Image by Pam Jackson
The Audubon Society of Kalamazoo’s (ASK) field trips are free and open to all. They are suitable for all skill levels, from beginner to advanced. Field trips allow participants to visit a wide variety of primarily local birding hotspots with knowledgeable leaders. Often, all members of the group work toward the goal of finding and seeing birds. ASK field trip leaders adhere to high ethical birding standards.
We recognize that there are barriers–financial, physical, and others–to birdwatching for some members of the greater Kalamazoo community. One way that we attempt to be inclusive is by providing binoculars for use during our field trips. Attendees needing to borrow binoculars are encouraged to contact the field trip leader by phone (see field trip description for phone number) at least one week in advance when possible. While not all field trip destinations are handicap accessible, we do attempt to schedule some field trips where people with mobility challenges can attend and include that information in the description. ASK is committed to making birding accessible to all, and we welcome suggestions, collaboration, and feedback.
ASK field trip descriptions are intended to give attendees a general idea of target species. Some field trips target just one or two species, but more often, we head out in search of what is there on a given day. Scouting by leaders in advance of field trips and well-chosen dates and locations usually result in satisfied birders.
Photo by Larry Wolf
Please note that ASK field trips occur in all kinds of weather except dangerous wind, rain, or cold. Our policy is that the leader(s) will go to the meeting point despite poor weather. Questions about dangerous conditions and whether a field trip will proceed can be directed to the leader whose phone number is provided in the field trip description and/or on our Facebook page. Reminder: We make every attempt to start trips at or very near the appointed time, so please don’t be late.
If you have any general questions about our field trips, please contact:
– Kent Martin at 269-751-3358, or
– Susan Creager at suec2546@nullyahoo.com.