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Share your time with AWBAS. Our volunteers are from all walks of life and various levels of experience. We'll find a place specifically for you. Click here.

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Enjoy Indiana birds. From your backyard to the back woods. Find the latest scheduled birding trips and programs. Click here.

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Amos Butler Audubon Soc.
PO Box 80024
Indianapolis, IN 46280
317-299-5675
Don Gorney, President

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Funding Guidelines

The Amos W. Butler Audubon Society (AWBAS) provides funds for projects that support the Society's mission.
Learn more and submit a request for funding.
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BIRDING TRIPS & PROGRAMS

Monthly Events

All programs are held at the Holliday Park Nature Center, 6363 Spring Mill Road, Indianapolis, at 7:30 p.m. the second Tuesday of the month unless otherwise noted. They are free and open to the public. Information: Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call (317) 293-5483.

 

Tuesday, February 9: Indiana State Bird Conservation Plan

Presenter: Ross Brittain, Director of Bird Conservation for Indiana

Two years ago, while a student at Indiana University, Ross Brittain gave an exceptional presentation about his research findings on the migration of Northern Saw-whet Owls through Indiana.  IIn September, National Audubon Society appointed Ross as the Director of Bird Conservation for Indiana, and he has since been drafting conservation plans for Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Area and for the entire state.  Come and hear Ross discuss his thoughts, goals and priorities for continued and new conservation efforts to assist both endangered and more common birds in our state.

 

Tuesday, March 9: Antarctic Birding
Presenter:  Betsy Wilson, Long-time AWBAS member and dedicated participant on the Indy Parks Birdathon team

Betsy will take us to the other end of the globe for a look at the birds and bird behavior she experienced on recent expeditions to Antarctica and the sub-antarctic islands associated with Shackleton's legendary voyage.

 

Upcoming Events

 

Great Backyard Bird Count

February 12-15; submit checklists to birdcount.org

The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) will be held February 12-15. Grab your binoculars and head out to your favorite location or relax at home and watch your feeders. Whatever you decide to do, make sure you report your results online at www.birdcount.org. Taking part in the GBBC is a great way to get outside with family and friends, have fun, and help track bird trends—all at the same time. Anyone who can identify even a few species can provide important information that enables scientists to learn more about how the environment is changing and how that affects conservation priorities. AWBAS will be hosting events to help celebrate the GBBC.

Citizen Scientists Studying at Home
February 12, 10 a.m. or 1 p.m.
Cool Creek Park Nature Center, 2000 E. 151st Street, Carmel

Citizen science is important to many research activities. This program will inform homeschool families about citizen science activities while exploring what kinds of birds spend the winter in Indiana. Activities will include a classroom presentation and time spent watching birds. After the presentation, the participants will know about citizen science activities, resources available to them, and will have a better knowledge of winter birdlife in Indiana. Citizen scientists of all ages and experience levels are encouraged to come. Join us for this wonderful event that benefits both birds and people.
Pre-registration is required for this free 1.5-hour program. We will give the same program twice, so register for just one time slot. To register, call the Cool Creek Nature Center at 317-774-2500 or e-mail Amanda Smith at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Window to Birdwatching
February 13, 9 a.m. to noon
Holliday Park Nature Center, 6363 Spring Mill Road, Indianapolis

Bring the family and watch the Holliday Park Nature Center bird feeders at any time between
9 a.m. and noon. Members of AWBAS will be on hand to provide information about the birds being seen, identification tips, and resources available for new birdwatchers, and to answer questions. This program is geared especially for children. If weather permits, we will offer short bird hikes near the nature center. Come any time between 9 a.m. and noon for this free event.

Learn your Ducks!
February 13, 10 a.m. to noon
Eagle Creek Park Ornithology Center 71st Street, west of Lafayette Road

The open water of Eagle Creek reservoir attracts many migrating waterfowl. Learn who they are, where they have been, and where they are going. Duck identification and habits will be part of this program. Note: This program by Kevin Carlsen is offered through Indy Parks; registration is $5.  To register, please call 317-327-7275 and use program code 146037.

 

On Your Own

February 15

Wherever you might be on President’s Day, take at least a few moments to count the birds. Go online at www.birdcount.org and input your observations. Input a checklist for every location where you count birds.

