Jan 24 Saturday
Saturday, January 24, 10 –11:30 am
Audience: AdultsMeet: Visitor Center Classroom
Join us to learn how to make fire cider, a popular herbal tonic often used to keep some pep in your step for the cold months of winter. We’ll learn about the history and purported benefits of fire cider, then make our own batch of the spicy pick-me-up.
Fee: Member $15, Non-Member $20. Please register.
Feb 07 Saturday
Please join us the first Saturday of each month at 9 AM (barring special events or bad weather which will be announced on our Facebook page), for "Beginning Birding Walks," led by experienced birders from the Audubon Society of Kalamazoo. This event is free and open to the public. Meet at the second parking lot at Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery in Mattawan, just off SR 43. All skill levels are welcome.
We will enjoy nature while typically identifying 20-40 species of birds, plus butterflies, frogs, etc. Over 200 bird species have been sighted at Wolf Lake, which offers a variety of habitats and easy walking trails. Annual highlights include colorful songbirds like orioles, warblers, tanagers, hawks and eagles, kingfishers, Great Blue and Green Herons, and over 20 species of waterfowl. Eastern Bluebirds can be found year-round! Children accompanying adults are welcome. The focus is on birding fundamentals, and extra binoculars are always available. The walk typically takes about 2 hours (but feel free to arrive late or leave early).
Feb 23 Monday
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that humanity has only four years to cut global greenhouse gas emissions nearly in half, and the consequences of failure are dire - for us and for the natural world. Birds are already feeling the heat, and examples will be shared. Anyone who’s done a Christmas Bird Count or submitted to eBird has helped document climate-related changes in bird distribution, migration, and nesting. Climate initiatives from Audubon include National’s award-winning climate action guide and webpage, and many local chapter efforts. Good news is that quite a few proven climate solutions are available, already having an impact. But they need to be implemented, and everyone can help with that. We can make a difference for ourselves, the birds we love, and our irreplaceable living planet.Our speaker and ASK Board member, Dr. Susan Schneider, has served on the boards of four Audubon chapters and been president of two. Her years of experience in climate change work include outreach, community projects, organizing, academic and nonacademic publications, and extensive public speaking. As Senior Scientist for the sustainability nonprofit Root Solutions, Schneider helped design projects, and coauthored two chapters in the organization’s guidebook, Making Shift Happen: Designing for Successful Environmental Behavior Change. Recent outreach includes a podcast for the Union of Concerned Scientists and a monthly “green psychology” blog. Schneider’s award-winning book for the public, The Science of Consequences, covers basic learning principles and their broad range of applications, including sustainability. Schneider is on the faculty at Western Michigan University and serves on its Climate Change Working Group. She also serves on the Tools of Change Landmark Peer Review Panel for Climate Change, a psychology for sustainability board, and the board of the nonprofit Green Driving America.
Feb 28 Saturday
Salve Making Class: Returning & ReskillingSaturday, February 28, 2-4 pm
Winter drying you out? Come learn about the process of creating balms and salves with Herbal Meadows Botanicals. Participants will leave with their very own infused salves to stay moisturized during the dry skin season. Part of the Returning & Reskilling Series.
Fee: Member $28, Non-Member $35. Please register.
Mar 07 Saturday
Apr 04 Saturday
May 02 Saturday
Jun 06 Saturday
Sep 05 Saturday
Oct 03 Saturday