Community Calendar

Nate Fuller, Sarett Nature Center Executive Director, will share the dynamic story of bird diversity at the nature center as habitats and climate conditions change. Sarett owns over 1,000 acres in southwest Michigan that includes a wide range of habitats from wet to dry and forested to open grassland.

Sarett staff and volunteers have been documenting its wildlife diversity, especially birds, for over 50 years. Learn how fluctuating water levels are impacting prothonotary warblers while habitat restoration is helping American kestrels and Eastern bluebirds. Sarett staff are witnessing northern range shifts of historically southern species like yellow-breasted chats, white-eyed vireos, and blue grosbeaks while species like common ravens and red-shouldered hawks recover historic breeding ranges. And what is the deal with fish crows? We will schedule a field trip to Sarett in the fall.

Nate Fuller is the Executive Director of Sarett Nature Center. He first worked at Sarett as a naturalist from 1995 to 2001 before returning as director in 2019. In between times working at Sarett he was the Conservation and Stewardship Director for Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy. In that role he worked to establish public natural areas and restore wildlife habitat across nine counties of southwest Michigan. Nate received a bachelor’s degree in biology from Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin and a master’s degree in geography with an emphasis in environmental and resource analysis from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo.

We hope you'll join us on Monday, September 28th, at People's Church, 1758 North 10th Street, Kalamazoo. This program is geared to all audiences, and we enthusiastically invite families and nature lovers of any age to join us! Come at 6:30 PM (new time) for some refreshments and socializing. Snacks and beverages will be provided. It's helpful if you bring your own cup. The one-hour program will start at 7:00 PM. Handicap parking and access is at either the front or the rear entrance of the building.

We will have a simultaneous Zoom link for those who can’t make it or feel uncomfortable attending in person. The link will be available shortly before the meeting in the ASK member October newsletter and on our event calendar - https://kalamazooaudubon.org/calendar/. We will also be recording the meeting for later viewing.

Volunteer for the end of season plant pull in Portage (September 28 and October 3) and downtown Kalamazoo (September 29-October 1). Join us for whatever amount of tme you can spare. If you have them, bring a shovel and gloves. Extra supplies will be available. Snacks and beverages provided. As a thank you for volunteering, you can take plants home. Bring bags/buckets/pots to transport them.

Dress for the weather and for working in the soil. Signing up in advance is appreciated, but not required. We appreciate all the help we can get. Details on each day's activities are in SignUpGenius: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080C4BA8AD2DAAF49-65212222-endofseason#/

For Portage, park at the Portage District Library. For Kalamazoo, park at a metered spot immediately surrounding Bronson Park. You'll get a parking pass to borrow when you check in. Check in will be near the peacock on South Street.

Join us for a 6-week course exploring the twelve principles of permaculture design. Each week the class will dive into two principles, blending thoughtful discussion with hands-on practice in a living garden installation at Tillers International. Skills will vary based on garden needs and weather, but will include multiple fall bed preparation methods, mapping and planning, tool maintenance, and more!

St. Augustine Cathedral, Kalamazoo, will host Polish organist and conductor Marek Kudlicki on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at 6 p.m. for a special evening organ recital. Kudlicki is one of the relatively few full-time concert organists who regularly travels the globe, having performed in Poland, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Norway, Iceland, England, and the U.S.A., among others. He has been both a prize-winner and judge at multiple international organ festivals, and has been broadcast on N.P.R., Radio New Zealand, Radio Suisse, and South African Broadcasting Corporation.

The September 30th concert will feature a broad range of composers both popular and lesser-known, including Krieger, Lublin, Bach, Saint-Saëns, Bossi, Peeters, and more. Underwritten by generous donors to the Father Selner Memorial Music Fund, the concert is FREE and open to the public (a free-will offering will be accepted at the entrances to the cathedral). A video projector will be set up in the front of the church to allow attendees to see the performance, and children’s attendance is encouraged.

Even though the leaves are falling, right now is the perfect time to start planning for next year’s fresh growth! Our conservation team members are experts at native planting, and they’re here to share that expertise with you! Bring your most burning native garden questions and plant the seeds of garden knowledge for next season.

