News

Noah Strycker Talk and Field Trip in October

“Superstar” Birder Noah Strycker to Speak at MU Noah Strycker, author and self-described “bird man,” will visit Columbia on Friday, Oct. 15, as the keynote speaker at the annual meeting of the Friends of Mizzou Botanic Garden. Columbia Audubon is co-sponsoring the event, along with the Missouri Birding Society, the MU Department of Fisheries and

A Note from a CAS Scholarship Recipient to Hog Island

Each year, the Columbia Audubon Society earmarks dollars from our Education Fund to send a teacher to the National Audubon Society’s Hog Island Camp for educators. This summer, we sent a few teachers, and here’s a report from recipient Heather Jones on her experience: It’s hard to put into words how attending Hog Island’s Educator

CAS Revised Bylaws-Please Review

Columbia Audubon Society Bylaws Adopted Date of Vote, 2021 Article I: Name This organization shall be known as the Columbia Audubon Society, Incorporated, hereinafter called Society. Article II: Purpose Section 1. The purpose and objectives of this Society shall be to preserve the natural world and its ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and the

CAS Board Meeting Highlights for August 18, 2021

Upon review and board approval, final meeting minutes are posted to the Minutes page. Following are highlights of the unapproved minutes from the last meeting: Committee Reports Nature Areas Bill Mees reports that one of the white oaks at Columbia Audubon Nature Sanctuary is already being listed as a point of interest, as part of

Boone County Migratory Bird Count Results- May 8, 2021

The Covid-19 pandemic has affected just about everything Columbia Audubon Society has done over the past year, but we have fought to maintain some of our traditions, including the Boone County-wide bird count held on the traditional ‘Big Day’, the second Saturday in May. Our ability to conduct this count during the pandemic has a

Nature Area Notes

NATURE AREA NOTES, May 2021 Progress at Wild Haven It’s been a busy year at Wild Haven, Columbia Audubon’s largest nature area. All the work that has been put into the area really shows, and we hope it will achieve our goal of making the area more welcoming and increasing public use of the area.

Note from the President

Board Election Results Congratulations to Greg Leonard who won re-election to the board. He will be serving another three-year term as director. Picnic on May 22nd Instead of a monthly meeting for May, we will be holding a picnic at Wild Haven on Saturday, May 22nd from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Provided there is

Changes in Membership Dues

This month, the board approved updating the membership levels and amounts. Membership levels have not been reviewed in over ten years so we decided it was time to streamline the categories. The new updates are as follows: $15 – Student and Senior (65+) $25 – Individual $40 – Family* $60 – Donor* $300 – Friend*

CoMo Gives Committee Seeks Volunteers

The 2021 CoMoGives Committee is looking for interested CAS members and friends to help with the 2021 CoMoGives Community Fundraising Campaign which is sponsored by the Community Foundation of Central Missouri. If you like writing, photo selection and/or have technical skills, this is the job for you! Put your skills to work with other dedicated

New CAS Bylaws

If You Approve: New CAS Bylaws

Please read the proposed bylaws that are being offered for your consideration and approval. Some of the amendments are necessary to comply with life under COVID-19. Currently there are no provisions for conducting the business of CAS electronically. Additionally, this presents an opportunity to clarify other questions: 1. How many eligible votes accompany a family

Revised, Updated Enjoying Missouri’s Birds Now Available

State ornithologist Sarah Kendrick’s careful, page-by-page analysis and revision Enjoying Missouri’s Birds, a 42-page 6.5×9” FREE revised edition just out in March 2021 has a new sub-title: A Beginner’s Guide to Birding. It’ s available from MDC’s Nature Shop, either by toll-free phone at 877-521-8632 or online at mdcnatureshop.com, or at regional MDC offices, MDC

Nature Area Notes

All bird photos by John Besser, Nature Areas Committee: Indigo Bunting, Black and White Warbler, and Summer Tanager. Interpretive Panel signs by Jan Mees. Wild Haven wildflower walk draws a crowd About 20 people turned out for wildflower walk led by Roxie Campbell on April 11. The weather was great and lots of early wildflowers

Notes from the Conservation Chair: Spring Bird Migration!

