General Meetings

On the third Tuesday of each month in spring and fall (unless otherwise noted), we invite members and non-members alike to enjoy a free educational program and learn what is new in your Audubon chapter! Except where noted, meetings are held on Zoom and begin at 6:30 p.m. A short business meeting precedes the program and includes conservation news, discussion of recent bird sightings, and details of upcoming field trips and other events.

Burroughs Audubon Society’s spring General Meetings are held in March, April, and May. Fall General Meetings are held in September, October, and November. Check back for more information.

Spring 2025

Tuesday, March 18 at 6:30 p.m. - "Baby Season: Keeping Our Little Peepers Wild" - Presented by Jacqueline Blessington, Director, Lakeside Nature Center.

Tuesday, April 15 at 6:30 p.m. - "Undervalued and In Trouble: Why Grassland Birds are Special and How We Can Help Them" - Presented by Dr. Alice Boyle, Director, Boyle Research Laboratory (Kansas State University).

Tuesday, May 20 at 6:30 p.m. - "Louisiana Waterthrushes and What They Can Tell Us About Water Quality" - Presented by Dr. Robert Mulvihill, Ornithologist, National Aviary (Pittsburgh, PA)

Fall 2025

Tuesday, September 16 at 6:30 p.m. - "Water Wars for Wild Wetlands" on Zoom - Presented by Jackie Augustine, Executive Director of Audubon of Kansas (AOK). Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area and Quivira National Wildlife Refuge form an immense wetland complex in west-central Kansas, designated as internationally important bird habitat. The area abounds with ducks, shorebirds, and cranes during migration and hosts several endangered and threatened species, including Whooping Cranes, Piping Plovers, and Interior Least Terns. Jackie will discuss the fascinating ecology of these wetlands, and describe AOK’s tireless, continuing work to ensure that they receive the water they need to function, in the face of climate change and inevitable competition for this precious resource.

Register in advance for this Zoom meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Watch a recording of this meeting until Oct. 16.

MONDAY, October 20 at 6:30 p.m. - "What's Up With Those Limpkins? The Great Limpkin Vagrancy Event". Presented by Marky Mutchler, University of Chicago and The Field Museum, Chicago, IL and Mary Nemecek, Missouri Rare Bird Record Committee and Past President of BAS. Limpkins are large wading birds, primarily considered non-migratory. For over a century they've been limited in the US to Florida and southern Georgia. In 2017, Limpkins began expanding along the Gulf Coast, but nothing could have predicted the “Hot Limpkin Summers” of 2022 and 2023. Nineteen states received their first state records during this 2-year period, including Missouri and Kansas. A recent publication in the Wilson Journal of Ornithology (M. Mutchler, M. Nemecek, M. Robbins) took an in-depth look at the historical and modern-day movement of Limpkins in the US, and what could be the reasons for this extraordinary mass movement. Marky and Mary will discuss limpkin movements past and present, as well as possible drivers of their fascinating dispersal.

Register in advance for this Zoom meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

MONDAY, November 17 at 6:30 p.m. - "A Changing World for Kansas Birds" - Presented by Bob Gress, former director of the Great Plains Nature Center (GPNC) in Wichita, KS and naturalist, photographer, and wildlife tour leader. Join us for this special in-person meeting at Johnson County Park & Recreation District's Meadowbrook Park Clubhouse! Bob will have copies of his and Pete Janzen's The Guide to Kansas Birds and Birding Hot Spots - Second Edition to sell and personally sign.