Newsletter of the Columbia Audubon Society | October 2025 | Volume 68, Number 2

In this issue:

Wed. Oct. 1, 2025

Note from the President

by Lottie Bushmann

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 woods by John Besser at Wild Haven where we found some nice mixed-species flocks. We even had a few migrating warblers! During the picnic we were honored by Carol Davit from the Missouri Invasive Plant Society for all our hard (and continuing) work removing invasives from our properties. She praised our commitment and was doubly impressed for what we’ve accomplished since we’re an all- volunteer organization. And she’s right! If you’ve helped with any of our properties on a workday, pat yourself on the back. CAS couldn’t do it without our great volunteers.

Be sure to read Bill Mees’ information in this Chat about the ongoing work we’re engaged in to protect the Gans Creek Wild Area. At the picnic, we learned a bit of information about the area and why it’s worth preserving. We will be sure to give you regular updates as we learn of them.

We invite you to join a field trip, help with the 2nd grade Band with Nature program, join a team for the December Christmas Bird Count, or attend a meeting. There are plenty of ways to be involved, and we appreciate you choosing  to spend some of your time with us.

 

Wed. Oct. 1, 2025

Bird City USA-Dark Sky Park Designation for Rock Bridge

by Allison Vaughn

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 Bridge Memorial and Finger Lakes SPs. A Missouri Master Naturalist from the Booneslick Chapter has been taking Sky Quality Measurement readings at Rock Bridge, park staff at Finger Lakes SP are taking measurements there, and they have been weighing in as very good for seeking this designation for the parks. Working with our October speaker, Vayu Gokhale, Physics and Astronomy professor for Truman State, on the Dark Sky designation process, we have decided to seek Dark Sky Park certification for RBMSP rather than Urban Dark Sky Place certification. Apparently Rock Bridge Memorial SP is a pretty dark sky place, which is encouraging!

Columbia is a shoo-in for the Bird City application with all of our tree canopy and native plants, but the Dark Sky certification takes a couple of years to complete. CAS has a small subcommittee working on this. If interested in joining the subcommittee, contact Allison at allisonjv at yahoo.com.

 

Wed. Oct. 1, 2025

Tick sampling at CANS brings relatively good news

by Patricia Norton, Dept. of Pathobiology and Integrative Biomedical Sciences

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 ticks have been sent for pathogen testing.

 

The results for the Audubon Sanctuary tick research of 2025 (May-July) are tabulated

        2025 Lone Star tick

(Amblyomma americanum)

 American dog tick

(Dermacentor variabilis)
Location Adult M Adult F Nymph Larvae Adult M Adult F Nymph Larvae
Audubon Sanctuary 36 62 263 11 2 3 0 0

 

Compared to last year, the density of adult and nymphal ticks per 100 meters2 was lower this year, 12.2 ticks per 100 meters2 (2025) versus

27.7 ticks per 100 meters2 (2024). For the number of ticks among the three sites in Boone County that we sampled, Audubon dropped from

first place, last year, to second place this year. Bacteria testing is pending.

Thank you, once again, for allowing our research to include the Audubon Sanctuary.

Sincerely,

Patricia Norton

Project Support Coordinator

Dept. of Pathobiology and Integrative Biomedical Sciences

210 Connaway Hall

College of Veterinary Medicine

University of Missouri

Columbia, MO 65211

573-884-5217

Wed. Oct. 1, 2025

Gans Creek Recreational Area Trail News

by Bill Mees, Nature Areas Committee

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 south of Gans Creek has been designated as an area recognized for being environmentally sensitive and has warranted protection.  Recent plans for GCRA call for inclusion of over 4 miles of mountain  bike trails in this same area.

The City Council tabled the south (blue) bike trails for further study.  Mike and David’s presentations provided documentation proving the sensitivity of the area south area and opposing any mountain bike trails.  They suggested the area be limited to single track hiking foot trails.  These trails will  limit environmental damage and also limit biker/hiker interaction, an issue of safety.  More information supporting the exclusion of mountain bike trails will be shared with you in future CHAT issues.

The city Council has already approved the construction of two mountain bike trails (Green and Yellow) both north of Gans Creek.  The picnic attendees via “raised hand vote” agreed CAS should oppose the establishment of mountain bike trails south of Gans Creek.  The hiking foot trails will provide access and a quiet nature hiking experience in the south area.

More information will be provided in future CHAT newsletters so CAS members can help save this environmentally sensitive area.

