Field Trips - Spring 2024
January 27 - Snow Tracking. This is a nearly-annual trip led by Dr. Gary Beauvais (Director of the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database). On this outing, Gary will introduce us to the variety of ways plants and animals survive the wintery environment as well as how to interpret tracks and other impressions left in the snow. This year we'll head to the Snowy Range above Centennial, meeting at 8 a.m. at the intersection of Highway 130 and Sand Lake Road. Attendees will need snowshoes or cross-country skis to navigate the snowy terrain. (Brian)
February 17 - KIDS AND FAMILIES: Hibernation and Winter Stories (10 - 11 a.m.). Do you know what three ways animals - including humans - use to deal with Winter? We will find out, with a focus on hibernation and storytelling. Which Wyoming animals are true hibernators? What does everyone else do when it gets cold? Feel free to bring a story handed down in your family and bring home a dreamcatcher of your own! 10 - 11 a.m. at the Albany County Library Multipurpose Room.
March 2 - Bird Hop. Caravan from First Street Plaza (corner of 1st Street and Grand Avenue) to Centennial where we will wander the protected aspen groves within the downtown area. Depending on conditions, we'll either retreat indoors to the Bear Bottom Cafe or head to the Albany Lodge for a NO HOST coffee or lunch. Both locations typically have feeders visible through the dining room windows, so the birding fun will continue even after we head indoors. Meet in front of the Bear Bottom Cafe at 9 a.m. Carpoolers - meet at First Street Plaza at 8:20 a.m. (Lisa/Brian)
March 9 - NEW TIME!! - KIDS AND FAMILIES: Early Spring Gardening for Wildlife. Cohosted with Wyoming State Parks, 3 p.m. at Albany County Public Library Multipurpose Room. It’s never too early to start planning for the garden! Learn how to make yours wildlife friendly. Barrel garden seed packets, bird crafts, and every family brings home a pollinator plant seedling! (Lisa)
March 23 - Plains Lakes. A driving tour of the lakes in the Laramie Valley with a focus on migrating waterfowl. Bundle up; the lake shores will be chilly. Savannah will bring her spotting scope! Meet at First Street Plaza at 8 a.m. (Savannah)
April 6 - KIDS AND FAMILIES: Migration Station. We will return to the Laramie Greenbelt, where we will learn about migration and look for migrating birds. Take home a bird craft that you can put together and make soar! Meet at the shelter by the parking lot off Garfield Street at 9 a.m. (Lisa)
April 13 - Greater Sage-Grouse Lek. We'll caravan to a lek north of Laramie to watch and listen as the male grouse boom and strut. This event is on private property only accessible during special events authorized by the landowner. We will depart from the parking lot on the east side of the Eppson Center (1560 N. 3rd Street) at 5:30 a.m. NEW EARLIER TIME: MEET AT 5:15!! (Jan)
April 20- Red Buttes Biological Experimental Lab. Meet at 8am at the University of Wyoming Red Buttes Lab (on the east side of US 287, 8.3 miles south of WYDOT). We will survey for migrant songbirds in both riparian corridors and short-grass prairie wetlands. Serving as a migratory stop over point for spring migrants, the Red Buttes research site provides habitat for grassland, wetland, and riparian corridor birds. Hiking boots or shoes with good traction are a must. We will probably get a little muddy, but it will all be for the birds. (Beth)
April 27 - Laramie Hotspots (8 a.m.) and Vulture Citizen Science Program (10 a.m.). Interested in birding, but not in driving beyond the City limits? Wondering where you can bird if your only transportation is your feet or a bicycle? Join us to visit local "hot spots." We'll meet at the main entrance to Greenhill Cemetery (west entrance next to the Cemetery office). We'll pace our birding so that we can also spend time across the street at the University of Wyoming campus before joining the UW Berry Biodiversity Institute's Vulture Watch Wyoming training at 10 a.m. (Jan/Savannah/Beth)
May 4 - Tom Thorn/Beth Williams WHMA. We'll meet at First Street Plaza at 8 a.m. and carpool/caravan to this intersection of sagebrush and cottonwoods. Depending on water conditions, we may also stop at the Bosler Wetlands near the corner of Highways 30 and 34. (Kathy)
May 11 - Slow Birding/Dawn Chorus. Something new this year - we'll put down our binoculars for much of this trip and encourage one another to use our ears and behavioral observations to identify spring migrants in the wetland areas and spruce forest at the Happy Jack sledding hill. We will start early - time TBD. (Savannah)
May 18 - Wyoming Hereford Ranch (Cheyenne). We'll meet in the parking area at this Important Bird Area (https://wyomingherefordranch.com/bird-watching/) at 8 a.m. and bird along the gravel roads and grassy paths of the ranch. Migration season trips to WHR are a highlight each year, due to the riparian habitat at the ranch and its location at the eastern edge of Cheyenne, which together often result in sightings of eastern species seldom seen in Albany County. Meet by WHR's big red barn at 8 a.m. Carpoolers: meet on Boulder Drive on the west side of Snowy Range Academy at 7 a.m. (Savannah)
May 25 – KIDS AND FAMILIES: Memorial Weekend Scavenger Hunt! It’s scavenger hunt season! Join us as we ramble through LaPrele Park looking for nature BINGO items. All participants who get BINGO will take home a prize! TIME TBD.
July 8 – Gap Lakes/Rosy Finches. Tentative (Brian)
Afternoon/Evening Programs - Spring 2024
Programs are typically held on the 4th Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. in the 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 new construction in the area, there is no longer a parking lot across the street from the building - parking is available on surrounding streets.
January 24 – No Program - Please consider attending the WYOBIRD event: 6 pm at Bond's Brewing.
February 28 – eBird - Leverage Your Birding Observations for Science: 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!
March 27 - Sybille Wildlife Conservation and Education Unit: If you've driven through Sybille Canyon, you are probably curious about the tall fences, the huge bull elk, and big horn sheep visible from Highway 34. Brie Hashem, Wyoming Game and Fish Department Wildlife Research Biologist, will fill us in on research being conducted at WGFD's Sybille Canyon facility, which is located 45 miles northeast of Laramie. Currently the wildlife veterinarians and biologists are the site are conducting research focused on chronic wasting disease and other wildlife diseases.
April 24 - Small Grant Recipients: UW graduate students in the Department of Zoology and Physiology Erin Stewart and Erik Schoenborn will report back to LAS regarding the results of their research projects: Territorial Behavior of Duetting Tropical Birds and Causes of Declines in Loggerhead Shrike Populations.
May 22 - Habitat Heros Workshop (Tentative). Interesting in optimizing your landscaping for birds, pollinators, and other wildlife? This presentation is for you! We'll learn about native plants suitable for our tough growing conditions as well as best practices to encourage pollinators in our yards or small rural properties.
