Evening Program - Wednesday, February 25, 2026

Population Dynamics of the Pacific Marten in National Forests of Wyoming

Lane Jeakle, graduate student in the University of Wyoming’s Department of Zoology & Physiology, will provide an overview of the natural history of the Pacific marten and results of his research on harvest and population dynamics of this elusive mammal in Wyoming. The program will be at Trinity Lutheran Church, 107 South 7th St., Laramie. Social time and refreshments at 6:30 pm, program at 7:00 pm. Photo by the Wolf Education and Research Center.

 

Evening Program - Wednesday, January 28, 2026

 

Endemic Species in Wyoming and the Region

Dr. Gary P. Beauvais, Director of the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database at the University of Wyoming, will present Endemic Species of Wyoming and the Region. He will discuss what is meant by endemic, why such species might be important, and provide a brief overview of some of the species that are endemic to Wyoming and the surrounding region.  The program will be at Trinity Lutheran Church, 107 South 7th St., Laramie. Social time and refreshments at 6:30 pm, program at 7:00 pm.

Wednesday Evening Program - "Notes from a Naturalist" (September 24th)

Seth Rankins, current PhD student in University of Wyoming's Department of Zoology and Physiology (Monteith Shop), will be sharing natural history-related stories regarding 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 Stellar’s eiders, the social dynamics of Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep, and much more.

Our monthly evening programs convene at 6:30 p.m. for light refreshments and BirdChat, followed by the speaker at 7 p.m.  We now meet downstairs in the Trinity Lutheran Church (107 S. 7th Street), which is located 1.5 blocks west of campus.  There is plentiful, well-lit on-street parking and ADA access to the lower level. 

Big Horn Sheep in the Sierra Nevada
(photo curtesy of Laramie Audubon Society member S. Rankins)

Evening Program - Adventures and Volunteer Opportunities in Our State Parks (Feb. 26th)

Come Learn about the Wyoming State Parks in the Laramie District!  Carlo Migliaccio, Interpretative Ranger for the Laramie District of Wyoming State Parks, will share information on the parks, his work in them, and programs and projects available to attend and looking for volunteers. The Laramie District of the Wyoming State Parks includes multiple local sites, including the Wyoming Territorial Prison, the Ames Monument, the Quebec 1 Historic Site, and Curt Gowdy State Park.  Come learn with LAS about what will be happening this spring, summer, and fall! 

Hidden Falls is one reward of hiking at Curt Gowdy State Park! 
Photo from Wyoming State Park website.

Birds of Eastern Australia - Evening Program, November 20th

Join us Wednesday, November 20 for our monthly program. We will plan to meet at 7:00 p.m., but we encourage you to come at 6:30 p.m. to socialize and have refreshments. The program will be by retired U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Heather Johnson on birding Australia -- from the "Top End to Tasmania"! She will share photos and adventures from a recent trip to Australia.

We will be meeting in the new location - 107 S. 7th Street (Trinity Lutheran Church), upstairs in the cafe this month. We hope you can join us!

Greater Sage-Grouse Lek Trip - NEW EARLIER TIME: 5:15 a.m. Saturday 4/13

Meet at the Laramie Eppson Center for Seniors (the corner of North 3^rd and Curtis Street) at 5:15 am. We will leave promptly at 5:25 am. 

Our trip leader drove up to the lek this morning (Friday) to check out access for tomorrow's field trip.  She reports that the road is free of snow and dry and that she observed 35 male sage grouse displaying to 5 female sage grouse on the lek.

We will carpool/caravan to the lek located approximately 35 minutes from Laramie. The 3 mile access road off the paved highway is dirt so vehicles with low clearance are not recommended. Carpooling is encouraged to reduce the number of vehicles that will park and to minimize disturbance to the birds.  We will walk approximately ½ to ¾ of a mile to a location to view the lek. Walking to the lek will be in the dark on relatively flat but uneven prairie. No flashlights can be used to minimize spooking the birds off the lek.

Please bring binoculars and spotting scopes if you have them.

We expect to return to Laramie between 7:30am and 8 am.

What is a Lek?

Depending on elevation, groups of male greater sage-grouse gather at specific locations, called leks,  from late February to early May to strut and to attract females in order to mate..   The leks are generally small open areas located among the sagebrush steppe, such as hilltops, dry playas, and hill sides, and are visited by the grouse year after year.  The lek we are visiting is located on private land . Based of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department data , this lek was first recorded in 1959.  The activity on a lek begins sometime after sunset and continues for an hour or so after sunrise when the birds disperse from the lek.

