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 2^nd 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.