Oct. Cammy Sutter, executive director of the Little River Wetlands Project, told the story of Eagle Marsh, one of Indiana’s largest wetland restoration projects, and the remarkable journey that transformed flooded cornfields into a thriving 800‑acre wildlife preserve that is now home to more than 250 species of birds. She also explained the challenges ofContinue reading “2025-2026 season”
Author Archives: rcaudubon
Avian flu and backyard bird feeders
As Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) continues to take its toll on bird populations everywhere, and specifically in Indiana, many of us are wondering whether we should take down our feeders and bird baths. The latest article from Cornell Lab of Ornithology, posted on February 17, 2025, contains this advice: “There has been widespread transmissionContinue reading “Avian flu and backyard bird feeders”
50th Anniversary Celebration
Our chapter’s 50th anniversary celebration, on April 6, 2024, was a wonderful event! It brought together more than 100 past and present members and leaders, community partners, artists, and others who are as committed as we are to enjoying and protectingnature in East Central Indiana. If you couldn’t join us, here’s a glimpse of whatContinue reading “50th Anniversary Celebration”
2024-2025 season
Oct. Several RCAS members shared photos and information about a birding trip they took to the Eastern Shore of the United States, where they witnessed the May spawning of horseshoe crabs (and the birds that depend on their eggs), the migration of Red Knots (a federally threatened species) and other shorebirds, a sprawling rookery ofContinue reading “2024-2025 season”
2023-2024 season
Oct. Reed Crawford, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, gave a presentation about the bats of Indiana, including topics of interest like species diversity, roost selection, foraging ecology, and strategies for conservation in urban and rural environments. Nov. With Kamal Islam, Ball State University Professor of Ornithology, we explored some of Colombia’sContinue reading “2023-2024 season”
Miss an RCAS program?
Some of our monthly programs are available for viewing on our YouTube channel, including presentations by our 2024 conservation awards winners and our November 2024 presentation by state ornithologist Allisyn Gillet. Go to http://www.youtube.com/@robertcooperaudubonsociety7325, turn up your volume, and enjoy! And be sure to check the channel for any future programs that you miss.
2022-2023 season
Oct. Introduction to the world of orchid pollination: Following a tour of Ball State’s new Nature Lab, Carol Day, Orchid Curator of the Rinard Orchid Greenhouse, introduced us to the strategies that orchids use to entice hummingbirds, butterflies, and other insects to transfer pollen from one plant to another. Nov. Julian Grudens, a graduate studentContinue reading “2022-2023 season”
Forestry for the Birds
In summer 2022, a videographer for The Nature Conservancy spent some time with Dr. Kamal Islam and his students while they were in the field researching Cerulean Warblers in southern Indiana. The resulting 5-minute video, titled Forestry for the Birds, is available on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8BcRQoLPr0. Kamal, who is Professor of Wildlife Biology at Ball StateContinue reading “Forestry for the Birds”
Audubon Bird Guide app
The National Audubon Society has released an updated version of its Audubon Bird Guide app and it’s FREE to bird-lovers nationwide! With 821 species profiles and 3200+ bird photos, Audubon’s award-winning app instantly turns any mobile device into the most trusted field guide in North America. To download the Bird Guide, go to www.audubon.org/app.
2021-22 Season
Sept. Monitoring Overwinter Survival Program: Steven Albert and Lauren Helton, of the Institute for Bird Populations, will tell us about the institute’s Monitoring Overwinter Survival (MoSI) program, an international network that helps scientists better understand the factors that affect avian population declines. Oct. Treasuries & discoveries: Chapter members shared images and stories of their 2021 birding joysContinue reading “2021-22 Season”
2020-21 Season
Oct. Stockbridge Audubon Society: Terri Gorney shared her research about the Stockbridge Audubon Society, the first Audubon chapter in Indiana and one of the oldest in the country. The chapter’s namesake, Charles Stockbridge, was a taxidermist whose collection of 200+ birds now resides at Earlham College. Nov. Voices & Vision for RCAS: In a veryContinue reading “2020-21 Season”
2019-20 Season
Oct. From cloud forests to deserts: Kamal Islam, Ball State professor of biology and RCAS board member, introduced us to the birds of Ecuador, one of the megadiverse countries of the world, with more than 1,600 species of birds. Nov. Bird of Prey film: In partnership with Ball State’s student chapter of The Wildlife Society, weContinue reading “2019-20 Season”
Robert Cooper Audubon Society 