Author Archives: Allison Vaughn

Note from the President

Hi all I hope you’ve been able to get outside and enjoy some of this spring weather that we’ve been experiencing. It has been a bit crazy with some wild temperature swings, but this week has felt more normal and there is even a promise of rain. Dark Sky week happens this month. Read Allison’s

International Dark Sky Week April 13-20

As many of you know from previous newsletters, CAS has partnered with DarkSky Missouri to seek Urban Night Sky Place designation for Rock Bridge Memorial State Park. The preapplication has been submitted (submitted Feb 26, 2026) but I have been (as my dad would say) birddogging this response if we need to proceed. This is

CANS-Missouri Conservation Corps Workday: Or Will Work for Pizza!

Here are some photos take by Stephen Bybee at the CANS work session (honeysuckle pull).  There were 26 participants who scattered across the hill sides to pull honeysuckle.  Conditions were perfect.  The temperature was warm not sub-zero and the ground was moist enough to facilitate pulling the honeysuckle sprouts by hand (a few exceptions noted).

Missouri Birding Challenge 2026

CAS has donated $1,000 to the 2026 Missouri Birding Challenge as a partner organization. This is the second year MDC is hosting this event, and the second year that CAS is a partner! If you receive the Missouri Conservationist magazine, there is an article recently published. The press release and resources including informational webinars about

Small Trees for Landscaping Program at Mizzou Botanic Garden

Benefits of planting trees on your property are well-documented, including cooling shade, increased property values, more bird song and the fact that spending time under a tree can improve your mental health. Not every home landscape can support a majestic oak, but one or two beautiful mid-Missourifriendly smaller trees might fit right in. In celebration

CAS at the Conservation Federation of Missouri Annual Conference

The annual Conservation Federation of Missouri Conference was held in late February with Virtual Sessions, and then in person on March 6-8 at the Lodge of the Four Seasons. CAS is a proud affiliate organization of CFM. On Saturday, I attended the Affiliate Luncheon and heard from several speakers; a representative from the Department of

Mizzou Botanic Garden Happenings

The Mizzou Botanic Garden has cordially invited CAS to their garden events. Feel free to click on the flyer below for more details! The first event is April 2. Garden Gatherings at Mizzou Botanica Garden

Draft March Board Meeting Minutes

Columbia Audubon Society Board of Directors Meeting Wednesday March 18, 2026 Boone County Electric Building Present:  Lottie Bushmann, Emma Buckingham, John Besser, Vickie Park, Eric Seaman, Greg Leonard, Shelby Thomas, Bill Mees, Ben West Meeting called to order:  6:02 pm Previous minutes: Bill Mees moved to accept the February minutes as written.     John Besser seconded

Conservation Alert! Due Thursday, March 5 Regarding Dark Skies

Many of you may remember Dr. Gokhale’s talk for Columbia Audubon or the Missouri Bird Conservation Initiative on the importance of dark skies for wildlife. There’s a comment period for a couple of projects that will negatively impact our night skies and ultimately wildlife. The FCC is taking comments through Thursday,  March 5. The following

Saturday, March 21, 2026

CANS Workday-Honeysuckle Removal with Missouri Conservation Corps

9:00am-12:00pm

Columbia Audubon Society and Missouri Conservation Corps and are organizing a cooperative honeysuckle removal event on Saturday, March 21st, from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. at the Columbia Audubon Nature Sanctuary (CANS), 3607 Bray Ave. Volunteers will be pulling and cutting invasive honeysuckle from this 28-acre nature preserve. By holding this event early in the

Note from the President

On Thursday, February 26, I hope you were able to join us to hear about the Forest Park Owls with Mark Glenshaw. We had over 80 folks join us to hear about Mark’s experiences following the owls for the past 21 years. They are fascinating creatures. It was fun to see his videos and pictures

CAS Dark Sky Efforts Underway

Last month, we mentioned that CAS has a Dark Sky Subcommittee and our primary efforts include securing Urban Night Sky Place certification for Rock Bridge Memorial SP and educating citizens about the importance of dark skies for wildlife, especially birds. We are pleased to announce that on February 26, we submitted a Preapplication for the

Upcoming Free Events at Songbird Station

Our partners at Songbird Station cordially invite Columbia Audubon and the public to a series of free seminars throughout the season:  Nest Box 101 Seminar March 14th  10 am Learn how to make your yard a perfect nesting site for Eastern Bluebirds, wrens, Purple Martins, Wood Ducks, and more. Attract Hummingbirds, Orioles, and More Seminar

Great Backyard Bird Count Feeder Crawl Report

On Sunday, Feb. 15th CAS hosted our Great Backyard Bird Count feeder crawl. It was a great success as 12 folks visited 5 different yards. Hosted by myself and Emma Buckingham, our morning started off at the first yard with a Brown Creeper that visits suet that is tied to a tree trunk. He was

Draft February Meeting Minutes

Columbia Audubon Society Board of Directors Meeting Thursday February 26, 2026 Boone County Electric Building Present:  Lottie Bushmann, Vickie Park, Reed Gerdes, Eric Seaman, Greg Leonard, Shelby Thomas, Bill Mees, Lori Turner, Eric Wood, Allison Vaughn Meeting called to order: 6:02 pm Previous minutes:  Lori Turner moved to accept the January minutes as written. Bill

Thank you for the Workday Help!