The male strutting, involves the inflation and deflation of two yellow air sacs located on the male sage-grouse’s breast that, when released, produces a popping or gurgling sound. In addition to producing sound, the white ruff surrounding the air sacs produces a striking contrasting feature along with the male’s fanned tail feathers, and with a dance, in an effort to attract a female.  The females are silent and are often difficult to see within the sagebrush surrounding the leks.  After mating the females will fly off to nest, lay eggs, and raise the young in the surrounding sagebrush ecosystem.

Laramie Audubon thanks the landowner for allowing us to access this lek.

Evening Program: eBird - Leverage Your Birding Observations for Science

 Wedneday, February 28, 7 p.m.

Have you heard the buzz about eBird, but aren't sure how to get started?  Or are you a long-time eBirder looking to maximize your use of the app?  Or are you curious how scientists use the crowd-sourced data collected via eBird to further the goals of bird conservation and research?  Don Jones - long-time Laramie birder, eBird rare bird reviewer, and current University of Wyoming graduate student - will join us to explain how to get the most out of eBird and how your observations contribute to answering bird-related research questions!

Laramie Audubon Society evening programs are currently held in the University of Wyoming's Berry Biodiversity Center's auditorium, located on the street level of the building (corner of 10th and Lewis Streets).  Arrive early to find parking and partake in light refreshments (6:30 - 7 pm) in the lobby. 

Evening Program - Wednesday, March 22: Songbird Habitat and Beavers in Greater Yellowstone

Our March 22nd evening program features two UW graduate students who are recipients of Laramie Audubon Society Small Grants:  Katie Davis (Beaver, Diversity and Connectivity Relationships in Greater Yellowstone) and Emily Shertzer (Carry-Over Effects of Human-Induced Habitat Change in Migratory Songbirds).  The "Grants" page of our website provides more information regarding Katie's and Emily's research as well as the LAS Small Grants Program: https://laramieaudubon.blogspot.com/p/small-grants-program.html

The presentations will begin at 7 pm, but please arrive early for refreshments and Bird Chat from 6:30 to 7 pm.  This event (and most of our evening programs) will take place in the street-level auditorium of the UW Berry Center, located at the corner of 10th and Lewis Streets.  Please allow plenty of time to find parking!

Evening Program - Birds at the Museum of Vertebrates - Wednesday, February 22nd, 7 pm

Dr. Elizabeth Wommack will provide a tour of the University of Wyoming's Museum of Vertebrates (UWYMV), with an emphasis on birds! She will share specimens of species that frequent Albany County, providing attendees a close look at plumage in various seasons. The UWYMV is located in the Berry Center (corner of 10th and Lewis Streets) adjacent to the street-level auditorium where LAS typically meets. More information regarding the Museum is available on their website: https://uwymv.wyomingbiodiversity.org/index.php 

Join us at 6:30 pm for snacks and informal bird chat or arrive at 7 pm for the tour/presentation. Remember to leave plenty of time for parking as onstreet parking is now a couple of blocks away.

Evening Program, Wednesday, December 14 (7 pm): Small Grant Recipients

Two recent recipients of LAS small grants will present the results of their research.  

Rachel Arrick, a PhD student in the Ecosystem Science and Management Department will describe her research regarding the Wyoming Toad and the microbiomes or symbiont microbes that may inhibit or aid in clearing the fungal disease Chytridiomycosis ("chytrid").  

Katrina Cook, UW Master's student in the Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Unit, will present the results of a study regarding isolated Wood Frog populations in the Medicine Bow National Forest and the relationship between chytrid status and habitat use.  

This event will be held in the street-level auditorium of the Berry Biodiversity Center, located on the University of Wyoming campus at the corner of 10th and Lewis Streets.  Bird Chat and refreshments at 6:30 pm; talk starts at 7 pm.  Please allow plenty of time to find parking and walk to the Berry Center!

November Evening Program (Classroom Building) - Swift Foxes and SE Wyoming Amphibians

This month we will be meeting in a different location: Room 310 of the Classroom Building!  Bird Chat and Refreshments will begin at 6:30 pm, with the presentations, described below, at 7 pm.

Speaker: Kelsie Buxbaum

Project Title: Ecology of a Sensitive Species, Yet Expanding Population: Examining the Conservation Success of Swift Fox in Wyoming

Description: Kelsie Buxbaum is a master's student in the Haub School of Environment & Natural Resources at the University of Wyoming. Her presentation will overview her plans to study westward expansion of the Swift fox, a federally listed sensitive species. The three year study will analyze two areas of known habitation, one within the previously defined short grass prairie ecosystem and the other in the expanded shrubland ecosystem. She will compare diet, prey availability, use of space and movement, survival, and reproductive success between these two areas.