Lights Out Campaign and other updates! May Conservation Updates: We’re in the final stretch of the 2021 Missouri legislative session – only 4 weeks left! That is plenty of time for great conservation successes like the Prescribed Burning Act (HB 369 and SB 301) to be passed, but damaging bills can still make it through,

CAS Meeting Highlights for April 20, 2021 & April 23, 2021

April 20, 2021 Board Meeting Membership The proposed updated membership levels will be: $15 Student/Senior (65+); $25 Individual; $40 Family; $60 Donor; $300 Friend All “Friends” (both commercial and private) are entitled to recognition in the Chat and on the website. The revised membership levels are approved by the board. Nature Areas Albert Children’s Area. Jim

Note from the President

April Election We have a three-year term board position to vote on . The only candidate is Greg Leonard, but you will be given an opportunity for a write-in candidate. Instead of voting at the April general meeting, we will be voting on-line and by regular mail. On Monday, April 19th, those members who receive

Upcoming Fieldtrips, Joint Fieldtrips with Missouri Birding Society in May!

These Columbia Audubon Society field trips are co-sponsored with the Missouri Birding Society (MBS, formerly Audubon Society of Missouri) as events in the MBS 2-week Spring Meeting activities taking place around the state. MBS, founded in 1901, is the independent statewide organization dedicated to the preservation and protection of birds and other wildlife; to education

Nature Area Notes

What’s in a name? Bill Mees, Nature Areas Chair, wants to put a new name on an old building. The former ‘workshop’ at Wild Haven is now retired, empty, and surprisingly tidy! This structure was built by Lee Jenkins, who donated Wild Haven to CAS, and It dates from the 1960’s or perhaps earlier.

Legislative Action: Note from the Conservation Chair

House Joint Resolution 55 (HJR 55) “Modifies the conservation commission membership composition and requires the election of the commissioners.” The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is governed by a four-person Conservation Commission, made up of members appointed by the governor, each serving year-year terms. HJR 55 wants to change all that, bringing membership from four to

News from the President

Board Position There’s still time to nominate someone for the three-year board position. To nominate someone, make sure they are willing to serve and submit that person’s name to Brooke Widmar at brookewidmar@gmail.com. You can also self-nominate. Nominations are due by March 9th. March Program On March 17th, in place of our regular monthly meeting,

Conservation Federation of Missouri Conference this week!

It’s the Conservation Federation of Missouri’s convention this week, March 1-6! Over this week, the 10 resource advisory committees will be meeting to present and vote on resolutions relating to conservation issues impacting Missouri. The pre-filed resolutions can be seen here: www.confedmo.org/resolutions2021/ General ticket registration for those break out sessions is already closed, but all week

Nature Area Notes

Most years, February is the month when winter’s grip loosens a bit and we get a hint of the coming spring. This year, we spent most of the month inside our homes, trying to avoid both coronavirus and frostbite. But we know that March will bring warm weather, spring wildflowers, and migrating birds, and many

Proposed Changes to Membership Levels

Reviewing membership subscriptions over the last decade, we’ve seen our members becoming increasingly generous with their support. As time has passed, the bulk of the local membership dues shifted from mostly $15 and $25 levels up to the $25 and $50 levels. Because of that — and also because these tiers have not been reviewed

Note from the President

Greetings, Columbia Audubon Society! We have a guest columnist from St. Louis Audubon Society this month, and great updates from our committees. Board Position up for Election There is one three-year board member position opening up that will need to be filled this year. I have appointed a nominating committee to find candidates. The committee

February is National Bird Feeding Month

February became National Bird Feeding month in 1994 by Congressman John Porter. Being one of the toughest months of the year for birds to survive, he was determined to help feed birds during this time. The month encourages people to provide food, water, and shelter to wild birds in areas with cold temperatures and limited natural

