Monthly Meeting Cancellation Policy
If the weather is questionable, please check the Audubon Society of Kalamazoo’s website (www.kalamazooaudubon.org) or the ASK Facebook page for a cancellation announcement of our monthly meetings.
Field Trip Cancellation Policy
Field trips and bird counts are held rain or shine; they are only cancelled in severe weather. Contact the leader listed or check the ASK Facebook page if conditions are questionable.
Events in February 2026
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- Monthly Beginning Birding Walks
Monthly Beginning Birding Walks Monthly Beginning Birding Walks
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February 7, 2026Led by experienced birders from the Audubon Society of Kalamazoo. Free and open to the public. Meet at the second parking lot at Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery in Mattawan, on County Road 652, just south off of M-43. All skill levels are welcome.
We enjoy nature while typically identifying 20-40 species of birds, plus butterflies, frogs, etc. Over 200 bird species have been sighted at Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery, which offers a variety of habitats and easy walking trails. Annual highlights include colorful songbirds like orioles, warblers, and tanagers, hawks and eagles, kingfishers, Great Blue and Green Herons, and over 20 species of waterfowl. Eastern Bluebirds can be found year-round! Children accompanying adults are welcome. The focus is on birding fundamentals, and extra binoculars are always available. For further information, see www.kalamazooaudubon.org. The walk typically takes about 2 hours (but feel free to arrive late or leave early).
Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery -
- Great Backyard Bird Count - Fieldtrip! and 1 other event
Great Backyard Bird Count - Fieldtrip! Great Backyard Bird Count - Fieldtrip!
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February 14, 2026Saturday, February 14, 10:00am-1:00pm – Great Backyard Bird Count, Portage Creek Bicentennial Park
The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is an annual worldwide effort to connect people with birds – see https://www.birdcount.org for additional information. (This year’s GBBC spans February 13-16.) We’ll walk 1-2 miles on paved trails, building an eBird list which will be our contribution to this worldwide data collection event. We will meet for birding at the parking lot off of Milham Drive (910 E. Milham Ave., Portage, MI 49024) at 10:00 am.
Dress warmly!Leaders: Kent Martin (256) 751-3358, Susan Creager (269) 716-7988
Portage Creek Bicentennial ParkThis Event Has Been Canceled! Birds & Blooms: Valentine's Edition This Event Has Been Canceled! Birds & Blooms: Valentine's Edition
February 14, 2026Due to water damage at the Fish Hatchery, Birds & Blooms is canceled. ASK will still host a Great Backyard Bird Count, but at a different time and location! Follow this link to learn more!
Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery -
- Program - Birds and Climate Change: An Update on Progress
Program - Birds and Climate Change: An Update on Progress Program - Birds and Climate Change: An Update on Progress
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February 23, 2026The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that humanity has only four years to cut global greenhouse gas emissions nearly in half, and the consequences of failure are dire - for us and for the natural world. Birds are already feeling the heat, and examples will be shared. Anyone who’s done a Christmas Bird Count or submitted to eBird has helped document climate-related changes in bird distribution, migration, and nesting. Climate initiatives from Audubon include National’s award-winning climate action guide and webpage, and many local chapter efforts. Good news is that quite a few proven climate solutions are available, already having an impact. But they need to be implemented, and everyone can help with that. We can make a difference for ourselves, the birds we love, and our irreplaceable living planet.
Our speaker and ASK Board member, Dr. Susan Schneider, has served on the boards of four Audubon chapters and been president of two. Her years of experience in climate change work include outreach, community projects, organizing, academic and nonacademic publications, and extensive public speaking. As Senior Scientist for the sustainability nonprofit Root Solutions, Schneider helped design projects, and coauthored two chapters in the organization’s guidebook, Making Shift Happen: Designing for Successful Environmental Behavior Change. Recent outreach includes a podcast for the Union of Concerned Scientists and a monthly “green psychology” blog. Schneider’s award-winning book for the public, The Science of Consequences, covers basic learning principles and their broad range of applications, including sustainability. Schneider is on the faculty at Western Michigan University and serves on its Climate Change Working Group. She also serves on the Tools of Change Landmark Peer Review Panel for Climate Change, a psychology for sustainability board, and the board of the nonprofit Green Driving America.