News

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

New Field Trip Coordinator needed

We will be stepping down as CAS field trip coordinators this summer, so it is time for someone else to step up and ensure continuity. We believe strongly that field trips and community outreach should be a core mission for an organization like CAS, and we will continue to lead some individual trips. This position’s

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

A new Columbia Audubon Society tradition for Birding Big Day!

Early May has a lot of field trips going on, as well it should, because migration makes this an excellent time of year for birding. Please check out all of the offerings on the field trip calendar. Here, we want to draw special attention to a pair of events intended to establish a new tradition

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

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

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,

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,

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,

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 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,

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,

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

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

Note from the President

Hi all. I hope this finds you well and enjoying some lovely fall weather. I also hope you were able to attend our CAS October meeting that was held on-site at the Boone County Nature School. I left feeling so positive and uplifted knowing that our future would be in the hands of children learning

Tips for Tyros: Lessons for Beginning Birders

Field trips led by experienced birders are proven ways for beginning and seasoned birders to expand their ability to locate and identify birds, learn about bird behavior, and share the pleasures of birding. Many beginning birders hesitate to go on field trips because they don’t know what to expect. Beginning birders are always welcome on

Field Trip to Albert Children’s Area: November 10, 1-3pm

Few Audubon members have visited the Albert Children’s Wildlife Area (Albert Area), although it has been owned by CAS for over 30 years. This approx. 80-acre property (see map here) is located in eastern Boone County along Cedar Creek. When CAS acquired this land, it was entirely covered by waste from coal mining which occurred

Field Trip Review: The Big Sit

One person (Kim Kraus) from CAS joined me for the well-advertised field trip to the 28th annual Swan Lake Big Sit hosted by Grand River Audubon Society. Emma Buckingham and fiance Bruce drove themselves and arrived in time for lunch. Brenda Morris came from Jefferson City. The weather was great–clear, and a bit warm, but

CoMoGives Campaign Begins December 1

Columbia Audubon Society is participating in the 2024 CoMoGives fundraising campaign for the 9th year. This annual fundraising drive for local non-profit organizations begins Sunday, December 1st and ends on Tuesday, December 31st. CAS has been very fortunate to have members and friends who support our mission… “to preserve the natural world and its ecosystems,

CANS and the Ticks and Mosquitoes

Rumor has it that the Columbia’s Audubon Sanctuary provides a ready supply of organic, locally grown food for its bird inhabitants. A 2024 study by the Mizzou’s Department of Veterinary Pathobiology confirms the rumor as true. Without a doubt, the fauna of the sanctuary grounds includes a variety of mosquitoes and ticks for the avian

Book Reviews of Bird-related Books

I was talking to Emma Buckingham about the CAS January 15th book discussion on Amy Tan’s The Backyard Bird Chronicles and mentioned that I have been reading some other bird-related books this year. She said she was always looking for good books on birds to read. You might want to check these out especially if

Draft Minutes from October Board Meeting

Columbia Audubon Society Board of Directors Meeting Wednesday October 16, 2024 Meeting conducted at Daniel Boone Regional Library Present: Lottie Bushmann, Lori Turner, Allison Vaughn, Vickie Park, Greg Leonard, Reed Gerdes, Shelby Thomas, Eric Wood, John Besser, Emma Buckingham Time called to order: 6:35 pm Previous minutes: John Besser moves to accept the August 28,

Christmas Bird Count RESCHEDULED FOR SUNDAY, DEC 15TH

All Day

THE 2024 CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT IS BEING RESCHEDULED TO SUNDAY DECEMBER 15 DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER ON SATURDAY. CHILI SUPPER IS STILL SATURDAY NIGHT. SEE DETAILS BELOW. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CHILI SUPPER INFORMATION ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Join us this year for the 125th annual Christmas Bird Count! We will plan to send out our teams on Sunday Dec 15.

Note from the President

Hello all! I hope this note finds you enjoying the beginning of fall weather and the migration of species through our area. Columbia Audubon has many ways for you to be involved either through birding, counting birds, counting down honeysuckle, learning about the Boone Co. Nature school or helping work with 2nd graders. If you

Edge Wade Birthday Event

A group of birders got together September 9 to celebrate Edge Wade’s 80th birthday. To all of us Edge has been a mentor, a teacher, a warrior and a friend. To mark the occasion, we all dressed like Edge and tried to imitate her Edginess. We each proudly wore the Alpha Code of our favorite bird. As Edge’s favorite bird

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