Audubon Chapter of Minneapolis

Again this summer as part of our outreach to our northern membership, the Audubon Chapter of Minneapolis and the Izaak Walton League – Breckenridge Chapter will hold joint meetings over the summer on June 25th, July 23rd and August 27th at 7:30 pm. The meetings will be held at the Breckenridge Chapter House located at 8816 West River Road in Brooklyn Park. All programs are free and open to the public.

Tuesday, June 25: Matt Norton, Campaign Director for the Minnesota Environmental Partnership, “Process of and Materials Used in Fracking”

Tuesday, July 23: Mary Spivey, Education Coordinator, Cedar Creek Eco Science Reserve, “Education and Research at Cedar Creek (including red-headed woodpecker research)”

Tuesday, August 27 TBA

Please circle these dates on your calendar. Watch for announcements of other speakers this summer.

The Audubon Chapter of Minneapolis Board elected the following officers for the 2013-2014 fiscal year:

President Jerry Bahls
Vice-President John Arthur
Secretary Martha Allen
Treasurer Bob Dunn

The following people were elected to the ACM Board at the May Membership meeting:

Jim Sharpsteen
Siah St. Claire.

Please welcome the new officers and Board members. The Board still has three vacancies and would welcome inquiries from anyone interested in serving. Contact Jerry Bahls (763.572.2333) or Bob Papke (763.545.8072)

Experience birding like you never have before – from the middle of the river! Let Three Rivers Park District, in cooperation with the National Park Service, guide you along this little-seen part of the Mississippi River. Join Park Ranger Sharon Stiteler and West Coon Rapids Dam naturalists as we pad-dle river rafts from West Coon Rapids Dam in search of herons, eagles. and osprey, and stop on is-lands to look for many other birds that use the river corridor as their home. No paddling experience needed. Reservations are required by June 28.
Location: Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park, 10360 West River Road Brooklyn Park, MN 55444
Date &Time: Tuesday July 2nd 2013 from 7AM—10AM
Restrictions & Fees: Restricted to participants age 16 and older. $30.00 fee.
Call (763) 694-7790 for more information!

Our Sunday, May 5, 2013 trip to the Tiffany Bottoms National Wildlife Area had to be postponed due to bad weather & flooding in the area. It has been rescheduled for Sunday, September 8 from 1:00 to 5:00. Tiffany Bottoms NWA is along the Chippewa River in Buffalo County, Wisconsin. The field trip includes a ride on a narrow-gauge train through the Bottoms with several stops to walk in the area and look for resident and spring migrant birds. The cost is $20 per person, $15 for Audubon members, and $5 for children 12 and under. For reservations, contact Susan Tertell at stertell@gmail.com (preferred) or 612-729-1566. For more information including directions to Tiffany Bottoms and suggestions on what to bring, click here.

Our other Spring trip on Sunday, May 19 was a success! Click here for the list of birds seen on the trip.

Click here for the July/August issue of the Kingfisher, the chapter newsletter.

Catch the spring migrants as they pass through Roberts Bird Sanctuary! Steve Greenfield will lead walks on Saturdays from April 27 through May 25. The walks start at 8 am and last about an hour. Meet at the Sanctuary visitors shelter at 4124 Roseway Road, Minneapolis (next to the parking lot & right across the street from the Rose Garden on the north side of Lake Harriet). Free and open to everyone.

The Landscape Revival: Native Plant Expo and Market offers gardeners one convenient location to shop for Minnesota native plants from 12 local native growers and learn how to use the plants from eight conservation organizations. Accessory products such as organic compost, rain barrels and native plant seed will also be for sale. The goal of Landscape Revival is to promote the use of native plants by educating about their benefits for wildlife habitat, pollinators and water quality. The event is sponsored by Saint Paul Audubon Society, Wild Ones and Blue Thumb. One day only: Saturday, June 1 from 9 am to 3 pm at the Community Pavilion at the Roseville Rainbow Foods, 1201 Larpenteur Av W. Click here for more details

Check out this year’s Urban Birding Festival from Friday, June 7 through Sunday, June 9. It includes dozens of free birding-related events at locations all over the Twin Cities. Most events are free of charge and many are family-friendly. For more information including schedule details, click here.

The Minneapolis Audubon Society offers monthly program meetings starting at 1 pm on the second Friday of the month at Bryant Square Park, 3101 Bryant Av S, Minneapolis (SE corner of Bryant Av S & W 31st St). The programs are free and open to the public. There are no MAS summer programs; check back in June for the schedule of 2013-2014 programs starting in September.