 

Speaker: Mel Torres

Project Title: Near, Far, Wherever You Are: Comparing Species Niche, Connectivity, and Disease on Rarity Type

Description: Mel Torres, a PhD candidate in the department of Ecosystem Science and Management, studies amphibian species in southern Wyoming and Northern Colorado. Mel will tell us about her research testing if the rarity of various amphibian species predicts their ecological niche and the connectivity among populations. this work will also examine the impact of a fungal pathogen on the ecological niche and the population connectivity of these species.

 

Wednesday, October 12 (7 pm) - Grassland Birds / National Audubon Conservation Ranching Program

Matt Allshouse, a UW-trained rangeland ecologist who grew up on a family ranch near Sybille Canyon, will highlight grassland bird species of southeastern Wyoming and their habitat requirements.  His presentation will describe the creation of the National Audubon Society’s Conservation Ranching program, which provides free technical assistance to ranchers with the goal of improving forage quantity and quality while also improving habitat for grassland birds.  

For producers who direct-market their cattle, the initiative can expand market exposure and provide product differentiation; the program can also link producers to agency cost share and incentive programs to help defer costs of implementation. 

Program components include the development of ranch-specific Habitat Management Plans and a third-party certified set of regenerative grazing practices.  The resulting ecological resilience can translate to economic resilience, as participating producers are able to use the Audubon certification logo on their product.  Audubon Certified beef is currently available at two locations in Wyoming: Laramie’s Big Hollow Food Co-op and Sage Brush Beef (Reed Livestock) in Douglas.  

Matt is currently the Conservation Ranching Program Manager for Audubon California.  His experience includes roles as Ranch Manager for Antelope Springs Land and Cattle (Wyoming), Biologist for the Peregrine Fund (Belize and Guatemala), and Ecologist with Trihydro Corporation (Wyoming). Matt holds a dual Bachelor’s degree in Environment and Natural Resources, and Rangeland Ecology and Watershed Management from University of Wyoming.

 The event will be held in the street-level auditorium of the University of Wyoming's Berry Biodiversity Conservation Center, located at the corner of 10th and Lewis Streets.  

Bird Chat and Refreshments at 6:30 pm; talk starts at 7 pm.  Please allow yourself plenty of time to find parking!

Spring Schedule

The Spring 2022 schedule for Laramie Audubon Society field trips and programs has been announced!  Please see our "Events" page for details:  http://laramieaudubon.blogspot.com/p/events.html 

Reading in the Park

The Laramie Audubon Society invites the public to join us for our first Reading in the Park on Sunday, October 3 at 3 pm.  This event, featuring Kate Northrop (Associate Professor in UW's Creative Writing/MFA Program) and Nell Smith (UW graduate student pursuing an MFA with a dual degree in Creative Nonfiction and Environment and Natural Resources) reading nature-related selections from their work, will take place outdoors at the Washington Park Bandshell (corner of Sheridan and 18th Streets).  Bring your own chair or blanket or plan to sit on the park benches.  Join us afterwards for light refreshments.

Bird Double-Header Tomorrow (Saturday, 10/10)

Saturday morning (October 10th), we'll meet at Hutton Lake National Wildlife Refuge at 8 a.m. for a few hours of birding. Please bring your binoculars if you have them! Directions are provided below.

Saturday afternoon, we will host our October "Evening Program" featuring Martin Grenier (Ducks Unlimited Manager of Conservation Programs in Wyoming and Colorado). Martin will fill us in on the wetlands enhancement project completed at Laramie's Monolith Ranch. We will meet at the ranch and walk in approximately one-quarter mile along a fairly flat two-track road to the restored site. After Martin's presentation there will be the option to spend a little time birding along the edge of the wetlands, so bring binoculars if you have them! Please note that this area is closed to public access - the Laramie Audubon Society and Ducks Unlimited received permission to visit for this event only. Directions will be emailed to those who register for the event.

If you plan to attend either event, please register by sending an email to laramie.audubon@gmail.com and indicating which event(s) you plan to attend.

COVID-19 Considerations: Attendees are required to wear masks for the duration of each trip/event and to practice social distancing. We are not arranging carpools for the foreseeable future.

Directions to Hutton Lake NWR: Head south from Laramie 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. Meet at the parking area just inside the fence, adjacent to the Refuge's information board. If you are early or late, look for us near the observation deck at the far end of the Refuge.

(Photo of a juvenile Wilson's Phalarope courtesy of LAS member Liz Young)