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 May 2026
| SunSunday | MonMonday | TueTuesday | WedWednesday | ThuThursday | FriFriday | SatSaturday |
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April 26, 2026
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April 27, 2026(1 event) – This month’s program will showcase Daniel Bernard’s year of birding across America. In 2025, Daniel Bernard embarked on a birding journey as crazy as it was unique: a quest to travel the entire country and see 100 species of birds in every single lower-48 state, meet up with local birders all across the country, and visit birding locales both legendary and unknown. This life-changing journey to explore the "People, Places, and Birds" of the American birding world saw Daniel living out of the back of his Subaru Crosstrek and would be filled with hardships and setbacks, but in the end - after travelling the farthest south, east, north, and west he'd ever been, birding with over 300 different birders across the country, and tallying 607 different species ─ Daniel would accomplish his goal of becoming perhaps the first person ever to see 100 species in every lower-48 state in a single year. Growing up the son of an avid birder and naturalist, Daniel Bernard has held a lifelong enthusiasm for biology and nature, but the particular passion of birding eluded him for most of his life. After finally caving and accompanying his dad to the Biggest Week in American Birding Festival at Magee Marsh in 2018, Daniel quickly took to the hobby with an obsessive passion, and in 2022 set out to do a Michigan "Big Year" during which he recorded 337 species in Michigan. We hope you'll join us on Monday, April 27th, at People's Church, 1758 North 10th Street, Kalamazoo. This program is geared toward all audiences, and we enthusiastically invite families and nature lovers of all ages to join us! Come at 6:30 PM (new time – half an hour earlier this year) for some refreshments and socializing. Snacks and beverages will be provided. It's helpful if you bring your own coffee cup. The one-hour program will start at 7:00 PM. Handicap parking and access is at either the front or the rear entrance of the building. We have a simultaneous Zoom link for those who can’t attend in person or feel uncomfortable doing so. This link is listed below and is in the ASK members' May newsletter. We will also be recording the meeting for later viewing. Zoom link to the presentation: |
April 28, 2026(1 event) – Continuing the years-long tradition of Tuesday morning trail walks, our weekly Kal-Haven Trail walks will be on Tuesdays at 9:00 AM in April and May, starting April 7. We will meet and start at the trailhead on North 10th Street between G and H Avenues. A few of us walk 2.5 miles to the usually very birdy marsh at 8th Street and then back for a total of 5 miles, but anyone can cut that short and turn around at any time. There will not be a “leader,” although someone will be keeping a species list. Feel free to arrange your own spotting or shuttling of cars. The Kal-Haven Trail walks are handicap accessible. If you would like to join an email group to be notified of the latest status of the walks or to discuss weather conditions, please email Donna Keller at askpresident@
Kal-Haven Trailhead |
April 29, 2026
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April 30, 2026
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May 1, 2026
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May 2, 2026(1 event) – Led by experienced birders from the Audubon Society of Kalamazoo. Free and open to the public. Meet at the first parking lot (instead of the usual second) 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. Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery |
May 3, 2026
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May 4, 2026
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May 5, 2026(1 event) – Continuing the years-long tradition of Tuesday morning trail walks, our weekly Kal-Haven Trail walks will be on Tuesdays at 9:00 AM in April and May, starting April 7. We will meet and start at the trailhead on North 10th Street between G and H Avenues. A few of us walk 2.5 miles to the usually very birdy marsh at 8th Street and then back for a total of 5 miles, but anyone can cut that short and turn around at any time. There will not be a “leader,” although someone will be keeping a species list. Feel free to arrange your own spotting or shuttling of cars. The Kal-Haven Trail walks are handicap accessible. If you would like to join an email group to be notified of the latest status of the walks or to discuss weather conditions, please email Donna Keller at askpresident@
Kal-Haven Trailhead |
May 6, 2026
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May 7, 2026
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May 8, 2026
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May 9, 2026(1 event) – Join the Grand Rapids Audubon Club and Audubon Society of Kalamazoo on May 9 for a morning of birding at Blandford Nature Center in Grand Rapids. With over 260 acres of preserved land and nearly eight miles of trails, Blandford offers a landscape shaped by glacial terrain. Blandford Nature Center includes mature hardwood forest, pine stands, wetlands, ponds, and streams, along with historic buildings and a working farm that reflect the area’s connection to the land. The trail system moves between these habitats and there is plenty to discover. Early May is one of the most active times to visit because the diversity of habitats supports a wide range of species. Warblers, vireos, orioles, grosbeaks, thrushes, and flycatchers are all commonly reported this time of year, often moving through in mixed flocks. As we make our way toward the Highlands, the landscape opens into meadow and grassland. The Highlands, once a golf course and now restored into a natural area, offers excellent habitat for species like Eastern Bluebird and Field Sparrow. There is a fully paved ADA-accessible trail that connects the Highlands parking area and the main Visitor Center at Blandford. Whether you’re joining for the birds, the scenery, or the community, this outing is open to all! Beyond birding, Blandford has plenty to explore. Visitors can stop into the Visitor Center to see live animal ambassadors such as birds of prey and reptiles, walk through the heritage village area, or visit the working farm with seasonal animals and gardens. Daily admission and more information can be found here. The trails themselves are free and open to the public. Meet at the main parking lot by the Visitor Center at Blandford Nature Center. We’ll start near the pond loop before heading out on the trails. ✅ASK participants and guests, please meet at the Oakland Drive/I-94 park & ride at 7:45am to join the caravan, or at Blandford Nature Center at 9am. Blanford Nature Center |
