Kids and Families welcome a chilly spring.

 On a cloudy Saturday morning, March 22, 20 kids and families gathered at Undine Park to search with all senses for signs of spring. Some even ventured over the state line from Colorado, while others were visitors staying in town. The group heard and saw several bird species, including robin, chickadee, flicker, sparrow, crow, collared dove and starling. Signs of spring included green grass, nesting material dropped by a starling, and nests in trees. 

 After wandering the park, participants abandoned the chilly weather for a trip across the street and down the alley to the Sheila Bird Farms greenhouse. Owner Ricky Kent showed kids and families the seed planting process and several types of seedlings now growing in preparation for transplanting on the farm. The group also enjoyed the tropical plants that Ricky brought to the greenhouse from his former home in Florida many years ago. On the way out, participants treated themselves to a sprig of microgreens or pea shoots to eat. Back at the park, all kids received a seed planting kit and dipped their peat pots into a bag of soil to collect for planting before heading home. 

 Our next Kids and Families event will take place on Saturday, April 19, at 9am in Washington Park, where a group of students in the UWYo Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Program will provide Earth Day activities, including making bird feeders! Meet at the bandshell for this event. 

 Laramie Audubon Society offers a Kids and Families activity every month of the year. Keep your eyes peeled on our website Events page, social media, with your school or home school group, and members receive a reminder by email before all events. 

 Family membership in Laramie Audubon Society is just $25 per year. Members receive notice of upcoming events, our quarterly newsletter, and invitation to occasional special members only events. Join online at: https://laramieaudubon.blogspot.com/p/membership.html. 

 Below photos: Microgreens and pea shoots growing in the greenhouse. Mmmm! And the group spies a crow nest high in a tree. 

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.

Centennial Bird Hop - Saturday, February 22nd

Join us for a leisurely morning birding in Centennial.  We'll wander through the protected aspen groves within the downtown neighborhood and possibly up onto the hills.  After our meander, we will retreat to the Bear Bottom Café for a NO HOST coffee or early lunch.  The Bear Bottom typically has feeders visible through their large dining room windows, so the birding fun will continue even after we head indoors.  

Laramie-based folks will meet at 8:45 a.m. at First Street Plaza (corner of 1st Street and Grand Avenue) and caravan to Centennial.  If you would like to meet us in Centennial, look for the group in front of the Bear Bottom Café at approximately 9:30 a.m.

XC Ski/Snowshoe "Winter Tracking Trip" POSTPONED TO FEBRUARY 1

 Meet at intersection of Hwy 130 & Sand Lake Road at 9 a.m. on Saturday, January 25 Saturday, February 1.  BYO equipment. See other post, below, for more details.