Author Archives: Allison Vaughn

Note from the President

Greetings one and all. I hope this finds you well and ready for another great year of opportunities with Columbia Audubon Society. Whether you just want to go birding, learn about birds or contribute to improving habitat for birds we’ve got you covered.  Plan to join us at our Fall picnic on Sunday, Sept. 28th

Nature Area Plans for 2025-2026

After a very productive year, the Nature Areas Committee hopes to maintain momentum toward our objectives at our three Nature Areas: Columbia Audubon Nature Sanctuary (CANS), Wild Haven Nature Area, and Albert Wildlife Area. Our strategy will be to identify high priority projects for each nature area and schedule monthly work days throughout the year.

CAS Wins Award from the Missouri Invasive Plant Council for work on Invasives

CAS was recently awarded the Organization of the Year for Invasive Plant Control from the Missouri Invasive Plant Council! This prestigious award recognizes all of the hard work our Nature Areas Committee and volunteers conduct through the year. Visiting CANS and Wild Haven that have active exotic species management programs ongoing is certainly different from

Monarch Tagging at Bonnie View Nature Sanctuary

Monarchs are one of North America’s best-known butterflies, and every year, hundreds of millions of Monarchs migrate south to overwinter in Mexico. This phenomenal migration is one of the longest migrations of any insect, and Monarchs can travel up to a total of 3,000 miles to their destination. If you want to learn more about Monarch butterflies and get

Update on Eagle Bluffs CA Water Management Plan

Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area alters construction plan ahead of waterfowl hunting season These adjustments allow for adequate water management to provide hunting, wildlife viewing, and bird migration opportunities on the area. COLUMBIA, Mo. – Construction efforts are well underway at Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area (CA) in Boone County. Since April, area use has been altered due

August CAS Board Member Meeting Minutes

Columbia Audubon Society Board of Directors Meeting Wednesday August 20, 2025 Columbia Public Library Present:  Lottie Bushmann, Vickie Park, Reed Gerdes, John Besser, Eric Seaman, Eric Woods, Allison Vaughn Meeting called to order: 6:06 pm Previous minutes:     Reed Gerdes moves to accept the June 2025 minutes as written.     Eric Woods seconds the motion.  Motion carries.

Tuesday, August 19, 2025

Gans Creek Recreation Area Biodiversity Webinar

6:30pm

Join us for a program on August 19,2025 at 6:30 PM via Zoom. David Diamond and Mike Currier will talk to us about the complexity, bio-diversity, geophysical settings and connectivity of Gans Creek Recreation Area South, and the opportunity to conserve these natural features. They will also discuss the tenants of preserve design, and fundamentals

Field Trip to A.L. Gustin Golf Course, a setting of natural communities

Twenty-four CAS members joined host Issac Breuer, Course Superintendent, for the June 16 field trip at the University of Missouri’s  A.L. Gustin Golf Course.  This was the third field trip at the golf course in a series begun at Mr. Breuer’s invitation a year ago as a kick-off to International Pollinators Week. In addition to

CAS and Missouri Conservation Corps Fieldtrip

Now that the cool, birdy spring mornings are past for this year, we can look back at highlights like the May 6 bird walk at ‘Kiwanis Park — the third annual event co-sponsored by Missouri Conservation Corps. Missouri Conservation Corps and Columbia Audubon Society teamed up on May 6, 2025 for their third annual guided

Thursday and Friday, August 21-22, 2025

Registration is Live for MoBCI Conference!

5:00 PM

The Annual Missouri Bird Conservation Initiative Conference will be held August 21-22 at the Columbia Country Club. This is a great event in a lovely setting with the theme of how maintaining natural communities for birds requires ongoing maintenance, something our Nature Areas Committee knows all too well! Thursday night will host the keynote speaker,

Birding and Habitat Walk at Prairie Fork: June 14

Columbia Audubon members have been invited to a hike at Prairie Fork on June 14, 8:30-11:00am. See the link for more details. https://extension.missouri.edu/events/birding-and-habitat-walk

Note from the President

Hi all. I hope you’re able to get out to see a few migrants and enjoy the season. I had the pleasure of seeing wood duck hatchlings in a line behind momma in the same water with the nesting Canada goose pair with 6 babies. It always makes me feel more hopeful to see new

Happenings at Wild Haven Nature Area

In January, CAS hired a stewardship worker, Davyn Orcutt, on a temporary basis to help eliminate invasives at WH and other CAS properties.  Much progress has been made at Wild Haven.  Davyn, with the help of CAS volunteers has  created quite a few very large Autumn Olive brush piles to burn this winter, especially below

