**** Update 11/23 ****
Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary is open but please stay on boardwalk and avoid taped off areas. The Sanctuary suffered flooding and wind damage during Helene. Watch for volunteer opportunities to help with cleanup efforts. For more information see the October newsletter or Facebook
As Owen Park will probably be closed for quite some time, we will likely be finding alternate locations for outings on the third Sat of the month for the foreseeable future.
See our calendar for more details about outing locations and information.
Many Buncombe County Parks are still currently closed as of this update; this includes Lake Julian.
Everyone stay safe and take care of one another!
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Welcome to Blue Ridge Audubon!
Blue Ridge Audubon is a chapter of the National Audubon Society, serving Buncombe, Henderson, and surrounding counties in the mountains of western North Carolina.
Our free program meetings, bird outings and special events are open to all -- members and non-members alike. We hope you'll join us!
BIRDATHON
This year we will focus on efforts to learn more about Northern Saw-whet Owls, who still maintain a small breeding population in the Canadian Zone spruce-fir forests of the North Carolina mountains. These populations are threatened by many issues, and their breeding behavior, habitat utilization, and movements are still poorly understood.
2024 Birdathon will fund an endeavor by Wild Bird Research Group (WBRG), a nonprofit organization that studies migratory songbirds and owls, to take advantage of Motus receiver installations in WNC, as well as using mobile Motus receivers, to perform a thorough study of Saw-whet Owl breeding and habitat usage in the Southern Appalachians. The Birdathon proceeds will cover the netting and tagging of several Saw-whet Owls and the tracking of these owls to determine which habitats they need to survive and breed.
Read more and see our donation form here - or click the button above!
Photo by Kameron Perensovich, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
UPCOMING EVENTS
Multiple DatesSat, Dec 07Beaver Lake Bird SanctuaryDec 07, 2024, 9:00 AM – 11:00 AMBeaver Lake Bird Sanctuary, 1056 Merrimon Ave, Asheville, NC 28804, USA- Multiple DatesTue, Dec 10Beaver Lake Bird SanctuaryDec 10, 2024, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PMBeaver Lake Bird Sanctuary, 1056 Merrimon Ave, Asheville, NC 28804, USADec 10, 2024, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PMBeaver Lake Bird Sanctuary, 1056 Merrimon Ave, Asheville, NC 28804, USACome volunteer to remove invasive plants and learn about native species found in the Sanctuary! Every Tuesday from 10am to 12pm, weather permitting. No need to sign up. Please keep an eye on the calendar for any cancellations!
Multiple DatesSat, Dec 14Jackson ParkDec 14, 2024, 9:00 AM – 11:00 AMJackson Park, 801 4th Ave E, Hendersonville, NC 28792, USA
Multiple DatesSat, Dec 21Location is TBDDec 21, 2024, 9:00 AM – 11:00 AMLocation is TBD
Multiple DatesSat, Dec 28Lake Julian ParkDec 28, 2024, 8:30 AM – 11:30 AMLake Julian Park, 37 LAKE JULIAN RD, Arden, NC 28704, USADec 28, 2024, 8:30 AM – 11:30 AMLake Julian Park, 37 LAKE JULIAN RD, Arden, NC 28704, USAThese outings are co-organized by Buncombe County and Ventures Birding Tours. They are the last Sat of every month at 8:30am. They are free, but have limited space. Contact Conner.white@buncombecounty.org to register. Registration opens the first of each month.
