The annual Swifts Night Out event at the Frank Wagner Elementary School in Monroe will return on Saturday, Aug. 19 from 4 p.m. until dusk. Nature lovers, community groups and families can enjoy an evening on the lawn to watch the Vaux’s Swifts descend into their evening chimney roost at the school. While waiting for the swifts to appear around sunset, there will be children’s activities, vendor booths and a presentation available in the Wagner Center auditorium.

The Pilchuck Audubon Society invites you to make a night of it and plan to have dinner with food and beverages from the 911 Grub food truck.

Vaux’s Swifts roost in hollowed out old-growth trees; however, with fewer old-growth trees available, they have taken to roosting in man-made chimneys. In 2007, the Pilchuck, Seattle and Eastside Audubon chapters worked together to save the old brick chimney at Frank Wagner Elementary School from demolition. The chimney is a critical migratory stopover for the swifts, hosting more than 20,000 swifts on its busiest nights. As a result, the chimney is designated as a globally Important Bird Area and the Vaux’s Swift is the official bird of Monroe.

Pilchuck Audubon Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization serving Snohomish County and Camano Island, with a mission to conserve and restore natural ecosystems focusing on birds and other wildlife for the benefit of the earth’s biological diversity. Learn more at www.pilchuckaudubon.org.