This program is geared for adults 50 and up, but all ages are welcome.

Meet: Cooper’s Glen Auditorium inside the Visitor Center

Date: Thursday, October 1 from 11:00AM-1:00PM

Fee: Free for KNC Members; $10 non-members

Registration recommended, drop-ins welcome

Audience: Geared for Adults 50+, but all are welcome

Photographer Sheila Pree Bright’s series Invisible Empire foregrounds the tension between the pastoral beauty of the American South and the historical exploitation of Black lives and labor that stains the landscape. In her series The Real Story of the Superheroes, Dulce Pinzón centers immigrant workers whose everyday heroism takes the form of quiet sacrifice and courage in the face of often extreme labor conditions. During this Gallery Gathering, we will discuss two artworks from these series featured in For the People, By the People.

"Let’s find the biggest works in the museum. Join us for a playful walk through the galleries designed for our youngest visitors. Together, we’ll explore big, bold paintings through close looking, storytelling, and interactive activities.

Wonder Walks are for children 2-4 years old (but all are welcome) and is free with the cost of admission. Caregivers must stay with their children at all times. Preregistration is encouraged"

"Join the KIA for an evening celebrating family, culture, creativity, and community during Hispanic Heritage Month. Noche de Familia welcomes guests of all ages to gather through art experiences, cultural activities, storytelling, and opportunities to connect with neighbors and community organizations.
This year's event will place special emphasis on recognizing and honoring the contributions of farmworker individuals and families throughout Southwest Michigan. Through their labor, traditions, resilience, and community leadership, farmworkers have helped shape the region's history and continue to play a vital role in its future.
Visitors are invited to explore the galleries, participate in hands-on activities, engage with community partners, and celebrate the stories that connect generations and communities. By uplifting voices and experiences that are often overlooked."

Ernestine Ashworth spends her 17th birthday agonizing over her insignificance in the universe. Soon enough, it's her 18th birthday. Even sooner, her 41st. Her 70th. Her 101st. As the years race by, birthdays become milestones in a life shaped by family, loss, laughter, and the quiet moments we often overlook until they've become faded memories.
Noah Haidle's Birthday Candles is funny, tender, and quietly profound. It’s funny in the way real families are funny, aching in the same places. It reminds us that extraordinary lives aren't measured by fame or fortune, but by the people we love and the moments we share. By the end, you're not just watching Ernestine's story - you're thinking about your own.

Enjoy the Golden Age of Broadway with Songs from Rodgers and Hammerstein

The Kalamazoo Civic Senior Class Reader’s Theatre celebrates the golden age of Broadway with the delightful musical revue Some Enchanted Evening – The Songs of Rodgers & Hammerstein October 2-11, 2026, in the Parish Theatre.

Featuring the unforgettable melodies of legendary composers Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, this joyful evening of music brings together beloved songs from timeless classics such as The Sound of Music, Oklahoma!, South Pacific, Carousel, and The King and I.

Purchase Tickets: https://bit.ly/SomeEnchantedEveningTickets-Oct2-11
Flex Pass Subscriptions: https://bit.ly/KazooCivicFlexPass
Group Rates: Call (269) 343-1313 or visit: https://bit.ly/KzooCivicGroupTix

Performance Dates and Times:
• Friday, October 2, 2026, at 7:30 PM
• Saturday, October 3, 2026, at 2:00 PM*
• Sunday, October 4, 2026, at 2:00 PM
• Friday, October 9, 2026, at 7:30 PM
• Saturday, October 10, 2026, at 2:00 PM
• Sunday, October 11, 2026, at 2:00 PM
*October 3 at 2 PM (ASL Interpreted & Audio Description Services Available)

Music and Lyrics by RICHARD RODGERS & OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II
Concept by JEFFREY B. MOSS
For Jerry Kravat Entertainment Services, Inc.
SOME ENCHANTED EVENING – THE SONGS OF RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals. www.concordtheatricals.com