Dec. 2 | 6-9 p.m. | BSU Alumni Center RSVPs to cooperaudubon@gmail.com requested by Nov. 20 Each year, the Robert Cooper Audubon Society celebrates individuals and organizations who make noteworthy contributions to conservation and environmental education in our region. On Wednesday, December 2, we will honor this year’s winners! The evening will begin with lightContinue reading “Conservation awards celebration”
Category Archives: Programs
2026-2027 season
Oct. Mary Callaghan, Indiana Assistant Outreach Biologist for the International Crane Foundation, shared information about Whooping Cranes in the Eastern Migratory Population. Her presentation explored historic threats, the reintroduction of Whooping Cranes to the Midwest, and why we consider this a story of creativity and perseverance for an endangered species whose North American population onceContinue reading “2026-2027 season”
Wild Borneo: Island of Natural Wonders
Nov. 18 | 7 p.m. | BSU Nature Lab & Zoom Borneo, the world’s third largest island, is well known for its plant and animal biodiversity. It is home to more than 620 bird species, including 60 endemic species of birds found nowhere else in the world. British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace explored Southeast AsiaContinue reading “Wild Borneo: Island of Natural Wonders”
Cranes over Indiana
Oct. 21 | 7 p.m. | BSU Nature Lab & Zoom The Whooping Crane (Grus americana) is an endangered species that once had an estimated population of 10,000 birds across North America. In 2026, there are around 700 individuals in the wild and around 130 more under human care. At our October program meeting, MaryContinue reading “Cranes over Indiana”
2025-2026 season
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”
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”
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”
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”
2018-19 Season
Oct. Undergraduate wildlife biology adventures: Kaitlin Gavenda presented her research on Northern Saw-whet Owls, and Kalee Snorden shared her experiences as an intern with Aves Argentinas. Both are in Ball State’s wildlife biology and conservation program. Nov. Bird of Prey: We co-sponsored showing of Bird of Prey, a documentary produced by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology that tells theContinue reading “2018-19 Season”
