League of Women Voters 100th Anniversary
- An eagle perch that provides a landing spot for Bald Eagles to fish Lake Ewauna
- Educational signs providing information for visitors
- Other park benches providing places for people to relax and enjoy the natural beauty
- Picnic benches at 3 spots
- 30 numbered posts placed at various plant species along the trail — corresponding with the plant identification brochure available at the beginning of each trail
That kind of layered visitor experience — birds + plants + educational signage + comfortable seating — turns a routine trail walk into an immersive natural-history experience.
Why the Klamath Basin Is a Bird Paradise
It is estimated that over 350 migratory bird species visit the area annually — including hundreds of Bald Eagles and other raptors.
The Klamath Basin Pacific Flyway — as it is known by many bird enthusiasts and environmental conservationists — is the largest migratory destination for Bald Eagles in the continental United States and is a very important habitat for their survival.
The Wingwatcher trail is an important site for both local and migrating Bald Eagles — providing an important safe haven for them to rest during their migratory journeys.
A Free Klamath Treasure
Both trails — the original interpretive loop and the Ken Hay extension — are:
- Free and open to the public
- Accessible from downtown Klamath Falls (across from Veterans Park)
- Year-round (with the most spectacular bird viewing in winter and migration seasons)
- Family-friendly with picnic spots, benches, educational signage
- Wheelchair-accessible on the main interpretive loop
For visitors and locals alike, the Wingwatchers trail system is one of the basin's most under-appreciated treasures.
How to Get Involved
Volunteer
Contact Dave Potter at (541) 205-3293 about:
- Planting events along the Ken Hay extension
- Trail maintenance days
- Educational signage installation
- Eagle-monitoring efforts
Donate
The Wingwatchers' work depends on grant funding plus community donations. Direct contributions fund:
- Native plant material
- Irrigation infrastructure
- Trail maintenance
- Educational programming
Visit
Walk the trail. Bring your kids. Bring binoculars. The educational signage will guide you through what you're seeing.
Best months for serious bird watching:
- December–February — wintering Bald Eagles, snow geese, tundra swans
- April–May — spring migration peak
- September–October — fall migration peak
A 30-Year Commitment
The Klamath Wingwatchers' work isn't dramatic. It's the slow, steady, multi-decade investment in building habitat, building trails, and building public connection to the basin's migratory birds.
That kind of work is what produces lasting ecological and cultural infrastructure.
Contact
Klamath Falls Wingwatchers Dave Potter — Project Lead · (541) 205-3293 Leslie Lowe — Outreach
Trail access at the Klamath Basin Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center and across from Veterans Park on Highway 97.
Thank You
To Klamath Falls Wingwatchers — to Leslie Lowe, Dave Potter, the board, the volunteers, the donors, and the grant funders — thank you for 30+ years of habitat and trail building.
To the Mennen Foundation, the Klamath Basin NWR Complex, and the City of Klamath Falls — thank you for supporting this work.
To the 350+ migratory bird species that pass through the basin each year — welcome back, every year.
The basin is your home. We're working to keep it that way.