ABAS Event Calendar
Featured Events
Newfields Bird Hike
Virginia B Fairbanks Art & Nature Park: 100 Acres at Newfields 1550 W 38th St, Indianapolis, IN, United StatesABAS is excited to partner with The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park at Newfields for bird hikes on this beautiful property along the White River and Central Canal. The first hike will be led by ABAS President Rob Ripma. Meet at Lake Terrace in the Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park: 100 Acres. The hike is free and open to the public. Registration is requested by emailing us at info@amosbutleraudubon.org. Join us as we explore the nesting species of this wonderful property.
Beers with Birders
Urban Vines Winery & Brewery 303 E 161st St, Westfield, IN, United StatesJoin ABAS for an evening at Urban Vines Winery & Brewery. We will meet from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm to collectively share our birding experiences and adventures at this informal gathering. This event is open to the public. Please email info@amosbutleraudubon.org if you plan to join us so we can be aware of how many will be attending.
Zionsville Birding Trifecta and Social
Elm Street Green Parking Lot 165 North Elm Street, Zionsville, IN, United StatesJoin Zionsville birders Jonathan and Whitney Yoerger for a birding trifecta to search for fall migrants, followed by an optional happy hour at Cobblestone Grill on Main Street. During the trifecta, you'll get an overview of three town parks offering small-scale scrub, riparian, and grassland habitats. Bring your own binoculars and meet at 1:00 pm in the Elm Street Green parking lot at 165 North Elm Street. Please note this is a 2.5-mile, afternoon birding walk.
Indiana Raptor Center
Holliday Park Nature Center 6363 Spring Mill Road, Indianapolis, IN, United StatesWho doesn’t love raptors? And, who doesn’t love learning more about them? Join us as we host the Indiana Raptor Center alongside some of their Education Ambassadors ... raptors! The presentation will introduce you to the world of raptors along with some of the current projects of the Center. ABAS Birdathon grants have supported the Center each year since 2015.
Fall Sparrow Field Trip at Lebanon Business Park
Lebanon Business Park - Meet at Dick's Sporting Goods 6030 West 86th St, Indianapolis, IN, United StatesJoin Scott Enochs as he leads you on a field trip to a local hotspot in search of resident and migratory sparrows. Our target sparrows will be Song, Field, Swamp, Lincoln’s, Vesper, White-throated, White-crowned, Nelson’s and LeConte’s. Due to parking limitations, group size will be limited to 12 participants.
Owls of Indiana for Kids
Cool Creek Nature Center 2000-1 East 151st Street, Carmel, IN, United StatesMark Booth with Take Flight Wildlife Education will be visiting the Cool Creek Nature Center and bringing a few owls that are found in Indiana. He’ll share some of the amazing adaptations that these birds have! This Hamilton County Parks program is for school-aged children. It is free and no registration is required.
CILTI Hike at the Fred and Dorothy Meyer Nature Preserve
CILTI Fred and Dorothy Nature Preserve 2600 N Old State Rd 67, Martinsville, IN, United StatesJoin the Central Indiana Land Trust (CILTI) for a fall hike at the Fred and Dorothy Meyer Preserve. This is a moderately difficult hike with some slopes and steep areas. The hike should present a beautiful sneak peek of fall colors in this Morgan County forest. This hike will be led by CILTI’s Stewardship Manager, Jamison Hutchins. The trail is considered moderate and appropriate for hikers who can handle some steep hills. Space is limited for this hike, so please register.
Birds of Great Britain
Holliday Park Nature Center 6363 Spring Mill Road, Indianapolis, IN, United StatesJoin Jessica Helmbold, ABAS Education Chair, as she unravels the mystery surrounding birds of Great Britain. How are British birds similar or different from US birds? Hint: it's not their accents! Step into the avian world of our neighbors across the pond.
Fall Birding at Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge
Muscatatuck NWR 12985 East US Highway 50, Seymour, IN, United StatesJoin ABAS Education Chair, Jessica Helmbold, for a day of celebrating the best of fall. Enjoy southern Indiana fall colors, fall waterfowl migration, and delicious hot fall beverages along with snacks and lunch at the picturesque Stream Cliff Farm Farm Winery in Commiskey, Indiana. Registration is requested by emailing Jessica at jh_beagle@hotmail.com. Please indicate if you plan to join us for lunch so we can make reservations at the restaurant. For those interested in carpooling, we will be meeting at 7:30 am at the Wal-Mart at County Line and Emerson. It's exit 101 off I-65. If you'd like to meet us at the refuge we'll be there between 8:30 am and 9:00 am.
CILTI Hike at Portland Arch
Portland Arch Nature Preserve 1332-1598 W Scout Camp Rd, Covington, IN, United StatesWalk off your turkey and stuffing with Central Indiana Land Trust (CILTI) as Executive Director Cliff Chapman leads us on a Black Friday hike through this stunning Fountain County nature preserve. Owned and managed by the Indiana Division of Nature Preserves, Portland Arch features a dramatic sandstone gorge, a lovely creek, and several different habitats: forest, open prairie, spring-seep wetlands, and savannas. This is a rugged hike with some challenging terrain. Participants should wear sturdy shoes for hiking. Conditions may be muddy or wet. Space is limited for this hike, so please register. Register at CILTI’s event page. Contact CILTI at info@conservingindiana.org for any questions, or to be put on the waiting list if spaces are full.
