CAS Events Listings

Self-guided moss walk: Wild Haven Nature Area

Have you taken the time to examine mosses close up? And to think about the relationships between mosses and birds? We’re excited to announce a new, self-guided moss walk at Wild Haven Nature Area that encourages you to do just that!

The trail guide is formatted to be easily read on a mobile device (with the goal of saving paper; please don’t print it). 

Download the guide here: https://www.columbia-audubon.org/whmoss

The total length of the hike is under a mile, but it’s easy for time to fly when examining mosses, so plan for at least a couple of hours at Wild Haven. Conditions in winter and early spring are ideal for looking at mosses; sunlight bathes the forest floor, ticks aren’t especially active, and neotropical migrants aren’t yet distracting. But the trail can be completed at any time of year.

We suggest that you bring: 

—A hand lens or magnifying glass. This will help you appreciate the miniature world of mosses.
—A spray bottle with water (but no chemical residues). Use to rehydrate mosses when conditions are dry; watch the leaves swell with water in front of your eyes.
—A water bottle for yourself, plus snacks, standard hiking gear, and binoculars for the birds.

No bathrooms or potable water are available at Wild Haven.

Louise Flenner developed this trail to share her knowledge and enthusiasm about mosses and their importance to birds. Thanks, Louise!

Please direct questions and comments to: 

Louise Flenner (lflenner@hotmail.com), developer of the moss trail
John Besser (jbesser1@gmail.com), Nature Area chair
David Neely (dustandwood@gmail.com), volunteer manager of Wild Haven Nature Area

First Friday Bird Hike: 3M Wetlands

First Friday Fun! Join the Columbia Audubon Society for a bird walk. This walk is open to anyone who enjoys birds, and beginners are encouraged to attend. We will walk at the 3M Wetland Trail, just off the MKT Trail near Forum Blvd. We’ll meet at the Songbird Station parking lot at 8 a.m. sharp and then drive down the hill to park near the wetlands (less than a 5 min. drive). We’ll enjoy all the Missouri resident birds in this natural, lush landscape. It is a moderate walk. Waterproof shoes are recommended, but not required. After our walk, we’ll return to Songbird Station by 11 a.m. and enjoy coffee and donuts. Led by John Besser.

Migrants and Wildflowers at Wild Haven

Late April typically combines the best of the spring woodland wildflower display with increasing migrant songbird arrivals. Where better to enjoy it than Columbia Audubon Society’s own Wild Haven Nature Area, with its mature woods along upper Hinkson Creek? In addition, there’s a small sandstone glade that hosts interesting mosses, a prairie patch, and some edge habitats. Wild Haven has hosted a number of volunteer work days over the years, but this time, leave your work gloves at home and grab binoculars instead, as this is the time to enjoy the payoff of prior volunteer efforts, including an expanded trail system. 

Meet at Wild Haven at 8:00 a.m., and park near the picnic shelter. Plan for ~3 hours of naturalist-paced walking. 

The field trip will be led by John Besser (jbesser1@gmail.com), who has for years led the volunteer effort to manage and maintain Wild Haven. 

First Friday Bird Hike: 3M Wetlands

First Friday Fun! Join the Columbia Audubon Society for a bird walk. This walk is open to anyone who enjoys birds, and beginners are encouraged to attend. We will walk at the 3M Wetland Trail, just off the MKT Trail near Forum Blvd. We’ll meet at the Songbird Station parking lot at 8 a.m. sharp and then drive down the hill to park near the wetlands (less than a 5 min. drive). We’ll enjoy all the Missouri resident birds in this natural, lush landscape. It is a moderate walk. Waterproof shoes are recommended, but not required. After our walk, we’ll return to Songbird Station by 11 a.m. and enjoy coffee and donuts. Led by Lottie Bushmann.

Hundred Acre Woods: Joint field trip with the Native Plant Society

Join us for a joint field trip of the Columbia Audubon Society and the Hawthorn Chapter of the Native Plant Society at Hundred Acre Woods, a property of the Greenbelt Land Trust. 

Hundred Acre Woods is a wonderful property with woodland and grassland habitats that feature high botanical biodiversity. As timing coincides with the season of peak songbird migration, this trip should be a delight to naturalists of all types. The land was owned and managed by the late Jim and Joanna Whitley, who donated the property with the intent that it be used for outdoor education. Active management at the property continues with prescribed burns, invasive control, and the seeding of native plants. 

Meet at 8 a.m. Estimated duration: 3–4 hours. Estimated walking distance: 1–1.5 mies. 

The property does not have formal trails, so please wear sturdy shoes. Tick abundance in Missouri tends to be on the upswing in early May, so please prepare accordingly. (If you apply bug spray at the site, please be considerate of others and do so downwind. Or consider protective clothing such as Rynoskin as an alternative to chemical control.) No bathroom facilities are available. 

RSVP: Advance signup is not required, but we would appreciate having a loose sense of how many people (and vehicles) might be coming. Email trip leaders Eric & Joanna Reuter: literatehobo@gmail.com

Directions to the site: (Please note: This property is not open to the public without permission.) From US 63 N, turn east and then immediately south on Pinnacles Road. At the entrance to Pinnacles Youth Park, follow the road left across a bridge and continue another ~1.25 miles, past a Girl Scout camp, to the property. Parking will be along the gravel road; trip leaders will be on-site. 

Rain date: Sunday May 13 at 8 a.m. Please refer to the listing on the Columbia Audubon Society website (https://www.columbia-audubon.org/hundred-acre-woods-2023/) for official updates on trip status.

Kiwanis Park: Birding Without Bush Honeysuckle

A new local nonprofit, the Missouri Conservation Corps, has worked hard to remove invasive bush honeysuckle from Kiwanis Park. See this story from the March issue of The Chat for more details.

What birds will make use of this cleaned-up habitat? The Columbia Audubon Society has been asked to help find out!

On May 10, near the peak of spring songbird migration, we’ll explore the park while listening to and looking for birds. 

All skill levels welcome. If you’d like to borrow binoculars, please be in touch, as a few loaner pairs can be made available if needed.  

Meet at the Talbert Thurston shelter, located west of Maplewood Drive. We’ll start at 7 a.m. and bird until about 9 a.m.

Please refer to the listing on the Columbia Audubon Society website (https://www.columbia-audubon.org/kiwanis-park-may-2023/) for official updates on trip status.

Led by John Besser, jbesser1@gmail.com

Whip-poor-wills and Chuck-wills-widows at Rocky Fork Lakes CA

Join us for this evening walk through the mixed habitats of Rocky Fork Lakes Conservation Area in northern Boone County to listen for and hopefully hear the distinct sounds of Whip-poor-wills and Chuck-will’s-widows. These nocturnal birds are hard to see but fun to hear once their song begins from dusk into darkness.

Meet at 7:30 p.m. We’ll take a walk along a level trail/service road, and we’ll have time for a bit of late-day birding before the sun sets around 8:20 p.m. Expect to hike ~1.5 miles (round trip) over ~1.5–2 hours.

Meeting place: No carpool, meet at the southern parking lot at Rocky Fork. When entering the area, go straight past the outhouse parking lot and boat ramp, following the road along the lake’s southern shore until it ends at a curving lot. Contact trip leaders Joanna & Eric Reuter with any questions.