We lead bird walks, host public speakers, and organize birding events. All events are open and free to the public. All ages and abilities are welcome! We also host a number of citizen science programs - information on these events will be
posted here as they approach.
Please email us at laramie.audubon@gmail.com if you have questions about field trips or suggestions for future trips or evening programs.
Field Trips - Fall 2025
All are welcome, regardless of experience level or available equipment - birding in a group is a great way to learn the local birds! ; We try to include information regarding how strenuous/accessible the different trips are - please contact us if you have ideas regarding BIRDABILITY (i.e., making birding more accessible for all).
Please bring the following items on field trips: your binoculars (if you have them), an extra layer (perhaps two or three), sun protection, and water/snacks if you would like them. Sturdy, closed-toed shoes are recommended. Most trips will last for two to three hours, but attendees are free to leave at any time.
Anticipate slow walking for the duration of most trips. Unless otherwise noted in the description, trips will convene at First Street Plaza, located in downtown Laramie (corner of First Street and Grand Avenue) to allow for attendees to arrange for carpools and to facilitate caravanning to the final field trip location.
Aug. 16 - Shorebirds
Sept. 6 - Rock Creek Birding Hike
Sept. 13 -Wyoming Hereford Ranch in Cheyenne - 7:00 am Laramie Rec Center parking lot (NW corner)
Sept. 20 -Laramie Hotspots
Sept. 27 – Curt Gowdy State Park
October 11 – Laramie River Greenbelt
October 18 – Plains Lakes or Bird Banding Station visit (TBD)
November 1 – Raptor identification and introduction to the Hawk Migration Association's annual Winter Raptor Survey (community science opportunity). Event leader Caroline Fegley -- a new Laramie resident -- is the chair of the HMA's Winter Raptor Survey program! There will likely be a classroom component to this event followed by time in the field. Time and Location TBD.
Kids and Families Programs - Fall 2025
Outdoor events meet at 9 a.m.; Indoor events meet at 10 a.m.
October 18 – Annual Halloween Scavenger Hunt! Our annual scavenger hunt of the season will be so spooky! We will have special items to find and will send everyone home with a spooky Halloween craft activity! Meet at the Bandshell in Washington Park on 18th and Sheridan.
December 6 – Our Indoor Holiday Extravaganza. This winter/holiday themed program will be held again this year with Wyoming State Parks. We will be inside at the Gruver Room of the Trinity Lutheran Church (107 South 7th Street).
Afternoon/Evening Programs - Fall 2025
Programs are typically held on the 4th Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. We have moved our programming to a new location to allow easier access and parking:
Trinity Lutheran Church, 107 S. 7th Street. Snacks and bird chat at 6:30 p.m.
September 24 - Seth Rankins: Notes from a Naturalist. He will be sharing some of the interesting natural history about the species and ecosystems he has studied in the past decade as a wildlife professional. Come learn about which mammal exhibits female dispersal, which is common in birds but rare in mammals, the nesting ecology of Steller’s eiders, the social dynamics of Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep, and much more. Seth is currently a PhD student in the Department of Zoology and Physiology at the University of Wyoming where he is a member of the Monteith Shop (https://monteithshop.org/; ungulate research program). Prior to coming to UW, Seth earned a BSc in Wildlife Ecology and Management from Auburn University and a MSc in Rangeland and Wildlife Management from Texas A&M University-Kingsville.
October 22 - Erik Schoenborn: Reports from Multiple Seasons of Bird Banding Along the Laramie River. Erik is a PhD student in the Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit in the UW Department of Zoology and Physiology. For his PhD project he is studying habitat selection based spatial trade-offs, site fidelity, and full annual cycle spatial use of Loggerhead Shrikes nesting in sagebrush steppe habitats disturbed by energy development. In addition to his dissertation research, he contributes to the broader wildlife conservation community by developing and contributing to outreach and education events. To that end, he has worked with friends and colleagues to develop a new migration monitoring bird banding station that offered internship opportunities to undergraduate students and experiential learning to youth. In that same vein, help helped develop two new community outreach programs designed to promote avian appreciation and conservation beyond academia.
November 19 - Dr. Merav Ben-David - Goshawks, Bee-eaters, and Eagles. Dr. Ben-David, a professor in the UW Department of Zoology and Physiology may be best known for her polar bear research, but she also has great interest in birds. For our bird-centric group she will focus on her research regarding goshawks, bee-eaters, and eagles.
FALL 2025 HABITAT HERO EVENTS
Gruever Room at Trinity Lutheran Church (107 South 7th Street)
- Wednesday September 17th 5:30-8:00 potluck
- Monday October 13 5:30-8:00. (Sue Green presenting)
- Monday November 10, 5:30-8:00
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DIRECTIONS TO SOME FIELD TRIP LOCATIONS
(AND OTHER LOCATIONS OF INTEREST)
Hutton Lake NWR: If coming from Laramie, head south on 3rd Street/ US-287, turn right onto County Road 22 (as if entering the cement plant), then turn left onto Sand Creek Road (parallel to railroad tracks - many people have missed this turn and mistakenly entered the cement plant parking lot). Stay on Sand Creek Road for about 8 miles, then turn right at the National Wildlife Refuge sign. To reach the viewing platform, continue west from the sign for approximately 0.75 miles, and then turn left (south) and follow the two track until it ends (approximately 0.4 miles).
Wyoming Hereford Ranch: From I-80, take Exit 367 (Campstool Road) and travel south approximately 1 mile to the entrance, which will be on the left. Follow the driveway for approximately 0.25 miles and park opposite the red barn.
Berry Biodiversity Conservation Center auditorium (Room 138). This building is located on the University of Wyoming campus at 10th and Lewis Streets. Due to recent construction in the area, there is no longer a parking lot across the street from the building - parking is available on surrounding streets.
Old Happy Jack Ski Area (a.k.a. the sledding hill): From Laramie, take Interstate 80 east 9.5 miles to WY 210 (Exit 323). Turn onto Exit 323 and go left at stop sign onto WY 210/ Happy Jack Rd, then 1 mile to Happy Jack Recreation Area sign.
Tom Thorn/Beth Williams WHMA: From Laramie, head north on 3rd Street (a.k.a. US HWY 30 / US HWY 287) to the junction with WY HWY 34 (a.k.a. Sybille Canyon Road). Proceed east on HWY 34 toward Wheatland for approximately 24.6 miles to entrance (gravel road) on the left. The entrance is very easy to miss! Watch for a paved pullout on the right, followed by a small brown sign stating "The Tom Thorne/Beth Williams Wildlife Habitat Management Area" - the entrance is approximate 1/4-mile past that pullout and 700 feet past the sign.
Rock Creek Canyon Trailhead: From Laramie, take I-80 west approximately 43 miles to the Arlington exit (Exit 272). Turn left/south to drive under the interstate; then turn right onto the frontage road (the Elk Mountain Arlington Road). Take the frontage road for approximately 1500 feet and then take first left (brown sign indicates Tyler Sims Outfitting). Stay on this Forest Service road as it crosses private land, driving slowly as the road narrows and deteriorates (typically it is fine for careful driving in a sedan). Trailhead is located at the end of the road, less than 2 miles from the frontage road.