Newfields Bird Hike
Virginia B Fairbanks Art & Nature Park: 100 Acres at Newfields 1550 W 38th St, Indianapolis, IN, United StatesABAS is excited to partner with The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park at Newfields for bird hikes on this beautiful property along the White River and Central Canal. The first hike will be led by ABAS President Rob Ripma. Meet at Lake Terrace in the Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park: 100 Acres. The hike is free and open to the public. Registration is requested by emailing us at info@amosbutleraudubon.org. Join us as we explore the nesting species of this wonderful property.
Antarctica Field Research
Holliday Park Nature Center 6363 Spring Mill Road, Indianapolis, IN, United StatesJoin Dan Boritt, Holliday Park Manager, for an informative discussion of the time he spent doing field research in Antarctica. Weddell Seals inhabit one of the most inhospitable places on earth. How can they reproduce in such a place? How do people live there? Come and learn how these seals survive, how the researchers survive, and some chance encounters with the few birds that call this land home!
Beers with Birders
Metazoa Brewing Company 140 South College Avenue, Indianapolis, INJoin ABAS for an evening a Metazoa Brewing Company. We will meet from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm to collectively share our birding experiences and adventures at this informal gathering.
CILTI Hike at Meltzer Woods
CILTI Meltzer Woods Nature Preserve 1522 South County Road 600 East, Shelbyville, IN, United StatesJoin the Central Indiana Land Trust (CILTI) for a guided hike through the always compelling Meltzer Woods. CILTI’s Executive Director, Cliff Chapman, will lead us in exploring winter ecology in this beautiful old-growth forest. Meltzer Woods is located near Shelbyville and is a short 45-minute drive from Indianapolis. Space is limited for this hike, so please register. Register at CILTI’s event page.
Bird Photography Walk at Eagle Creek
Eagle Creek Park Ornithology Center 6515 Delong Road, Indianapolis, IN, United StatesJoin Amy Hodson on a walk at Eagle Creek Park to photograph birds. All levels of photography are welcome, especially beginners! Don’t have camera gear quite yet, but still want to learn? This will be a great opportunity to learn about the basics of bird photography.The group will meet at the Ornithology Center to practice shooting at the feeders. We will then head into the park to see what lingering spring migrants and resident nesting birds we can find!Registration is required. Please RSVP for this event by emailing info@amosbutleraudubon.org. Although there is no fee for this walk, park entrance fees apply.
Celery Bog Nature Area Field Trip
Celery Bog Nature Area 1620 Lindberg Rd, West Lafayette, IN, United StatesJoin new ABAS Field Trip Chair Chuck Anderson for a field trip to Celery Bog Nature Area near West Lafayette. This will be a great opportunity to view waterfowl and year-round resident birds. Target birds are Redhead and Canvasback ducks with a possibility of spotting a Long-tailed Duck. Snow Goose and Greater White-fronted Goose also frequent the bog. We'll meet at 8:00 am at the Marathon gas station located at the I65 exit #175 Lafayette/Delphi and caravan from there. The trip is limited to 12 participants and registration is required.
The Best of Birding in Central America – Which Country is Right for You?
Holliday Park Nature Center 6363 Spring Mill Road, Indianapolis, IN, United StatesJoin ABAS President and Sabrewing Nature Tours owner Rob Ripma as he explains what factors you should consider when deciding which country in Central America you want to visit. From birding and experiencing the culture of Guatemala to discovering the remote and exciting Darién province in Panama, Rob will help you explore all the best birding options in this incredible region!
Bird Photography Walk at Eagle Creek
Eagle Creek Park Ornithology Center 6515 Delong Road, Indianapolis, IN, United StatesJoin Amy Hodson on a walk at Eagle Creek Park to photograph birds. All levels of photography are welcome, especially beginners! Don’t have camera gear quite yet, but still want to learn? This will be a great opportunity to learn about the basics of bird photography.The group will meet at the Ornithology Center to practice shooting at the feeders. We will then head into the park to see what lingering spring migrants and resident nesting birds we can find!Registration is required. Please RSVP for this event by emailing info@amosbutleraudubon.org. Although there is no fee for this walk, park entrance fees apply.
Winter Lakefront Field Trip
Meet at Menards in Lebanon 402 Sam Ralston Rd, Lebanon, IN, United StatesJoin birders extraordinaire Lisa and Randy Vanderbilt as they lead you in search of wintering gulls, waterfowl and any vagrants that may be in the area at the Indiana Lake Michigan lakeshore. We will meet at the Menards off I65 exit #140 in Lebanon at 6:30 am and caravan/carpool to the lakefront. We will spend the morning and early afternoon visiting various sites around the Indiana lakeshore. Little time will be spent hiking, though some hiking terrain would be considered moderate to rugged. Make sure you dress appropriately for the weather conditions, Most of the time will be spent traveling to as many sites as possible to scan the lake. There will be a break for lunch in the Gary/Chesterton area. The event is free and open to the public. Registration is not required but appreciated.
The Secret Love Life of Birds
Holliday Park Nature Center 6363 Spring Mill Road, Indianapolis, IN, United StatesJoin John and Will Schaust as they share research on the pair-bonding strategy of birds through some fascinating facts and humorous analogies to our own crazy courtship behaviors.