Monthly Program

Join Brian Zwiebel of Sabrewing Nature Tours for an informative presentation on beginning and intermediate bird photography. This introductory program is great for beginners and will offer a few nuggets for the intermediate shooter as well. Learn what Brian does, and what you should do too, every time you get your hands on a new digital camera. Discover what a histogram is, how to read it, and how to use it to make better exposures. Speaking of exposures, you will learn which exposure modes Brian uses in various situations and why. Learn to improve your images with better compositions and backgrounds, as well as how to improve your action and behavior images. All of this and much more will be included in the program and each talking point supported by Brian’s award-winning photography. This will be an online program using Zoom. Participants will register using Eventbrite and there will be a limit of 90.

David Rupp, owner of IndiGo Birding Nature Tours in Bloomington, will give a presentation about birding in Belize, an emerging destination in Central America. David fell in love with Belize on his first visit and has led multiple birding tours to Belize since. The presentation will feature photos from recent tour participants as well as from Belizean photographers. Belize is only the size of Massachusetts but has a bird list of nearly 600 species. David will introduce you to the different regions of the country, some unique birds you can find, and give some examples of the variety of lodging that could fit a tight budget or provide a luxurious experience. This will be an online program using Zoom.

Join Ryan Slack for our September program about bats. He will touch upon everything from myths surrounding bats, their classification and specialized anatomy, their habits, conservation, why bats are important, the threats they face, bat species native to Indiana, the truth about bats and rabies, and the latest in bat call analysis. Ryan holds a BS from Purdue University in Wildlife Science.

Join Chuck Anderson, ABAS President and Field Trip Chair, for an informative program about the Brown Bears of McNeil River State Game Sanctuary in Alaska. Chuck will share his four-day experience watching Brown Bears interact, feed, sleep and play.  Many of the bears photographed were within 25 feet and one curious cub came within 5 feet before mom called him back to her side.

Join Geriann Albers as she tells us the story of Bobcats in Indiana. Geriann is a Furbearer Biologist for the Indiana DNR.  She received her Bachelors in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences from the University of Illinois and her Masters in Wildlife Management from West Virginia University in 2012.  She starting with the Indiana DNR in May 2017.

Join Jenna McElroy, Assistant Park Manager, and Rachael Ledbetter, Naturalist, to learn how the Eagle Creek Ornithology Center’s Raptor Ambassadors are trained for educational programs. Jenna and Rachael will share their training successes and challenges through video clips and with some help from a few of their feathered coworkers.

Join ABAS Past President and Sabrewing Nature Tours owner Rob Ripma as he takes us on an exciting journey through the beautiful nation of Costa Rica.

This event is CANCELED. Join Jessica Helmbold, ABAS Education Chair, for her presentation on birds and Valentine's Day. Who created Valentine’s Day and when and why did they choose to incorporate birds?  Learn about the history of this popular holiday and the role birds played in making it what it is today.

Join Indiana birder and outstanding photographer, Shari McCollough, as she relates her experiences leading birding adventures to Sax-Zim Bog, north of Duluth, MN, in the middle of winter.  Sax-Zim Bog is THE place to see northern owl species, specialty woodpeckers, and finches in winter.  There were many days that the temperatures never rose above zero degrees and the winds were savage, but the birding was fantastic.

Join presenters Laurie Voss and Jeremiah Oden as they share their stories as they relate to taking part in an Indiana Birding Big Year in 2021.  Hear about all the planning required, miles driven, chasing rarities, and their most noteworthy sightings and memorable disappointments.

Join Mike Timmons, an outstanding birder, and photographer, as he shares his photos and experiences from previous birding adventures to Southeast Arizona.

Join well respected birder and Indiana Audubon Society birding tour leader Mark Welter as he relates his experiences and shares his photos from his Spring, 2022 birding adventure to the Rio Grande Valley. 

Owls cannot swivel their eyes and must turn their head to see objects not directly in front of them. Bulls are enraged by the color red. Fact or fiction? Join Amanda Smith, Hamilton County Parks Superintendent of Natural Resources and Education, to find out the answers.

Join Stephanie Schmidt, International Crane Foundation advocate, as she provides an update on the ICF Whooping Crane reintroduction program, and the status of their outreach campaign in Indiana.

Join Dr. Dean Wiseman, professor of Biology at University of Indianapolis, for his presentation on caves in Indiana and learn ways to get involved in the local speleological community.

Join Indiana Wildlife Federation's Habitat Programs Manager Aaron Stump for his presentation of The Certified Wildlife Habitat Workshop.

Join Sam Newkirk, ABAS Program Chair, for an informative discussion on Inclusive & Accessible Birding.

Join Rob Ripma, ABAS Past President and owner of Sabrewing Nature Tours, as he talks about some of his favorite birding sites in Colombia.

Join us this April for a discussion with Cliff Chapman, Executive Director of the Central Indiana Land Trust. Cliff will review the natural history of Indiana and the history of our state’s conservation areas.

Join us this May for a discussion with Dr. Kamal Islam—Professor of Wildlife Biology at Ball State University. Dr. Kamal Islam has been conducting research since 2000 focused on investigating factors that may be contributing to the decline of Cerulean Warbler breeding populations in southern Indiana.