Wed. Oct. 1, 2025

Background on a Growing Issue at Gans Creek Recreational Area

by David Diamond

Gans Creek Recreation Area Fact Sheet

  1. 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 connectivity and landscape context.
    1. The area is at the northeast edge of an Important Bird Area designated by the American Bird Conservancy and The Audubon Society.
    2. The area is within a Conservation Opportunity Area designated by Missouri Department of Conservation.
    3. Gans Creek is designated an Outstanding State Resource Water by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources immediately downstream within Gans Creek Wild Area.
  2. The area contains natural features, including the creek, karst topography (cave and sinkholes), highly erodible soils, and steep slopes that are recognized as sensitive to development and disturbance by the City’s Natural Resource Inventory (2023) and Columbia Imagined (2013).
  3. City plans in 2010 and 2018 included a 87.5-acre natural preservation area along Gans Creek and adjacent steep slopes, but these plans were ignored by the 2024 development plan.
  4. Despite the area’s natural ecological significance and highly sensitive features, and in opposition to the City’s own 2010 and 2018 development plans, the City proposed a high density of mountain bike trails for development. Bike trails north of Gans Creek were approved for development in late 2024.  A trail south of Gans Creek was put on hold by the City Council due to advocacy of environmental groups.  That trail originally crossed Gans Creek, had switchbacks that crossed a steep upland drainage 4 times, and consisted of high density in sensitive uplands with karst features and highly erodible soils.
  5. Mountain bike trail construction and use is inherently destructive to the environment compared to nature trail development, causing removal of native vegetation and increased levels of soil erosion and sedimentation of Gans Creek.
  6. Development of mountain bike trails would effectively exclude other recreational users who favor a nature trail system due to competition between mountain bikers and hikers as has occurred in other communities with dual purpose trails.
  7. Environmental groups propose to designate Gans Creek Nature Preserve (about 140 acres) within Gans Creek Recreation Area (about 320 acres) and limit development to uses that are compatible with the sensitive natural features, such as nature trails, and preserve and improve the core connectivity with Gans Creek Wild Area. Ecological restoration should be a focus of future management plans.

 

Tue. Apr. 1, 2025

Note from the President

by Lottie Bushmann

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 me a few times to remember the migrants from last spring, but every year it comes back a little quicker. Don’t be daunted—pull out your Merlin and start hunting. You’re sure to find a jewel among the branches.

I hope that you’ll plan to make CAS events a part of your spring. We have a very different April general meeting. It will be held at Ellis Library, adjacent to the Museum of Art and Archaeology, where Dr. Alicia Dissinger will talk to us about her research into bird imagery on ancient pottery. We can test our skills with a visit into the museum immediately after her talk. She will be here on campus for two talks, and you’re invited to both! Check out the details (including where to park) on our website and in this month’s Chat.

We have fabulous field trip birding opportunities available as well, and I hope you can join us for one or all of them. Nothing improves birding skills quite like hanging out with an expert that can zero you in on the important details to notice. It’s also a great way to meet like-minded folks and perhaps meet a new friend that you might enjoy birding with.

We had a fantastic March meeting, with Isaac Breuer sharing with us all the native plant work they have done at the A. L. Gustin golf course on the MU campus. Plans are in the works for an evening field trip to bird the golf course with Isaac. Watch the Chat next month for details.

You may have noticed a lot of emails from Audubon asking for volunteers to help with invasives control at Wild Haven. We have a young man working with us (using funds from a donation for this purpose) and more folks makes for greater coverage. Wild Haven is a jewel of a property and looking better by the day. Thanks to all who’ve participated, and I want to encourage you to check it out if you’re so inclined.

Happy Spring! Hope to see you on the trail!

 

Mon. Mar. 3, 2025

Article with CAS Representing on the Big Business of Birding

by Allison Vaughn

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

Columbia Audubon Society is supported in part by a generous contribution from


2010 Chapel Plaza Court, Suite C • Columbia, MO 65203 • 573-446-5941

Upcoming Events

October Membership Meeting: “Monarchs, Milkweed, and the Milky Way” by Dr. Vayujeet Gokhale

Tuesday, October 28, 2025 | 6-7:30 PM

First Friday Bird Hike: 3M Wetlands

Friday, November 7, 2025 | 8:00 a.m.

Birds and Brews: Stephens Lake Trip + Logboat Social

Sunday, November 16, 2025 | 2:30 PM (field trip); 3:30 PM (social)

November Membership Meeting: Greg Renner on the history and artistry of decoy making

November 19, 2025 | 7-8 PM

Black(bird) Friday: Evening at a Boone County Roost

Black Friday, November 28, 2025 | 4:00 p.m.

First Friday Bird Hike: 3M Wetlands

Friday, December 5, 2025 | 8:00 a.m.

Self-guided moss walk: Wild Haven Nature Area

Date/time of your choice

Winter Weeknight Social at Bur Oak Brewing Co.

Tuesday, January 13, 2026 | 5:00 PM to ~6:30 PM