Our fall meetings have resumed! We’re still not planning on meeting in person until early 2022, but we hope to see you on Zoom as well as on our local field trips.
Be sure to check out our YouTube channel if you’d like see some of our speakers from our previous meetings.
All of our meetings are now recorded and can be viewed on our YouTube channel here.
November 17 / Scott Somershoe
7:00 pm
Aiken Audubon Monthly Meeting
Green Big Year
The Colorado birding community lost one of its pillars when Joe Roller passed away in November 2020. Joe was a fount of birding lore and loved people as much as birds. Many considered him a beloved friend. To honor Joe’s legacy, Scott partnered with Colorado Field Ornithologists (CFO) and created the Joe Roller Memorial Grant to support bird research in Colorado. The grant will be initially funded by pledges raised through Scott’s 2021 Green Big Year, a green (carbon-free) birding initiative. Scott will give a first-hand account of his Green Big Year that has tallied more than 250 species within biking distance of his home in Littleton, CO.
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Link TBA
PREVIOUS MEETINGS
October 20 / Amy Seglund (Colorado Parks and Wildlife) and Greg Wann (USGS)
7:00 pm
Birds of the Alpine – White-tailed Ptarmigan and Brown-capped Rosy Finch
Though many intrepid explorers hike Colorado’s high elevation mountains, only a lucky few get to view the magical birds of the alpine – the southern white-tailed ptarmigan and brown-capped rosy-finch. Ptarmigan, in almost a constant state of molt, use their remarkable camouflage to disappear from predators and human alike whereas rosy-finches breed in steep, inaccessible cliffs at extreme elevations. Come learn about these incredible birds and gain an appreciation of how they survive and thrive in the harsh alpine tundra of Colorado. Two researchers, Amy Seglund (Colorado Parks and Wildlife) and Greg Wann (former graduate student at Colorado State University) will take you on a journey to describe both the natural history of ptarmigan and rosy-finches as well as share results of their research findings that have spanned over 10 years. Together their research has helped provide a better understanding of the distribution and health of these species in Colorado, in addition to identifying threats that may impact populations into the future.
September 15 / Angela Dwyer, Bird Conservancy of the Rockies
7:00 pm
Aiken Audubon Monthly Meeting
Mountain Plover Conservation
What do you know about the Mountain Plover? A “shorebird” of sorts, that doesn’t use the shore…much. This plover, unlike many other plovers, uses habitats only found in the Great Plains and is often found on private lands in agricultural settings. Working with private land owners is key to securing the future of this once common shorebird. Join Bird Conservancy of the Rockies Habitat Coordinator Angela Dwyer to learn about how they have worked to conserve Mountain Plovers and their habitats in the Great Plains.
Angela Dwyer has been a Habitat Coordinator with Bird Conservancy of the Rockies since 2012. She has a Master’s Degree in Wildlife Management from Stephen F. Austin State University. After graduate school, she worked in bird conservation for the National Audubon Society in both North Carolina and Colorado. At Bird Conservancy, she works at the intersection of grassland bird conservation and collaboration on private lands. She works on several collaborative conservation projects and oversees four Private Lands Wildlife Biologists. She is passionate to share more about the natural connections with birds and livestock on our grassland ecosystems.
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https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83921993365?pwd=ampjWStKeVBxSGRWeUJCbzFWNEQwZz09
April 21 / Abby Burk, Western Rivers Regional Program Manager for Audubon Rockies
7:00 pm
Aiken Audubon Monthly Meeting
Healthy Freshwater Ecosystems for Birds and People
Water connects us all. Clean and reliable water supplies are essential to our 400+ species of birds and way of life in Colorado. All of us
depend on healthy flowing rivers: agricultural producers, cities and towns, businesses, recreation, and the environment. Join the water discussion and find out why 2021 is a big year for Colorado water. Amid the update of the Colorado Water Plan, the beginning of the renegotiation around the Colorado River, drought, and wildfire resilience and recovery, one thing is clear: we all play a role in sustaining Colorado’s water future.
Join Abby Burk, western rivers regional program manager for Audubon Rockies, for an engaging presentation on freshwater ecosystems, current issues in Colorado water and what all of this means for birds and people.
Click the link below to join the presentation. Room opens at approximately 6:45.
https://zoom.us/j/3197413588?pwd=cXlvNzJ5UmQ3bm9GMlBoakQxNE5jQT09
April 21 / Daly Edmunds / Audubon Rockies
7:00 pm
Aiken Audubon Monthly Meeting
Greater Sage-Grouse: Largest Conservation Effort in U.S. History
Greater sage-grouse are symbolic of the vast open lands of the West. This imperiled bird has brought unexpected partners together and been the center of unprecedented conservation actions. However, these actions were never given a chance to be implemented. With habitat conditions degrading, will a change in political leaders and new science reinvigorate efforts to protect this bird and sagebrush country?