Nature Area Notes

Keeping Cats Indoors to Help Birds (and cats)

As St. Louis Audubon Society works towards protecting bird populations in Missouri, we cannot ignore the impact that free-roaming cats have on birds. In 2013, scientists estimated that free-roaming cats annually kill between 100-350 million birds in Canada and 1.3 – 4.0 billion birds annually in the US. In 2015, scientists further calculated that cat

Prescribed Fire Legislation in Missouri

Prescribed burns are an important management tool for many Missouri landscapes, and specifically for many bird habitats. Ground nesting birds and their offspring need open space on the ground for movement, and if there is too much thatch buildup, that will limit their ability to move around. There are countless other benefits to prescribed burns,

CAS Ends CoMoGives Campaign with Great Success!

Columbia Audubon Society (CAS) is happy to report the results of a successful 2020 CoMoGives (CMG) campaign. Thanks to the generosity of donors, CAS will add $12,400 to our treasury. These funds will be used to continue the CAS programs that support education (field trips for students, scholarships for teachers and support of the Boone

Note from the President

Happy New Year and welcome to 2021. One of the things my wife and I have been doing on New Year’s Day is recording the first bird we see of the year. Sometimes it’s a challenge. In 2018, the temperature was -7° F when we started our feeder count. The first bird we saw was

Columbia’s 2020 Christmas Bird Count is a Success!

Saturday, December 19 dawned clear and sunny, providing a lift for the dozens of birders who rose early to participate in the CAS Christmas Bird Count. Unfortunately, the day soon turned overcast, humid, and cold, making the day difficult for both birds and birders. Despite the unpleasant weather, eBird checklists rolled in steadily throughout the

CAS Board Meeting Highlights for December 16, 2020

Upon review and board approval, final meeting minutes are posted to the Minutes page. Following are highlights of the unapproved minutes from the last meeting: Motus Tower The Missouri Department of Conservation sign shop will manufacture the memorial plaque for the Brad Jacobs Memorial Motus Tower with funding from the Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation. Nature

Activism for Bird Conservation

Start off the new year speaking up for birds, and take actions to stay informed on state, national, and global issues! According to the National Audubon Society, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is home to over 200 bird species. While this refuge is almost 3,000 miles away from us here in Missouri, it’s critical land

Note from the President

I hope all is going well with you and that you enjoyed your Thanksgiving. December promises to be a busy month with the CoMoGives campaign starting on December 1st and the Christmas Bird Count on December 19th. Instead of our usually chili tallying supper we’ll be having a ZOOM meeting to discuss the day’s birding.

ComoGives Campaign Begins Dec. 1

CoMoGives officially begins December 1, 2020. This online platform provides 142 nonprofit groups, including Columbia Audubon Society, an opportunity to raise funds for their organizations. In 2019, 90 donors contributed over $10,000 to CAS through CoMoGives. Our goal for the 2020 campaign is $10,000. CoMoGives is the only fundraising effort for CAS. CAS is proud

Christmas Bird Count Details

All Day

The Covid-19 pandemic has affected nearly everything we do during 2020, and the Christmas Bird Count is no exception. Given the risks associated with face-to-face gatherings, The National Audubon Society has given local chapters like CAS the freedom to decide whether to conduct their local count or not. There is a strong sentiment among the

In Memoriam: Francis Garland Russell, Jr.

