EVENTS
Our events are free and open to the public. Any exceptions would be clearly noted.
Dubuque Audubon December Program
Ducks Unlimited – Wetlands Conservation
Thursday, 12/12/24
6:45 PM Social/Sharing Time
7 – 8 PM Program
EB Lyons Interpretive Center
8991 Bellevue Heights Road
Dubuque, IA 52003
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Mike Shannon, senior regional biologist in Iowa for Ducks Unlimited, will provide a brief overview of the continental work Ducks Unlimited is doing and then focus his presentation on wetland work in Iowa. Mike is a waterfowl biologist and wetlands expert who has been with Ducks Unlimited for almost 25 years and leads the Iowa conservation team.
Ben Berka, Ducks Unlimited Director of Development – Iowa, will be in attendance.
Dubuque Audubon Annual Christmas Bird Count
Saturday, 12/28/24
(Backup Date: 12/29/24)
Start: 8 AM
EB Lyons Interpretive Center
8991 Bellevue Heights Road
Dubuque, IA 52003
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Compilation & Potluck: 5 PM
Swiss Valley Nature Preserve and Nature Center
13606 Swiss Valley Road
Dubuque, IA 52068
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The annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count is the longest running organized citizen science project in the United States. Join Dubuque Audubon field trip leaders as we split into groups to identify and count birds within a 10 mile radius of Center Grove Methodist Church, Dubuque, IA. Sectors include Swiss Valley, Mines of Spain, City of Dubuque, Western Dubuque, Deere Dike/north of Dubuque, Dubuque Airport, and western Grant County.
You may also sign up to participate by feeder-watching from home (see details below).
Meet at EB Lyons at 8 AM. All skill levels are welcome. As we move between locations, you can carpool with leaders or drive separately, depending on space and preference.
Compilation will be at 5 pm at Swiss Valley Nature Center in the main floor meeting room, followed by a potluck. All data will be submitted to the National Audubon Society and used to track trends in bird diversity.
Check back for details on the potluck closer to the event. (We’ll provide some chili options.)
If you want to participate by watching a birdfeeder at home, please sign up in advance by emailing audubondubuque@gmail.com.
You would need to be within the radius we cover, which is essentially Dubuque, Asbury, East Dubuque, Sageville, Durango, and Centralia, and to follow the protocol of keeping track of your total birding time and counting how many you see of each species. If you count periodically throughout the day, you should add up your total time spent, and you should not double-count birds. For example, if you are watching your bird feeder and see 2 Blue Jays at once and then see 1 later that looks the same as the earlier birds, then your Blue Jay count would remain at 2.
On the day of the count, submit your results by emailing your name, birding location(s), total time spent, and your species list with corresponding counts to audubondubuque@gmail.com by 5 PM.
Dubuque Audubon January Program
Improving the River Environment
Thursday, 1/9/25
6:45 PM Social/Sharing Time
7 – 8 PM Program
EB Lyons Interpretive Center
8991 Bellevue Heights Road
Dubuque, IA 52003
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Jeremiah Haas, fisheries biologist at Quad Cities Clean Energy Center, will speak to us about their Mississippi River monitoring, hatchery operation, and outreach.
The Quad Cities Clean Energy Center in Cordova, IL, has been in operation since 1973 and has been conducting environmental work since 1971. The current programs can be broken down into three categories:
- Monitoring: Fish and other biota monitoring has occurred since 1971 and is one of the longest continuous databases on the Mississippi River.
- Hatchery Operation: The hatchery currently produces walleye, hybrid striped bass, and endangered and threatened freshwater mussels. The hatchery has stocked over 10 million fish since its operations started in 1984.
- Outreach: Finally, the outreach programs consist of talks to environmental, civic, and other groups that have an interest in the Station’s operations and environmental monitoring. Hundreds of students and adults tour the hatchery each year.
Jeremiah Haas has been a fisheries biologist at Quad Cities Station since 2000, with a diverse set of experiences prior to taking that position. He has worked with nearly every conservation-oriented entity on the Mississippi River the past few decades, focusing on improving the Mississippi River and educating the public about the resource. Outside of his day job, he writes for multiple outdoor publications and coaches basketball for Unity Christian School. In his few moments of free time, you can find him in the woods or on the water enjoying those resources. In April, he will be officially inducted into the Illinois Outdoor Hall of Fame for his conservation work.
