Happy 2016 from Iowa Young Birders! We hope both your year and year list are off to a great start.
On January 16, 14 young birders gathered at the University of Iowa Museum of Natural History on a chilly Iowa day for our first ever Bird Sketching Workshop. We were lucky to have guest leader and artist Kate Kostenbader join us to share her tips on sketching birds. And we quickly realized that we had 14 artists in the room! The young birders took off, sketching various birds in the museum. Great-horned Owl, Black-billed Magpie, Horned Puffin, Baltimore Oriole, and Wood Duck, birds of all shapes, sizes, and colors coming to life on paper. The young birders then shared their masterpieces with others. What a fun morning!
Looking for a family-friendly birding adventure for your summer vacation? Check out Colorado 2016, our family birding adventure to Ft. Collins, Colorado July 7-10, 2016. Spend two full days and two half days with us as we guide you to some of the most unique habitats and exciting birding spots Colorado has to offer including the Pawnee National Grasslands and Rocky Mountain National Park. Registration opens March 1, but pre-enroll now to receive trip updates and have first opportunity to register. Don't miss out on this fun adventure!
Spring is just around the corner, and we have several exciting field trips planned. Check out our events calendar and register today for an upcoming trip!
Take care,
Tyler Harms
Executive Director
Iowa Young Birders
Don't Miss These Upcoming Young Birder Events!
March 24 Woodcock Walk and Owl Prowl - Join us as we spend a spring evening in central Iowa searching for these nocturnal birds. We will visit Red Feather Prairie near Saylorville Reservoir, a known nesting location for breeding American Woodcocks. We may even get lucky and see their elaborate flight display! This trip is free but advanced registration is required. And be sure to bring a flashlight or headlamp if you have one.
April 2 Spring Migration at Clear Lake - Join us as we embrace the onset of spring migration in north-central Iowa! We will be searching for migratory waterbirds on Clear Lake with the possibility of finding other early migrants at nearby Ventura Marsh and McIntosh Woods State Park. The diversity of habitats makes this area great for spring birding! This trip is free but advanced registration is required.
May 7 Squaw Creek Park - Join us as we experience spring passerine migration at a premier county park in eastern Iowa! We'll be searching for migrant warblers and other songbirds and learn some tips on how to identify these colorful birds. This trip is free but advanced registration is required.
All of our field trips are open to young birders ages 8-18. Parents are encouraged to attend. No cost to participate (except for special events) but advance registration is required. For more details and to register, visit our Calendar page.
Looking for a fun-filled, flexible, family vacation for this summer? Join us for COLORADO 2016, our family birding adventure to Ft. Collins, Colorado July 7-10, 2016! We'll guide you to some of the most unique habitats Colorado has to offer and see many of the birds pictured above! Official registration will open on March 1 but there's still time to pre-enroll and hold your spot! Participation will be limited to 24. For more information and to pre-enroll, click here.
Don't forget to apply for our Camp Scholarships!
Thanks to generous gifts from multiple donors, we're excited to offer our Camp Scholarships to young birders again this year! Last year, we awarded scholarships to two young Iowa birders to attend American Birding Association young birder camps. To learn more about our Camp Scholarships or to apply, click here.
Interested in making a gift to our scholarship fund? You can do so here.
Image from Camp Avocet courtesy Bill Schmoker
Bird Sketching Workshop
What a fun morning exploring the University of Iowa Museum of Natural History and learning how to sketch birds! READ MORE HERE!
Become a Member!
Young birders ages 8-18 can connect with new friends from across Iowa, get the inside scoop from our e-newsletters, and have the opportunity to contribute and participate. Youth members also receive a discount for any of our special events which may have a registration fee. An annual youth membership is only $10.What a great gift idea for your young birder!
Have up to four young birders in your family? Consider our new family membership ($40 annually). Up to two adults and four related young birders will become members of Iowa Young Birders, and all young birders will receive the same benefits as an individual youth membership!
Adults (age 19+) can support Iowa’s young birders by becoming an Adult Member ($35 annually.) Your support will help us to encourage young Iowans to develop and interest in Iowa’s birdlife and conservation issues. Plus, your Adult Membership helps keep our Youth Membership dues very low.
You can also use this same link to renew your current membership!