May 10, 2026
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May 11, 2026
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May 12, 2026(1 event) – Continuing the years-long tradition of Tuesday morning trail walks, our weekly Kal-Haven Trail walks will be on Tuesdays at 9:00 AM in April and May, starting April 7. We will meet and start at the trailhead on North 10th Street between G and H Avenues. A few of us walk 2.5 miles to the usually very birdy marsh at 8th Street and then back for a total of 5 miles, but anyone can cut that short and turn around at any time. There will not be a “leader,” although someone will be keeping a species list. Feel free to arrange your own spotting or shuttling of cars. The Kal-Haven Trail walks are handicap accessible. If you would like to join an email group to be notified of the latest status of the walks or to discuss weather conditions, please email Donna Keller at askpresident@
Kal-Haven Trailhead |
May 13, 2026
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May 14, 2026
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May 15, 2026
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May 16, 2026
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May 17, 2026
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May 18, 2026(1 event) – ASK 2026 Annual Meeting and Bird Walk! Join us Monday, May 18, at 6:15 pm at the White Pine Lodge in the Arthur & Mildred Woollam Nature Preserve for dessert and social time, followed by a brief business meeting at 6:30 pm to elect officers and board members for next year. Please bring your own beverage and, if you are able, a dessert to share. Immediately following the meeting, we will enjoy a bird walk around this new Kalamazoo County Preserve. For those with mobility issues, we will bird on an easy path of former gravel roads. For those who are able to navigate narrower paths with moderate inclines, we will view the active heron rookery on Scouters Pond. Woollam Nature Preserve Preserve Map: https://www.kalcounty. Mildred Woollam Nature Preserve |
May 19, 2026(1 event) – Continuing the years-long tradition of Tuesday morning trail walks, our weekly Kal-Haven Trail walks will be on Tuesdays at 9:00 AM in April and May, starting April 7. We will meet and start at the trailhead on North 10th Street between G and H Avenues. A few of us walk 2.5 miles to the usually very birdy marsh at 8th Street and then back for a total of 5 miles, but anyone can cut that short and turn around at any time. There will not be a “leader,” although someone will be keeping a species list. Feel free to arrange your own spotting or shuttling of cars. The Kal-Haven Trail walks are handicap accessible. If you would like to join an email group to be notified of the latest status of the walks or to discuss weather conditions, please email Donna Keller at askpresident@
Kal-Haven Trailhead |
May 20, 2026
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May 21, 2026
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May 22, 2026
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May 23, 2026
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May 24, 2026
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May 25, 2026
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May 26, 2026(1 event) – Continuing the years-long tradition of Tuesday morning trail walks, our weekly Kal-Haven Trail walks will be on Tuesdays at 9:00 AM in April and May, starting April 7. We will meet and start at the trailhead on North 10th Street between G and H Avenues. A few of us walk 2.5 miles to the usually very birdy marsh at 8th Street and then back for a total of 5 miles, but anyone can cut that short and turn around at any time. There will not be a “leader,” although someone will be keeping a species list. Feel free to arrange your own spotting or shuttling of cars. The Kal-Haven Trail walks are handicap accessible. If you would like to join an email group to be notified of the latest status of the walks or to discuss weather conditions, please email Donna Keller at askpresident@
Kal-Haven Trailhead |
May 27, 2026
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May 28, 2026
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May 29, 2026
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May 30, 2026(1 event) – We are inviting the Grand Rapids Audubon Club to this event, which will be our second collaboration, having been invited to their Blandford Nature Center event on May 9. We will have coffee and pastries to share. Join our organizations as we sample a variety of habitats within Allegan State Game Area, starting with some woodland birding along Swan Creek. We will hike 1-1.5 miles along Swan Creek, looking for warblers, flycatchers, and other woodland species in their breeding territories. After this, we will check the farm unit, hoping to find grassland species such as Bobolink and Grasshopper Sparrow. Hiking will be on fairly level dirt trails, with the remainder being roadside birding along both gravel and paved country roads. Mosquito repellent is advised, and sunscreen may be required. ✅ ASK participants and guests, meet at the Oakland Drive/I-94 park & ride at 8:15am to join the caravan, or at 9:00am in the Family Farm & Home parking lot, 1596 Lincoln Road, Allegan, where we will meet our Grand Rapids Audubon Club guests. Leaders: Kent Martin (256) 751-3358, Susan Creager, (269) Allegan State Game Area See Field Trip Discription |
May 31, 2026
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June 1, 2026
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June 2, 2026
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June 3, 2026
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June 4, 2026
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June 5, 2026
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June 6, 2026(1 event) – Led by experienced birders from the Audubon Society of Kalamazoo. Free and open to the public. Meet at the first parking lot (instead of the usual second) 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. Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery |