April 2024 Program – The Birds Along My River: PADDLING WITH AN ACTION CAMERA TO GROW WHAT WE KNOW
Please follow this link to view the April presentation.
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Peregrine Falcon Nest Cam – Viewing Difficulty
We have heard from some people who are having difficulty accessing the Kalamazoo falcon nest cam. We have not been able to duplicate the problem so are offering some suggestions and a request for information in order to try and sort things out. Try to access the cam from the website home page (https://www.kalamazoofalcons.com/) and … Read more
March 2024 program – The Meadowlark Condundrum: Why Many of our Restored Grasslands May Not Have Grassland Birds
Please follow this link to view the March presentation
Beginning Birding walks
By Susan Schneider – February’s Beginning Birding Walk (BBW) was like January’s in that about 30 participants braved winter weather and enjoyed about 30 bird species. But there were some notable differences, too. Waterfowl were in, after January’s cold spell had iced up many local lakes. (Some of the hatchery’s ponds are always kept open.) … Read more
January 20th Field Trip Report
By Kent Martin – We had eleven energetic, motivated birders in caravan on a snowy Saturday afternoon, January 20, including a young grade-schooler from the Richland area who had done her homework and brought her parents along with a wish-liist of bird species. The group spanned a wide range in age and experience levels; several … Read more
WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY’S OSHER LIFELONG LEARNING INSTITUTE (OLLI) OFFERS COURSES TAUGHT BY ASK MEMBERS
Founded in 2011, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at WMU offers high quality non-credit programs for mature adults in the greater Kalamazoo community. This volunteer organization works with WMU emeriti, faculty, and staff to offer courses, events, and trips year-round. More information and registration can be found at their website https://wmich.edu/olli. Here are the OLLI courses being taught … Read more
January 2024 Program: Journey of an Ornithartist
Please follow this link to view the January presentation.
Report on the 2023 Kalamazoo Christmas Bird Count
By Russ Shipper – First, I want to thank everyone who participated in this, the 76th Kalamazoo Christmas Bird Count (CBC). Almost all were experienced observers and they are critical to the count. But, I hope that next year some new participants will try out attending a count. It was 124 years ago when the first … Read more
Volunteer Corner
There are many ways to be involved with Audubon Society of Kalamazoo. Below are some opportunities that we hope you will consider! Please email ask@kalamazooaudubon.org, specifying the opportunity or role in which you are interested. Birds and Blooms, Saturday, February 17, Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery ASK will be tabling at the Birds and Blooms event at … Read more
TRYING TO LEARN WARBLERS?
A video recommendation! ASK member Julie Richardson has found this YouTube video helpful in trying to learn warblers: Listening to Warblers. Enjoy!
January 2023 monthly Program video: BIRD CONSERVATION IN NICARAGUA – SHOREBIRDS, SHRIMP FARMS, AND THE GULF OF FONSECA
Please follow this link to view the January Program video.
The 122nd Christmas Bird Count in Michigan
By John L. Trapp The 122nd Christmas Bird Count (CBC) produced stellar results in Michigan, perhaps helped by relatively mild winter weather throughout the period of the count. Data was gathered from 75 circles, including 14 in the Upper Peninsula (UP), 25 in the Northern Lower Peninsula (NLP), and 36 in the Southern Lower Peninsula … Read more
October 2021 Audubon Society of Kalamazoo Presentation: BIRDSONG AND SOUNDSCAPES: LISTENING TO STORIES FROM NATURE
This week we hosted our first educational program of the fall featuring Dr. Sharon Gill, a Professor of Biological Sciences at WMU. She presented “Birdsong and Soundscapes: Listening to Stories From Nature.” Thank you, Dr. Gill, for sharing your research and perspectives on the importance of listening to nature and learning about the effects of … Read more
Application Period Is Open For BIPOC Research Grant
In an effort to support research being done by Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and to have more diversity in our speaker series line-up, the Audubon Society of Kalamazoo (ASK) is offering a $500 grant to a BIPOC researcher to support future research in the field of ornithology, biology or ecology. The program committee … Read more