 

To view links to calendars of other Audubon chapters in Indiana, click here.

 

Bird Walks and Field Trips

Birders

Read "Tips for Field Trip Participants"

Bird Walks

Beginning Bird Hikes

Leader: Amanda Smith and others

Each Wednesday (except for the first Wednesday of the month) and every other Sunday  in January (January 10, 13, 20, 24, 27) and February (7, 10, 17, 21, 24).  Meet in the north parking lot (past the nature center) at 8:00 a.m.

Cool Creek Park, Carmel, 2000 E. 151st Street

 

Strawtown Koteewi Park
Noblesville, 12308 Strawtown Avenue

Join Amanda Smith on the first Wednesday of the month (January 6, February 3, March 3).
Meet at the Taylor Center of Natural History at 9:00 a.m.

 

Eagle Creek - Bird Hikes

Each Sunday year-round at Eagle Creek Park. Meet at 9 a.m. at the Ornithology Center.

Eagle Creek Park, Indianapolis
71st Street, west of Lafayette Road

 

EcoLab Bird Hikes

Every Wednesday at 8 am. Meet David Benson, EcoLab Director, at the St. Francis Colonnade. No bird walks 12/23 and 12/30. Explore the Marian University EcoLab while identifying and learning about the birds we encounter in this historic and natural landscape.

Marian University EcoLab
3200 Cold Spring Road
The EcoLab is on the North end of the Marian University campus at 3200 Cold Spring Road in Indianapolis. Enter at the northern-most entrance (at a large, blue “Civic Theatre at Marian University” sign). The St. Francis colonnade will be on your right, next to Allison Mansion, and Marian Hall is the large hall on your left with “Marian College” written across the front. Feel free to park in the main lot in front of Marian Hall or in any parking area. Write This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information.

 



 
About Us Print E-mail
The Amos W. Butler Audubon Society was first established in 1938 as the Indiana Audubon Society Amos W. Butler District. In 1952 the name was changed in conjunction with the Board's decision to officially became a grassroots chapter of the the National Audubon Society. If you are wondering who Amos W. Butler was, he was a man widely considered to be Indiana's greatest naturalist. Among his many accomplishments, in 1890 Amos Butler published The Birds of Indiana, the first book of its kind for the state. 

The mission of the Amos W. Butler Audubon Society is "To promote the enjoyment and stewardship of birds in Central Indiana". We do this by:
  • Hosting monthly educational meetings with presentations on a wide variety of topics
  • Offering field trips throughout the state and beyond
  • Monitoring and addressing issues in Indiana that involve birds and their habitat partnering with other organizations to protect and preserve birds and their habitats.
Our chapter covers Indianapolis that is Marion County and all of the surrounding counties including Boone, Hendricks, Hamilton, Hancock, Johnson, and Shelby Counties.

Amos W. Butler Audubon has a long and successful history of championing the cause of birds in central Indiana. Some of the recent Amos W. Butler Audubon Society accomplishments include assisting in the purchase and preservation of the largest rookery of Great Blue Herons in Indiana. Now called the Millard Sutton/ Amos Butler Audubon Sanctuary, AWBAS was a major financial contributor toward the purchase of the 76 acres of wooded land along an oxbow of the White River in Johnson County, south of Indianapolis. Approximately 500 active nests were counted at this site in a 1998 study.

More recently AWBAS assisted in the purchase and preservation of Burr Oak Bend, a 120-acre site along the White River in Hamilton County, north of Indianapolis. The site is an extensive intact forested riparian corridor along a high quality stretch of the White River. It is being restored from an agricultural field to 31.5 acres of mixed hardwood forest and 12.5 acres of prairie.

As a 501C-3 non-profit organization, our primary fundraising efforts take place during our annual Birdathon Event in the Springtime. AWBAS has had great success with this event and has been frequently recognized as one of the nations top 10 fundraisers. This consistent achievement is largely the fruit of the notable commitment and work done by the long-time Birdathon Chairperson Donna McCarty.

To view a list of current Officers and Directors of the Amos W. Butler Audubon Society, click here.

To read our 2009 Annual Update (PDF format), click here.

To learn about Audubon's Important Bird Areas Program, especially our Indiana program, click here.

