Category Archives: Past Programs

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”

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”

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”

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”

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”

Oct. Welcome back the bluebirds: Christy Frampton, president of  Boone County Bluebird Society and district coordinator for the Indiana Bluebird Society, offered insights about Eastern Bluebirds’ nesting habits, why they need our help, and how to attract them.  Nov. Conservation awards program Dec. Birding close to home: Rose Jeffery, RCAS Field Trip Chair, showcased the best birdingContinue reading “2017-18 Season”

Oct. Cerulean Warbler research: Ball State graduate student Clayton Delancey presented his current research, using radio transmitters, on Cerulean Warblers, a neotropical migrant species whose status is considered threatened. Nov. Conservation awards program Dec. Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign: Jodi Perras discussed the Indiana Michigan Power/AEP Rockport power plant—the nation’s sixth-largest carbon polluter and secondContinue reading “2016-17 Season”

Oct. Bats of Indiana: Purdue biologist Ryan Slack covered a variety of topics about bats: myths, specialized adaptations, anatomy and classification, habitats, conservation, White Nose Syndrome, bat calls, rabies, and the 12 bat species found in Indiana. Nov. Conservation awards program Dec. Bird research in southern Indiana: Jeff Riegel, field supervisor of the Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment (HEE),Continue reading “2015-16 Season”

Oct. Showing of From Billions to None: The planet’s last Passenger Pigeon died in 1914, despite having numbered in the billions just a few decades before. This film recreates the species’ former glory and “the ruthless ways in which our 19th-century ancestors utterly destroyed them.” Nov. Joel Greenberg: In this special program at Minnetrista, Joel Greenberg, authorContinue reading “2014-15 Season”