Happy Fall from Iowa Young Birders! I'm still trying to determine how the summer flew by so quickly. I hope you all had a great summer and were able to enjoy the outdoors (and birds) with your family and friends!
In July, we wished Iowa Young Birders "Happy Birthday" by finishing our fifth year of providing programs and field trips that encourage young Iowans to explore and enjoy the outdoors and birds. Our first five years were filled with exciting field trips to more than 50 locations across Iowa, special weekend trips with Illinois Young Birders and to view the Sandhill Crane migration in Nebraska, and numerous educational events like our Bird Sketching Workshop in Iowa City. It's amazing what we've accomplished in a short five years, all thanks to support from friends like you!
In June, we officially released our new and unique optics rent-to-own program, "Future in Focus". Since then, the program has quickly taken flight - we currently have four young birders enjoying high-quality optics as part of this program! If you're interested in taking advantage of this program or learning more about it, visit our website or contact us.
Saylorville Dam and Terry Trueblood Recreation Area near Iowa City are a couple of the exciting trips we have planned for this fall. We are also in the process of planning a Junior Duck Stamp Day at Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge in January. Updates on this exciting event will be posted on our calendar page as they develop. We hope you can join us at one of these events!
Take care,
Tyler Harms
Executive Director
Iowa Young Birders
Don't Miss These Upcoming Young Birder Events!
September 9: Northwest Iowa Prairies and Marshes - Back by popular demand, we're heading back up to northwest Iowa! You won't want to miss this exciting trip as we partner with Palo Alto County Conservation Board for a morning tour of the prairies and marshes near Lost Island Lake Park. We'll search for the many birds that call these areas home during summer and fall including marsh birds, shorebirds, songbirds, and ducks, and learn about the importance of prairies and marshes not only to birds but to us as well. This trip is free but advanced registration is required.
October 15: Terry Trueblood Recreation Area - From woodpeckers to waterbirds, Terry Trueblood Recreation Area is a popular area to see birds during all times of year. We will experience fall migration exploring the many diverse habitats of this area on the south side of Iowa City. Who knows what we will find! This trip is free but advanced registration is required.
November 18: Saylorville Dam - Saylorville Reservoir is a common gathering spot for many species of fall migrating waterbirds. Join us as we look for waterfowl, gulls, and other waterbirds below the Saylorville Dam at Bob Shetler Recreation Area during the peak of fall waterbird migration. It's sure to be a morning full of fun and great, close looks at many different waterbirds! 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 Events page.
Future in Focus program takes flight
In June, we released our new optics rent-to-own program, "Future in Focus". Since then, we've put high-quality optics in the hands of four young birders to use and enjoy on all their birding adventures! This program provides young birders and their families the opportunity to rent binoculars, spotting scopes, and tripods for a small quarterly fee. After three years of payments, young birders take ownership of the optics to enjoy for a lifetime of birding! You can find more information about this program here, or you can contact us if you'd like to take advantage of this unique opportunity.
Junior Duck Stamp Day in January
The Junior Duck Stamp Program is an art- and science-based curriculum that teaches kids about wetlands and waterfowl conservation. On January 27, 2018, Iowa Young Birders is partnering with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge on a Junior Duck Stamp Day event. Young birders will learn about habitat conservation, receive tips about drawing waterfowl for the art contest, and explore the Prairie Learning Center at the Refuge. Details on this trip will be posted on our calendar page soon, so check back regularly for more information!
Swan Lake State Park
Carroll County Conservation Naturalist Matt Wetrich showed us some great birds at Swan Lake State Park in August. READ MORE HERE!
Seed Savers Exchange
We enjoyed colorful birds and colorful plants on a wonderful summer morning at Seed Savers Exchange Heritage Farm in July. READ MORE HERE!
Chichaqua Bottoms Greenbelt
Despite being a windy morning, we still saw several exciting birds at Chichaqua Bottoms Greenbelt in June. We even saw both our target species, the Green Heron and Prothonotary Warbler! 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!
