Monthly Program

Wes Homoya, a native Hoosier, is an avid birder, tour guide, conservationist, and bartender, among other things. His travels and ornithological employments have allowed him to live and bird in places as varied as Maui, Brazil, the Galapagos, Hungary, SE Asia, and Ecuador. Come and test your avian skills playing one of the world's most beloved game shows.

Jessica Helmbold, ABAS Education Chair, loves coffee. Most people love coffee, though are most people as obsessed with coffee as she is? Jessica presents the history of coffee, and how to select and brew the best coffees. Clearing land for the production of staple crops such as bananas, pineapples, and coffee is one of the biggest threats to our rainforests. Coffee can grow in harmony with the rainforest. Learn how the small choices we make can make a difference. We will also sample different varieties of Rainforest Alliance coffees. Join us!

Join well known local birder and photographer, Ryan Sanderson, for an informative program on photographing birds. He will take us to the next steps, and show us how to go beyond just taking snapshots to something you might hang on your wall.

Join Danielle Williams, Whooping Crane Outreach Program Assistant for Indiana for the International Crane Foundation (ICF), for an informative program about Whooping Cranes in Indiana.  Did you know the tallest birds in North America winter right here in Indiana? Historically, this was not always the case. In this program, Danielle will discuss how the Whooping Crane made its amazing comeback from fewer than 20 individuals in the 1940s to over 800 today. Learn about the creative methods used to bring Whooping Cranes back to the eastern United States, the ongoing challenges associated with this effort, and what the ICF is doing to help these cranes right here in Indiana.

Join Matt Williams for our February program. As Director of Conservation Programs for The Nature Conservancy in Indiana, Matt will take us on a virtual tour of some of the Conservancy’s best properties around the state, and show us a photography slide show of some of the bird species that can be seen at these sites.  Matt will also tell us a bit about his new book, Endangered and Disappearing Birds of the Midwest.

Join ABAS member, shutterbug, and local birder Doug Vine as he presents photo highlights from his recent visit to South Africa. African creatures are majestic and awe-inspiring, and so are the birds! Doug's trip included a Capetown-based pelagic trip, and safaris into Kruger National Park, the Karoo, and KwaZulu-Natal regions. 

Join ABAS Board Director Brian Cunningham for an informative program about feeding the birds. Anyone who has ever fed wild birds knows that it can bring joy to their lives. But, does bird feeding just benefit people? Do the birds become dependent on the food we provide? We’ll take a look at what we have learned from various scientific studies and citizen science data on why feeding wild birds makes a difference for the health and well-being of people and for our backyard feathered visitors.

Join Brad Beaubien, Long Range Planning Administrator for the City of Indianapolis, as he presents an update on the White River Vision Plan.

Join 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!

Join 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!