Missouri Conservation Corps Family Day with a Nest Success Search Event

Missouri Conservation Corps will be hosting a Family Day called Nest Success on Saturday, May 31, from 10 am until Noon at the C.K. Odor Shelter located at Kiwanis Park. Join MCC naturalist Laura Semken for this interactive event that will explore how birds keep their nestlings safe and well fed. You will get to hear

Note from the President

Spring has finally sprung!  I love seeing the daffodils and crocuses, along with all the buds on the trees. Bird activity has certainly picked up, and the migrants are continuing to drop in. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for another migratory season of confusing and exhilarating bird song. Every year it takes

Columbia Audubon Society wins Conservation Organization of the Year Award

On March 7, several members of CAS traveled to the Lodge of the Four Seasons for the Conservation Federation of Missouri’s Annual Convention to receive the Conservation Organization of the Year Award. President Lottie Bushmann gave a charming accceptance speech that left the audience laughing at one of her stories about a classroom situation of

Wednesday, May 21, 2025

May 21 CAS Picnic: 5:30PM

5:30pm

Come join us for socializing, favorite bird stories, a shared meal, and opportunities to hike/bird Bonnie View. END of CAS CALENDAR  YEAR –  MAY POTLUCK PICNIC  will be held afternoon/evening of Wednesday May 21, 2025 at the Bonnie View Nature Sanctuary Shelter off of W. Rollins. CAS will provide Table Settings and Ice. *NOTE! * Please

Exploring the Avian World of Antiquity: Two Talks by Dr. Alicia Dissinger

Are you fascinated by the connections between art, archaeology, and birds? Mark your calendars for two upcoming presentations by Dr. Alicia Dissinger – an expert on ancient Cyprus, its remarkable artistic traditions, and the roles that birds played in them. Both talks are free and open to the public, and each offers a distinct glimpse

Missouri Birding Challenge Begins May 1!

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS),the Missouri River Bird Observatory (MRBO), and the Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation (MCHF) invite both new and experienced birders to join the first ever Missouri Birding Challenge — May 1-15! Missouri Birding Challenge participants will compete alone or on a team in different

Draft Columbia Audubon Society Board of Directors Meeting Wednesday March 19, 2025 Meeting conducted at Boone Electric Cooperative   Present:  Lottie Bushmann, Lori Turner, Emma Buckingham, Vickie Park, Greg Leonard, Reed Gerdes, Shelby Thomas, John Besser, Bill Mees, Eric Seaman, Eric Woods Meeting called to order: 6:00 pm Previous minutes:    Greg Leonard moves to accept

Article with CAS Representing on the Big Business of Birding

Here’s a nice article several CAS members contributed to last year on the economic impact of birding: https://www.missouribusinessalert.com/industries/booming-birding-business-spurs-spending-encourages-conservation-in-missouri/article_921f6230-e8c8-11ef-a458-3314da13ea2f.html

Note from the President

Happy almost spring! We’ve almost made it out of this very cold winter. In no time, migrants will be filling the woods with their songs, as they head north or stay with us to nest. This year winter seemed to linger, didn’t she? Have you heard the phrase “standing on the shoulders of giants”? I

CAS wins Prestigious Conservation Organization of the Year from the Conservation Federation of Missouri

On March 7th, CAS will be accepting the Conservation Organization of the Year Award from the Conservation Federation of Missouri. Here’s how we “toot our own horn!” from the nomination that Bill Mees and others wrote! Nominee Information for Conservation Organization of the Year Nominee Name:  Columbia Audubon Society Address:  PO Box 1313, Columbia Missouri

Be Heard! Ordinance on Feral Cats in Columbia

The Columbia/Boone County Board of Health, at the direction of City Council, has begun reviewing Chapter 5 – Animals and Fowl(External link) of the City of Columbia Code of Ordinances. The Board will host a series of public meetings to review potential changes to the ordinances. The first meeting will be held on Thursday, March 13, at the

Monday, March 24, 2025

Final Volunteer Work Day for Invasives at Wild Haven

TBD

CAS volunteers continue to work with Davyn Orcutt, who has been hired to control invasive plants at the Wild Haven nature area. Davyn worked on Sundays and Mondays during February as weather permitted. We expect warmer weather soon and we hope to recruit volunteers to work with Davyn on his remaining work days: March 2, 3, 9,