ASK Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Committee Forming – Volunteers Needed
The ASK Board is committed to serving a membership that is as diverse as the birds that our organization reveres. To make that commitment a reality, the board is forming a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee. We hope to involve voices of as many underrepresented groups as possible: LGBTQ+, differently-abled, youth, people of color, … Read more
May 2021 Audubon Society of Kalamazoo Monthly Presentation Video: W.K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, Past and Present
At our May program Lisa Duke, Sanctuary Manager, gave us a virtual tour of the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary from its beginning in 1927 to the present. The sanctuary is a great place in Kalamazoo County not only for birding but also for general nature study. Well worth a visit. https://birdsanctuary.kbs.msu.edu If you missed the … Read more
Audubon Society of Kalamazoo 2021 Birdathon
The Audubon Society of Kalamazoo’s Birdathon team (Jan Shillito, Nate Strong, Kent Martin, and Donna Keller) is once again raising money for two great causes, and we hope you will consider supporting our team with a tax-deductible donation! You can pledge per species (we hope for something over 100 for the day) or just a total … Read more
March 2021 ASK Monthly Presentation Video: The Secret Lives of Salamanders
At our March virtual program Dr. Katherine Greenwald from Eastern Michigan University presented a fascinating program entitled “The Secret Lives of Salamanders,” the story of the evolution and ecology of unisexual Ambystoma salamanders. You can learn about her work at The Greenwald Lab at https://amphibs.net/. If you missed the program you can watch a video of her presentation … Read more
ASK Response to Senate Resolution 20
On March 2nd, the Audubon Society of Kalamazoo, along with a coalition of other Michigan conservation, animal and wildlife advocacy, and protection groups, sent a letter to the Senate Natural Resources Committee in opposition to Michigan Senate Resolution 20. This resolution designates the Sandhill Crane as a game species and establishes a Sandhill Crane hunting … Read more
Audubon Society of Kalamazoo February 2021 Presentation Video: The Great Avian Wanderers of the Antarctic: Albatross and other Pelagic Seabirds
We’ve gone virtual with our programming! If you weren’t able to join us for our February 2021 virtual program, “The Great Avian Wanderers of the Antarctic: Albatross and Other Pelagic Seabirds” please follow this link. https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/nCIE0e3xbZvq6HCO0DSIj3hyeXniubnkVR986eqes-8jqMMwH4cXK_U8U45bBQ_.glt6UvhvY0DYU1Ep
Audubon Society of Kalamazoo/Kalamazoo Area Wild Ones Joint January 2021 Presentation: Bumble Bees, Blossoms and Boots on the Ground: Propelling Pollinator Conservation Through Citizen Science
We’ve gone virtual with our programming! If you weren’t able to join us for our January 2021 virtual program, “Bumble Bees, Blossoms and Boots on the Ground: “Propelling Pollinator Conservation Through Citizen Science” please follow this link. https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/6VSxvuTx8aAhG3buMgNDidsVGTsQKaRGBmt4aWueemvSBvPQRz7_00N4Wn2AsY0Ki0CvJiA9voPD0dv.CTTrH9d728WDMvxLcontinueMode=true&_x_zm_rtaid=aATpehShSha3uiYQtw2Stg.1611841597101.bd1f8be2b36c1d767027edac9d80fe1e&_x_zm_rhtaid=98
Duck Stamp Time
It’s time again to buy your Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp – known by most as a “duck stamp.” This program was begun in 1934, and the money from the sale of the stamps has put over 6.5 million acres of wetlands into National Wildlife Refuges. The vast majority of purchasers have been … Read more
Audubon Society of Kalamazoo October 2020 Monthly Presentation via Zoom
We’ve gone virtual with our programming! If you weren’t able to join us for our first virtual program, “Kleinstuck Preserve – The History, Geology & Ornithology of a Community Gem,” please follow this link https://tinyurl.com/y5lgcse8.If you want to find out more about the preserve or how to help with their fundraising efforts, please visit their … Read more
Asylum Lake Preservation Association (ALPA) New Website
The Asylum Lake Preservation Association (ALPA) has recently developed a website with the goal of educating and informing the community about their efforts to preserve and protect the Asylum Lake Preserve. The Audubon Society of Kalamazoo (ASK) has been an ALPA partner organization for many years and has used Asylum Lake Preserve for field trips … Read more