On February 21, several folks showed up to help burn brushpiles as part of a workday at Wild Haven. Here’s a note from the organizer, David Neely! Thank you to Eric, Tim, Kevin, Bill, Davyn and Jean for a great Wild Haven workday.  We burned the remaining brush piles just below Jenkins Hall and that

Saturday, February 21, 2026

Wild Haven Work Day

9:00 AM- 12:00PM

Weather permitting we will be burning several brush piles. This job may include dragging brush a short distance from brush piles to the burn site. Depending on the number of volunteers we may split several people from the burn crew to continue working on the fire break trail in anticipation of a controlled burn this

Upcoming Work Days

Our plans for winter work days have been stymied by the weather so far, but we are still looking ahead to several important tasks:1. Prepare fire lines for burn of West side of CANS. Date TBD. This work needs to be done before John Timmerman can conduct a prescribed burn. We need a day with

Note from the President

Hi all I hope this newsletter finds you well and enjoying this very winter weather we’ve been experiencing. I don’t know about your yard, but mine was quite busy with all the snow and cold, and the birds kept my feeders emptied. I’ve had a lone Common Grackle that has been hanging around the last

The Nominating Committee Wants YOU!

Lottie Bushmann, CAS President, has appointed a Nominating Committee composed of Lisa Schenker who is chair, Nancy Bedan, and Bill Mees.  This committee is charged with recruiting individuals who will serve on the Board of Directors of Columbia Audubon Society.  The Board is composed of a President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer each serving a

International Motus Wood Thrush Project Update

CAS donated funds for the Motus tracking program as referenced in this article that was previously printed in the 2025 Missouri Natural Areas Newsletter. To see the article with images and other links, visit the original publication in the NA Newsletter in link above.  In 2024, a multi-national group of bird-conservation partners across the hemisphere

CAS partners with Rock Bridge Memorial SP for Urban Night Sky Place Certification

In 2025 at the Daniel Boone Regional Library, CAS heard from Dr. Vayu Gokhale, a physics professor at Truman State University who is deeply involved in DarkSky Missouri, a voluntary effort to promote dark skies at night, not just for stargazing but also for human and wildlife health. He talked to us about the need

Note from the President

Happy New Year! It was a busy year last year for CAS and there is plenty to be grateful for and reflect upon. Our Christmas Bird Count went off this year without a hitch and with surprisingly nice weather. While the species count wasn’t especially high (91 species) the enthusiasm expressed by folks that attended

Roundup of the 2025 Christmas Bird Count

Columbia Christmas Bird Count — Dec, 20 2025 This year‘s count was held later than usual, but we still had mild weather on count day, with light clouds and a high temperature near 50° F. We also had a good turnout of volunteers. with 118 eBird checklists submitted. Many counters also showed up Saturday evening

Deer-Vehicle Collision Data from MoDOT

In light of our January Membership Meeting Presentation on Deer Populations and their Impact on Natural Resources, we hear from Tayler Macdonald from MoDOT on their own surveys regarding Deeer-Vehicle Collisions which are causing all of our car insurance rates to rise. From Tayler: Here’s the link for the MoDOT Wildlife Vehicle Collision (WVC) Study webpage for

Duck Decoy Presentation in JC

From our friend Greg Renner with the Duck Decoy Project: I want to invite you and all of the Columbia Audubon members and their families to our next Missouri Decoy Collectors Program, which will be held at the Missouri Department of Conservation’s Runge Nature Center in Jefferson City on Saturday March 14, 2026.  If you would please put this information and invitation into your

Note from the President

Greetings all! It appears that winter has arrived a bit early with this cold blast coming on the heels of Thanksgiving. I spent some time this past week reflecting over all I am grateful for in my life. My birding community is near the top of the list. I find that birding helps ground me

Christmas Bird Count and Chili Supper on Dec. 20

With all our section leaders in place for this year, the Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is a go! Thankfully, birding is a safe, outdoor activity and we have plenty of birders in Columbia that plan to do just that. We will send out our teams on Saturday Dec. 20th. Please contact your section leader if

CAS Eternal

CAS lost three longtime leaders and members in recent months. These three powerhouses were not only exceptional birders but incredible leaders who guided the organization to be a strong force in Columbia. Bonnie Heidy served as a Board Secretary and a longtime Board of Director. Her son, Eric Woods, ias an exceptional legacy of Bonnie’s

CoMoGives Campaign Begins

Columbia Audubon Society is participating in the 2025 CoMoGives fundraising campaign for the 11th year. This annual fundraising drive for local non-profit organizations begins Monday, December 1st and ends on Wednesday, December 31st. CAS has been very fortunate to have members and friends who support our mission… “to preserve the natural world and its ecosystems, focusing on

Winter Finch Forecast 2025-2026

Keep your eyes open this winter for northern visitors to your feeders. Scientists are predicting large numbers of finches will be on the move. They call these southerly movements “irruptions” and we are due for one this year. Perhaps you’ve noticed some Pine Siskins or Red-breasted Nuthatches at your feeder already this fall? Read this

Field Trip to Stephen’s Lake Park!

