Bats!

The topic for the October LAS evening program is Bats of Wyoming.  Join us on Wednesday, October 30th (refreshments and bird chat at 6:30 p.m., followed by the program at 7 p.m.)

Larisa Bishop-Boros, a mammalogist who has been studying threatened and endangered bats in 39 states and 3 Canadian provinces since 2008, will give a brief introduction to the bats of Wyoming: how to tell apart the different species, where you would expect to find them, and generalized life histories.  She will also describe threats to our bats, novel strategies to mitigate these threats, and surveillance techniques. 

Larisa received an M.S. degree from Missouri State University investigating the influence of weather and latitude on bat ecology and reproduction in 12 species, as well as a B.S. from the State University of New York's College of Environmental Science and Forestry comparing acoustic monitoring and echolocation identification techniques of bats.  Larisa moved to Laramie in 2014 and is employed at WEST, conducting research to mitigate bat fatalities for renewable energy development and assisting state agencies with population and white-nose syndrome monitoring.

Programs are held in the Berry Biodiversity Conservation Center auditorium (Room 138).  The Berry Center is located on the University of Wyoming campus at the corner of 10th and Lewis Streets.  Note that there is no longer a parking lot across the street from the building - parking is available on the surrounding streets.

Swallow Nest Box Work Days Postponed

Dear LAS and interested community members,
We regret that because of heavy travel schedules on the part of our nest box monitoring leaders, we will be unable to conduct our scheduled work days this fall at Hutton Lake and the Laramie Territorial Prison.
Please keep an eye out in early 2020 for information on new work days and monitoring opportunities.
Thanks!

Plains Lakes Field Trip

Despite the cold weather and snow, we will venture out Saturday morning (October 12th) to look for waterfowl and other migrants at the Plains Lakes.  Meet us at Night Heron Books and Coffeehouse at 8 a.m. We'll carpool around the Laramie Valley, stopping at various locales, which may include Gelatt Lake, Blake's Pond, Twin Buttes Reservoir, Lake Hattie, etc.  Bring lots of warm clothes, water, snacks, sun protection, binoculars, and perhaps some dry socks.  We plan to be back to Laramie by noon.

Greenbelt Nature BINGO Walk Summary

First, we apologize if we missed anyone this morning! The Make a Wish Foundation Tour de Wish 5K coincided with our nature walk, causing lots of confusion! Eventually we did link up with three families, parents and about 10 kids, for a brief windy walk on the Greenbelt, beginning at Optimist Park.

While birds were scarce, we did see crows riding the wind, a couple ducks that looked like northern pintails but scurried out of the brush and into the sun too quickly to be sure, and a red-tailed hawk swooping in for breakfast. Our group consulted nature BINGO cards to look for other plants and animals along the way, and we spotted raccoon tracks along the riverbank. Several participants chimed in about bird sightings in their own backyards, including white crowned sparrows, northern flickers, grackles, and both mourning and collared doves. Later Janice checked in with a photo of a painted lady butterfly- something on the BINGO list we did not expect to see today!- seen at the Kids Pumpkin Walk at the Territorial Prison, where her family went after the Greenbelt.

Thanks to everyone who braved the wind to join us. Again, we apologize for the confusion at the park, and will be sure to bring a Laramie Audubon Society poster for our next kids meet-up. We hope we didn't miss anyone, and that you'll all join us again to explore!

Photo courtesy Janice Hiller. 

Nature Walk at the Greenbelt - Saturday, 10/5

Nature Walk for Kids of All Ages. Join us for a walk along the Greenbelt to see what we can find for plants, animals, and of course birds, this fall. BINGO cards for kids, with prizes. Meet in the parking lot at Optimist Park, next to the river, Saturday, October 5 at 9:00 a.m. This is a leisurely nature walk, but dress for the weather and don't forget your binos!