Sunday, March 23, 2025

Volunteer Work Day for Invasive Species at Wild Haven Nature Area

TBD

CAS volunteers continue to work with Davyn Orcutt, who has been hired to control invasive plants at the Wild Haven nature area. Davyn worked on Sundays and Mondays during February as weather pertmitted. We expect warmer weather soon and we hope to recruit volunteers to work with Davyn on his remaining work days: March 2, 3, 9, 10,

Monday, March 17, 2025

Volunteer Work Day for Invasive Species at Wild Haven

TBD

CAS volunteers continue to work with Davyn Orcutt, who has been hired to control invasive plants at the Wild Haven nature area. Davyn worked on Sundays and Mondays during February as weather pertmitted. We expect warmer weather soon and we hope to recruit volunteers to work with Davyn on his remaining work days: March 2, 3, 9, 10,

Sunday, March 16, 2025

Volunteer Work Day at Wild Haven for Invasive Species

TBD

CAS volunteers continue to work with Davyn Orcutt, who has been hired to control invasive plants at the Wild Haven nature area. Davyn worked on Sundays and Mondays during February as weather pertmitted. We expect warmer weather soon and we hope to recruit volunteers to work with Davyn on his remaining work days: March 2, 3, 9, 10,

Monday, March 10, 2025

Volunteer Workday at Wild Haven for Invasive Species

TBD

CAS volunteers continue to work with Davyn Orcutt, who has been hired to control invasive plants at the Wild Haven nature area. Davyn worked on Sundays and Mondays during February as weather pertmitted. We expect warmer weather soon and we hope to recruit volunteers to work with Davyn on his remaining work days: March 2, 3, 9, 10,

Sunday, March 9, 2025

Volunteer Workday for Invasive Species at Wild Haven

TBD

CAS volunteers continue to work with Davyn Orcutt, who has been hired to control invasive plants at the Wild Haven nature area. Davyn worked on Sundays and Mondays during February as weather pertmitted. We expect warmer weather soon and we hope to recruit volunteers to work with Davyn on his remaining work days: March 2, 3, 9, 10,

Monday, March 3, 2025

Volunteer Work Day for Invasive Species at Wild Haven Nature Area

TBD

Volunteers Needed for Invasives Control at Wild Haven During March   CAS volunteers continue to work with Davyn Orcutt, who has been hired to control invasive plants at the Wild Haven nature area. Davyn worked on Sundays and Mondays during February as weather pertmitted. We expect warmer weather soon and we hope to recruit volunteers to work with

Sunday, March 2, 2025

Volunteer Work Day at Wild Haven for Invasive Species

TBD

CAS volunteers continue to work with Davyn Orcutt, who has been hired to control invasive plants at the Wild Haven nature area. Davyn worked on Sundays and Mondays during February as weather pertmitted. We expect warmer weather soon and we hope to recruit volunteers to work with Davyn on his remaining work days: March 2, 3, 9, 10,

Volunteer for Invasive Species Work Days at Wild Haven!

CAS volunteers continue to work with Davyn Orcutt, who has been hired to control invasive plants at the Wild Haven nature area. Davyn worked on Sundays and Mondays during February as weather pertmitted. We expect warmer weather soon and we hope to recruit volunteers to work with Davyn on his remaining work days: March 2, 3, 9, 10,

CAS Wins Conservation Organization of the Year from CFM!

CAS has been a member of the Conservation Federation of Missouri for several years now. This membership allows individuals and other organizations to recognize that CAS is committed to conservation issues in Missouri. Last week, we learned that CAS won Conservation Organization of the Year from CFM, an award we will accept at the CFM

Note from the President

Hi all, I hope this finds you well and enjoying this lovely reprieve in the formidable winter ice and temperatures. I hope you’re able to get out and enjoy this beautiful weather. As always, Columbia Audubon has lots of ways for you to fill your time starting with a hike this weekend with Eric and

CACHE-SPARKS Bird Checklist Needs

With the funds MBS earns participating in the CACHE/SPARKS agreements with the Missouri Department of Conservation and Missouri State Parks we are able to participate as funding partners in many MBS Partnership Projects. Special emphasis has been placed on encouraging birders to visit parks and conservation areas with few reports and to those with fewer than

Volunteer Call for Invasives Work at Wild Haven

CAS has hired a short-term contractor for control of invasive plants at Wild Haven nature area. For the next couple months, Davyn Orcutt will be working at Wild Haven on Sundays and Mondays. Our goal is to recruit one or more CAS volunteers to work with Davyn on each of the planned work days. By helping with

Missouri Birding Challenge Goes Live!