To read the History of the Amos W. Butler Audubon Society, by Charles Keller, click here.

To read Common Birds of Indiana (1945), by Earl Brooks (PDF format), click here.

To read the Breeding Birds of Eagle Creek Park - Summer 2006, by James Cole (PDF format), click here.

To read about Sassafras Audubon's Birding Guide to South-Central Indiana, click here.

To read the IDNS's Rare and Endangered Animals of Indiana, click here.


AWBAS region
 
Birdathon Print E-mail

The 2009 Birdathon Cup Runneth Over!


With this year’s dire economic climate we didn’t know what to expect. We had never attempted a Birdathon during a time when so many of our citizens have felt compelled to cut back on their spending. When the Birdathon committee approved the grant requests in early March, the members felt it was prudent to notify the two largest grant recipients ($12,000 for American Bird Conservancy’s Cerulean Warbler project in Colombia and  $5,000 for the Eagle Creek Park Ornithology Center) that we might not be able to fulfill their entire request. We set our goal for $21,867 and hoped for the best. Well, we got the best — and then some! This may be a slightly overused word, but I have to say that our teams, volunteers and sponsors are AWESOME!

Read more...
 
LightsOutIndy Program Print E-mail
During 2008, the Amos W. Butler Audubon Society awarded a $1,500 grant to the Lights Out Indy initiative. The purpose of the program is to reduce the amount of lighting in downtown Indianapolis during critical migration months to reduce bird mortality. Excess lighting causes birds to become confused and once trapped in a highly developed area they frequently collide with buildings. According to the USFWS, building collisions result in the death of at least 100 million birds each year. In addition to a reduction in bird mortality, Lights Out Indy will result in cost savings to participating building owners and managers through a decrease in the amount of energy consumed. In other words, everyone wins!
Read more...
 
Get Involved -- State/National Conservation Issues Print E-mail

Audubon Lawmaker Positions
Audubon Newswire
Audubon Take Action
Contacting your Indiana Legislator
Cornell University's Citizen Science Program
U.S. Congressional Information

 
Get Involved -- Local Conservation Issues Print E-mail

Help designate Indiana Important Bird Areas

Habitat loss and fragmentation are the most serious threats facing bird populations across America and around the world. Important Bird Areas, or IBAs, are sites that provide essential habitat for one or more bird species. IBAs include sites for breeding, wintering, and/or migrating birds. IBAs may be a few acres, but they are usually sites or landscapes that stand out from their surroundings. The identification of IBAs in Indiana is an important first step in this bird conservation initiative.

Support Central Indiana Land Trust

As Central Indiana's regional land trust, CILTI has the challenge of protecting land in an area of significant development pressure. The rapid pace of urbanization, poorly planned growth and sprawling development is destroying our natural land and threatening our animals, plants, air and water at an alarming rate. To ensure that our children and grandchildren have woods to explore, prairies to wander and clean rivers to play in, we must increase the pace of our protection efforts as we strive to save our last special places. If you believe like we do that natural areas are essential to a healthy environment and economic prosperity, and that people enjoy an enhanced quality of life with access to nature, we ask you to support our partners at CILTI, your land trust. Click here to donate or find out more.

 

 
Get Involved -- Volunteer Services Print E-mail
If you would like to volunteer with AWBAS, click on the name of the person next to your area of interest to send an email to the committee chair.

COMMITTEE CONTACT
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Conservation Cliff Chapman
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Get Involved -- Conduct Your Own Research Print E-mail
Each year the Amos W. Butler Audubon Society funds grants for worthwhile research projects. For guidelines on research grant funding, click here.
 
Injured/Nuisance Bird/Animal Information Print E-mail
If you encounter an injured animal, contact the Wildlife Information Hotline at 1-800-893-4116. The hotline, which is provided by the DNR Division of Fish and Wildlife and USDA Wildlife Services, offers advice and referrals on how to handle nuisance and injured animals.
Read more...
 
Amos Butler Audubon Adopts the Marian University EcoLab Print E-mail
We are delighted to announce that the partnership between the Marian University EcoLab and AWB Audubon is maturing to involve all of our members. This partnership will provide a focus for the conservation efforts, environmental education activities, citizen science, and outdoor enjoyment of our members.
Read more...
 
 
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