On Thursday November 19, 2020, Columbia Audubon Society lost a true friend, Francis Garland Russell, Jr. If you’ve walked the trail on the west side of Columbia Audubon Nature Sanctuary you have probably seen Garland’s house, just beyond the cedar lined fence row. The land we call Columbia Audubon Nature Sanctuary was donated to us

Nature Areas Update

Anyone who owns property knows there is always something to do, whether it is mowing, weeding, or picking up sticks. As the owner of Columbia Audubon Wild Haven and Columbia Audubon Nature Sanctuary, it’s the same for the Columbia Audubon Society (CAS) At your house you call them weeds. At CAS they’re called invasives. Several

CAS Board Meeting Highlights for November 17, 2020

Upon review and board approval, final meeting minutes are posted to the Minutes page. Following are highlights of the unapproved minutes from the last meeting: Motus Tower update So far $1235 has been donated to the Brad Jacobs Memorial Motus Tower, with the remainder being supplied by CAS. Jim Gast has sent thank-you notes to

News and Notes

November Zoom Program Features Mike Powell with the Greenbelt Land Trust Please join us via Zoom for our next membership meeting and program at 7:00 PM on Wednesday, Nov. 18th. Mike Powell, Executive Director of the Greenbelt Land Trust of Mid-Missouri, will provide an update on Greenbelt projects, help us understand how land trusts work,

Welcome to our new Membership Chair and Conservation Chair!

I’m Shelby Thomas, and I am the new Membership Chair. I am currently a freshman in college taking classes at Moberly Area Community College (MACC). I have not yet decided on a major. I began birding in about 2015 and joined Columbia Audubon Society soon after. I have enjoyed getting to know a lot of

Wild Haven Bush Honeysuckle Hack

We enjoyed a beautiful day and hike of about 1.3 miles one-way to reach the south end of the yellow trail that dead ends at a rocky section of Hinkson Creek. Our target was on the other side of the creek – a patch of bush honeysuckle (BH) I had spotted three years ago when

Missouri Birding Society joint fieldtrip with CAS

On Saturday, September 26, there was a joint field trip to Rock Bridge Memorial State Park along with the Missouri Birding Society (formerly ASM). In all, 24 birders including 5 leaders showed up to cover the trails at the Devil’s Icebox parking lot, as well as the Gans Creek and Karst trails. We ended up

CAS Open House at the Nature School

Twenty-plus Columbia Audubon members attended the Open House at the Boone County Nature School site on Saturday, Oct. 17. Mike Szydlowski and Ragan Webb from Columbia Public Schools and Brian Flowers with the Missouri Department of Conservation led walking tours of the site and provided an update on various aspects of the project along the

Christmas Bird Count during a Pandemic

Scheduled for December 19, the 2020 Christmas Bird Count- like every other event we have sponsored during the pandemic- will look a little different. We will go forward with the count, but will not host the Chili Supper for compilation. We will send out details soon regarding data collection and compilation. The National Audubon Society

CAS Participating in CoMoGives Dec. 1-31

Columbia Audubon Society will be participating in the annual CoMoGives community fundraising campaign for area non-profit organizations. The online giving campaign is coordinated by the Community Foundation of Central Missouri. CAS has participated in the CoMoGives annual community fund drive for five years. This is the only fundraising done to benefit the efforts of Columbia

Vote for the Birds!

Didn’t think you could have a newsletter this close to Election Day without a reminder to vote, did you? Things to know about voting in Boone County: In-person absentee voting is available at the county clerk’s office (801 E. Walnut) until 5:00 p.m. November 2nd, vote inside in room 236 or utilize the outdoor

Note from the President

I hope you got out and birded during the beautiful September weather. Fall can be difficult time for me to identify species. A lot of birds are quiet and have a different color than in the spring. I’ve trained myself to look for motion in trees, but the falling leaves can distract me from finding

Birding Update for Eagle Bluffs

My name is Brady Lichtenberg and I am a wildlife biologist for MDC, and the area manager of Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area. I earned my BS in fisheries and wildlife sciences in 2016. I have been an employee of MDC since 2012, and have been at Eagle Bluffs since 2016. As many of you know,

Columbia Audubon Society’s Wild Haven Nature Area- A quiet place to see more than birds

On 3 Sep. 2020, following the advice and directions from CAS member John Besser, I went to Wild Haven Nature Area to look for birds and butterflies. It was a very pleasant morning when I arrived at 9:30 and mostly quiet except for the calls of a few local permanent resident bird species. I was

Archives

20201219