Dubuque Audubon February Program
TBD
Thursday, 2/13/25
6:45 PM Social/Sharing Time
7 – 8 PM Program
EB Lyons Interpretive Center
8991 Bellevue Heights Road
Dubuque, IA 52003
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Details will be added when the program is finalized.
Dubuque Audubon Annual Duck Waddle
Saturday, 3/8/25
(Traditionally the 2nd Saturday in March)
Green Island Wildlife Management Area
located in Jackson County, IA
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Join us on our annual trip to Green Island to observe migrating waterfowl! Green Island is one of Iowa’s largest wetland complexes and attracts thousands of ducks, geese, cranes, and other aquatic-based birds each March. Audubon guides will be on hand to help identify the numerous species. Binoculars are recommended. You may come and go as you choose.
Check back closer to the event for the specifics on the time and meeting location.
Normally the trip lasts most of the morning, and for those that wish, we end by having breakfast/lunch at a restaurant.
Dubuque Audubon March Program
Forest Management for Birds
Thursday, 3/13/25
6:45 PM Social/Sharing Time
7 – 8 PM Program
EB Lyons Interpretive Center
8991 Bellevue Heights Road
Dubuque, IA 52003
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Dr. Adam Janke of Iowa State University will speak about forest management for birds. Forest birds set the soundtrack of summer for many forest landowners and managers. Those summer-time serenades come from a wide variety of places within the forest: ranging from the tops of the canopy to the banks of a stream, and everywhere in between. In this presentation, we’ll explore the biology and ecology of the birds we share our forests with and explore how forest management practices can help ensure the soundtrack of summer keeps playing in your forest for years to come.
Adam Janke is an Associate Professor and extension wildlife specialist in the Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management at Iowa State University. His research and education focus on finding opportunity areas for wildlife habitat conservation in working Midwestern landscapes.
Dubuque Audubon April Program
Capturing Moments in Nature
Thursday, 4/10/25
6:45 PM Social/Sharing Time
7 – 8 PM Program
EB Lyons Interpretive Center
8991 Bellevue Heights Road
Dubuque, IA 52003
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Have you ever wondered how the wildlife photos you see in stores or magazines are taken and where they come from? The National Wildlife Refuge system is made up of wonderful places around our country that are often the sites for the pictures you see. In his program “Capturing Moments in Nature,” Stan Bousson will share photos that have been taken in many locations along the Mississippi River near his home in Illinois. Also included are photos taken at wildlife refuges and national parks from other areas of the country. He will discuss photographic equipment and techniques used to shoot those images and share information about where to look for wildlife you may want to observe or photograph.
I have always been interested in photography and wildlife. As a child growing up in Michigan, I gained an appreciation for nature. As an adult, I took whatever opportunities I could to take photos.
At the end of 2002, my wife and I retired. That allowed many hours of time to devote to nature photography. We have repeatedly traveled to several national parks and wildlife refuges to observe and take photos of a wide variety of animals and birds. Being retired also allowed for time to volunteer for U.S. Fish & Wildlife at several national wildlife refuges, including the Upper Mississippi River Wildlife & Fish Refuge. I also presented photo programs to local & National Audubon Society groups. Another activity that I have done is volunteer photography work for the Corps of Engineers and county conservation departments.
I have presented many photo programs to a variety of audiences and have won numerous awards in wildlife photo contests. In 2012, I was fortunate enough to have a photograph in National Geographic Magazine and also some video footage in a National Geographic TV program about Mississippi River wildlife.
Living near the Mississippi River has helped create a great interest in photographing bald eagles. Always looking for new types of photos of eagles, I developed ways to photograph baby eagles in their nest. The behavior of nesting eagles is very interesting to watch, even though success each year is not guaranteed.
Over the years, I have learned many aspects of the technical knowledge for photo equipment and computer hardware & software. This allows me to share my knowledge of taking photos of wildlife with any interested photographers.
Dubuque Audubon May Program
TBD
Thursday, 5/8/25
6:45 PM Social/Sharing Time
7 – 8 PM Program
EB Lyons Interpretive Center
8991 Bellevue Heights Road
Dubuque, IA 52003
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Details will be added when the program is finalized.