Daly Edmunds is Director of Policy & Outreach for Audubon Rockies. Daly is responsible for furthering the Sagebrush Ecosystem Initiative on a state and regional scale – working with government representatives, conservation organizations, and community leaders throughout the West.
Use this link to join the meeting from a computer or the Zoom app: https://zoom.us/j/97017360441?pwd=bkhHSkt5eFFzdTFJR3gvbEhVeTc1Zz09
Photo: Greater Sage-Grouse / Evan Barrientos / Audubon Rockies
Aiken Audubon Monthly Meeting
Bird migration in the 21st century: Tools for monitoring and conservation strategies
Spring bird migration is officially underway! The notion of hundreds of millions, if not billions, of migratory birds passing in and out of broad geographic areas is of considerable public and ecological interest – and of conservation concern. Capturing and quantify these large-scale movements has remained a principle challenge. Kyle Horton, Colorado State University assistant professor, will discuss how he uses weather surveillance radar to forecast migratory movements across the United States.
If you are on our email list, we’ll send out a link to the meeting a few days prior. You can also get the link by registering (FREE!) on Eventbrite.
Aiken Audubon nature art program featuring Christine Hubbell
Have you ever wondered how artists create realistic paintings of birds and plants? Join Christine Hubbell for a brief journey through one artist’s artistic process. Christine will describe the stages of creating a Long-eared Owl illustration for the Pikes Peak Birding and Nature Festival, including working with reference photos, composing, sketching, and rendering. There will be time for questions, a demo, and a bird sketch-along! 60 minutes via Zoom. Be sure to have a few pieces of paper (or sketchpad) and pencil handy so you can have a hands on experience!
To recieve the Zoom link for the program, register via EventBrite below or check your inbox from an email from Aiken!
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/aiken-audubon-nature-art-program-featuring-christine-hubbell-tickets-141492681419
All Aiken programs are now taking place on Zoom until further notice. Instructions for each meeting are emailed the week before the meeting. To receive emails, sign up for our email list! Or just email [email protected] for instructions. Hope to see everyone – virtually – very soon!
No Boundaries for Wildlife: Saving Tropical Birds in the Pikes Peak Region
Nic Korte is a forty-year resident of Grand Junction, Colorado. He has been the Conservation Chairman for Grand Valley Audubon for more than two decades. Simultaneously, he has led a Western Screech-Owl project that has engaged several hundred Grand Valley citizens and has resulted in record counts of this small native owl. His volunteer work in the conservation community culminated in his being the 2015 recipient of the Richard G. Levad Award, awarded by the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies which recognizes individuals who “have provided distinguished service to the ornithological community, made scholarly contributions to the field of ornithology and/ or have enthused others about conserving birds and their habitats.” In July 2019, nominated by Audubon Rockies, Nic received the William Dutcher Award from the National Audubon Society for his “leadership in the birding community of Western Colorado for over four decades and his continual voice for the environment, birds, and the conservation challenges they face every day.” In 2020, Ten Jungle Days, Nic’s paean to the tropical rain forest combined with memoir and thoughts on the future, was published by Outskirts Press.
Nic Korte has journeyed to the American tropics (Mexico, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, Panama) more than 40 times and has personally documented sightings of more than 2000 species of birds. He has had the good fortune of many marvelous experiences but has also witnessed much destruction and loss. These observations have resulted in his upcoming presentation entitled “There are no boundaries for wildlife: Saving Tropical Birds in The Pike’s Peak Region.”
All Aiken programs are now taking place on Zoom until further notice. Instructions for each meeting are emailed the week before the meeting. To receive emails, sign up for our email list! Or just email [email protected] for instructions. Hope to see everyone – virtually – very soon!
Come join us!
All Aiken programs are now taking place on Zoom until further notice. Instructions for each meeting are emailed the week before the meeting. To receive emails, sign up for our email list! Or just email [email protected] for instructions. Hope to see everyone – virtually – very soon!
Aiken Audubon programs are free and open to the public. They are held at Bear Creek Nature Center, located at 245 Bear Creek Road, Colorado Springs, 80906. Coffee, snacks, and socializing begins at 6:30 pm and programs begin at 7 pm.
Aiken’s weather cancellation policy: Sometimes inclement weather may cause us to cancel an Aiken meeting. If this happens, a decision will be made by 1 pm on the meeting date. Notification will be placed here our website, on our Facebook page, and sent out through our email notification list. In addition, a message will be posted on the CoBirds Listserv, which many Aiken birders subscribe to. If there is any doubt, please do not hesitate to contact any Aiken board members via telephone. Always, your safety is first so use your own judgement when coming to a meeting.
Finally, if you would like to present a program at one of our meetings, or have suggestions for a speaker and/or topic, please contact us at [email protected].
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