Eleven birders joined field trip leader Ben West for a pleasantly warm afternoon birding around Stephens Lake Park on Sunday, November 16.  Most of the attendees saw about 20 species of good variety for the season.  Highlights included a Sharp-shinned Hawk high overhead, and a Northern Mockingbird at a short distance on a fence.

Statement on Bike Trail at Gans Creek Recreation Area

The Parks and Recreation Department has designed a network of bike paths at Gans Creek Recreation Area. One is in an ecologically sensitive area next to Gans Creek and Rock Bridge Memorial State Park’s Gans Creek Wild Area, a designated area that does not allow bicycles. CAS and the Sierra Club have hopes that Parks

Note from the President

Greetings all! Finally the cooler fall temps have arrived. Let’s hope they stick around for just a little while. I hope you were able to enjoy a bit of migration this fall. The last of the sparrows have trickled in and my walk this week at 3M was sprinkled with White-crowned, Song, Swamp, Fox and

CAS Welcomes New Field Trip Chair for Oct 19 Trip: Ben West

We send many heartfelt thank yous to Eric and Joanna Reuter for their role as Field Trip Coordinators. We all agree that they have helped build camaraderie through their great fieldtrips and social events. They have “passed the torch of field trip coordinator” to Ben West. In addition to being a skilled birder, he also

Band With Nature Recap

Band With Nature   Hooray for a gorgeous October week and the success of our 2025 Band With Nature program! In partnership with the Columbia Public Schools, CAS provided an amazing field trip at the Columbia Audubon Nature Sanctuary for every second grader in the district. That’s around 1400 children! Students were bussed to the

Join the 126th Annual Christmas Bird Count!

We will plan to send out our teams on Saturday, Dec. 20th. Please contact your section leader if you have worked with someone in the past to get details for your job. If you haven’t participated recently (or are a newbie!) please email Lottie Bushmann at lottie.bushmann@gmail.com to get set up with a team. All

Invitation to Join the Grand Pass Christmas Bird Count

Join the Grand Pass Audubon Christmas Bird Count Do you find yourself interrupting conversations with the word “BIRD”? Feel like spending a day counting birds with fellow birders? Well, here is your chance! The Grand Pass Christmas Bird Count, located near Marshall, Missouri, is looking for a couple more volunteers to help count birds Thursday,

MDC encourages public to use caution amidst “bird flu” outbreak

MDC is investigating numerous reports of sick and dead waterfowl across Missouri. JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is actively monitoring reports of sick and dead waterfowl, such as geese and ducks, and raptors across the state. Testing of these birds has confirmed the cause to be Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI),

Note from the President

Hello all. I hope this finds you well. I’d like to say “and enjoying the fall weather” but it appears we’ll have to wait a bit longer for that. No matter, we are in full swing with our fall activities. We had a great showing at our fall picnic. Twelve birders were guided through the

Bird City USA-Dark Sky Park Designation for Rock Bridge

In July, several members of CAS met with the City of Columbia, the USFWS, and the Missouri River Bird Observatory to begin the process of designating Columbia as a Bird City, USA. CAS decided that our role in this process which requires a lot of legwork would be to seek Dark Sky Certification for Rock

Tick sampling at CANS brings relatively good news

Dear Audubon members, We have finished testing for bacteria in the 2024 ticks. Tests for Rocky Mountain spotted fever (Rickettsia rickettsii), rabbit fever (Tularemia francisella), and Ehrlichiosis (Erhlichia species) were all negative. Here are the results of our field testing at Audubon Sanctuary for 2025. We collected ticks once per month for 3 months. All

Gans Creek Recreational Area Trail News

David Diamond and Mike Currier of the Sierra Club and CAS  spoke to Columbia Audubon Society members regarding the proposal to build mountain bike trails south of Gans Creek at the Gans Creek Recreational Area (GCRA).  Mike gave a history of the area, formerly known to many of us as the Crane Tract.  The area

Background on a Growing Issue at Gans Creek Recreational Area

Gans Creek Recreation Area Fact Sheet Gans Creek Recreation Area shares a common border with Gans Creek Wild Area within Rock Bridge Memorial State Park. These public lands together form an important, core natural habitat that has been recognized by national and statewide organizations.  No other City Park land is so ecologically important based on

August 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.

October 23, 2025

Book Signing: The Everyday Naturalist: how to identify plants, animals and fungi wherever you go

6:30PM

When: Thursday, October 23, 6:30pm Where:  Skylark Bookshop, 22 S 9th St, Columbia, MO 65201 Who’s invited: You! And all your nature-loving friends! The Everyday Naturalist: How to Identify Animals, Plants, and Fungi Wherever You Go (Ten Speed Press/Penguin Random House, June 2025) is a beginner-friendly guide to nature identification. Author Rebecca Lexa walks the

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