Missouri Birding Challenge… Get Ready For It!  The Missouri Department of Conservation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Missouri River Bird Observatory and the Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation invite both new and experienced birders to join the first ever Missouri Birding Challenge, May 1–15, 2025. Learn more about the Challenge and related topics at the Missouri Birding Challenge website. Full Challenge rules

Decoy Collection Conference: March 1, 2025 Runge Nature Center

The Missouri Decoy Collectors is a group of individuals from around the State of Missouri and adjacent States who gather each year at the Missouri Department of Conservation’s Runge Nature Center to both study and exchange historic waterfowl decoys.  Their focus is largely to duck, goose, and other decoys that have been made in the

Blind Bird-A-Thon: May 18, 2025

Save the Date: Blind Birder Bird-a-Thon 2025 What: The Blind Birder Bird-a-Thon is a 24-hour birding event designed for participation by birders who are legally blind. This inaugural event encourages participants to identify as many bird species as possible by sound (or sight as able), celebrating accessibility and the joy of birding. Who: Any legally blind individual in the

Note from the President

Happy New Year! I hope that you enjoyed the holidays in whatever way you celebrate and that you were surrounded by those you love (and that could be birds…just saying).  There is much to celebrate within our chapter and you can read all about it in this month’s Chat. The Christmas Bird Count had a

CoMoGives Comes to a Close: Thank You All!

It is hard to put into words what it means to the CAS board that so many members, neighbors, friends and family members donated during this holiday season to help us reach our goal of raising $10,000. THANK YOU, THANK YOU for taking the time out of your busy schedule during the most hectic time

Christmas Bird Count Report

The annual Columbia Christmas Bird Count was held December 15, 2024. After much concern about the forecast for rain on Saturday, we postponed the count to Sunday but held the Chili Dinner as scheduled, on Saturday evening. The dinner was well-attended (and delicious!) and Sunday brought much better weather for the count. Early morning drizzle

Bill Mees and CANS featured in the News

Bill Mees and all of his dedication to the Columbia Audubon Nature Sanctuary was featured in the paper this week. See the video here: https://www.columbiamissourian.com/dedicated-conservationist-helps-restore-columbia-audubon-nature-sanctuary/article_4f76bb6a-c481-11ef-a17a-1b57702fd92e.html

Note from the President

Hi all! I hope this finds you well and looking forward to the change in seasons. Before I became a birder, I dreaded what I considered the drabness of winter. I couldn’t have been more mistaken. Where I once saw a field of “dead” plants I now see habitat and so much life. It’s  just

Win a Bird Feeder Camera at the CBC Chili Supper!

Win an Adorbee Smart Bird Feeder Camera! Thanks to a generous gift from Dick Madsen, we have an Adorbee Smart Bird Feeder Camera to give away. This is a solar-powered feeder camera with AI connected to Merlin. Wow!  They are priced anywhere from $99-169 on-line. What a great gift for yourself or another bird lover

CAS participating in CoMoGives for the 10th year

Today marks the first day of the CoMoGives campaign and runs through December 31st. We are excited to be part of this annual online fundraising drive for the 10th year, which helps local nonprofits raise money to help our community. In 2023, 100 donors contributed over $10,000 to CAS through CoMoGives. Our goal during this

Bird Banding Update from Band With Nature, 2024

Bill Mees of the Nature Areas Committee has helped orchestrate the annual Band With Nature event with Columbia Public Schools. Here’s his report from this year of birds banded and many recaptures from previous Band With Nature events! Attached is my summary report for bird banding with the 2nd grade program at Columbia Audubon Nature

Thank You from the Nature Areas Committee!

CAS hosted a workday at Wild Haven Nature Area to remove invasive bush honeysuckle. There was a great crew working on this important project. David Neely, Nature Areas Committee, sends a heartfelt Thank You to everyone who helped! “THANK YOU to John, Kathy, Bill, Eric, Kent, Victor, Emily and Jean for a great day butchering

Martha Donnell, Denny Donnell’s Wife: 1934-2024

Longtime CAS member and former Missouri Bird Conservation Initiative Steering Committee member, one of the founders from CAS Denny Donnell’s wife, Martha passed away earlier in November. She frequently accompanied Denny on drives through Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area.  She was always at Denny’s side at CAS picnics and the Christmas Bird Count Chili Suppers. In