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! Meeting starts at 6:45 p.m.; come early for social time from 6:00 – 6:45. 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 meets at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation Conference Center at 4801 Rockhill Rd, KCMO 64110 EXCEPT AS NOTED. Some meetings are held in other locations due to scheduling conflicts at the Kauffman Foundation Conference Center.
There are often opportunities to join the speaker and members of the BAS Host Committee for dinner prior to the meeting. Please subscribe to the chapter’s monthly email (BurroughsAnnounce) to receive details of these outings.
Burroughs Audubon Society’s spring General Meetings are held in March, April and May. Fall General Meetings are held in September, October and November.
Cowbirds: Harmless Native Species or Dastardly Mobster Villains? A Scientist’s Perspective
Tuesday, March 24 at the THE KAUFFMAN FOUNDATION CONFERENCE CENTER, 4801 Rockhill Rd. KCMO 64110, in the Paseo Room – Social time from 6:00-6:45 p.m. Business and announcements will precede the meeting. Presentation by Sarah Winnicki, Ph.D. Candidate, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. To many birders, there is no such thing as a “good” cowbird. They lay eggs in other birds’ nests and their offspring deprive host chicks of food and care, often with fatal consequences. Nest parasitism is especially alarming in declining host species such as wood warblers. Yet cowbirds are also a protected native species and cannot be completely eradicated. Sarah will share insights from her research into this conundrum.
Conserving Missouri’s Wetland Birds: Some Recent Research Findings and Land Management Decisions
Tuesday, April 21 at the THE ANITA B. GORMAN CONSERVATION DISCOVERY CENTER, 4750 Troost Ave. KCMO 64110 – Social time from 6:00-6:45 p.m. Business and announcements will precede the meeting. Presentation by Doreen Mengel, Resource Scientist, Missouri Department of Conservation. Many MDC scientists collaborated to produce an updated Wetland Planning Initiative to guide management of Missouri’s public wetlands for birds and other wildlife. Research projects undertaken from 2012 to 2016 revealed which marsh bird species utilize our wetlands in different seasons and which habitat types they prefer. This presentation explores how these findings shape management decisions that will allow our public lands to support a full suite of wetland-dependent bird species in the face of ongoing habitat loss.
Albert Shirling and The Birds of Swope Park: A Centennial Celebration
Tuesday, May 19 Location TBA – Social time from 6:00-6:45 p.m. Business and announcements will precede the meeting. Burroughs’ own Elizabeth Stoakes will present. Get acquainted with Albert Shirling! Without him, Burroughs Audubon Society probably would not exist today. This beloved, unassuming teacher, naturalist, and author helped establish Burroughs Nature Club in 1919 and sustained it during its early years. Swope Park was literally his second home. In 1920 he published his most popular book, The Birds of Swope Park, in the hope that Kansas Citians would treasure this jewel of nature at their doorsteps. This program will include a brief biography of Mr. Shirling and an introduction to his wonderful book.