Bastrop County Audubon Society organized in the fall of 1981. For a while county residents of like mind had been meeting and birding together. They had carried out Christmas bird counts beginning in 1977. Biological scientist David Mitchell was first president and guided the group through the steps leading to qualifying as a National Audubon chapter in 1983. Pam Hensley was first Bird Calls editor
. In 1985. BCAS hosted the Audubon State Council meeting in 1985 and again in 1991. In February, 1986, we made a field trip to Lake Buchanan to see the bald eagles. Ornithologist David Nichols, our president in 1989, led studies of county bird life and published the article "Adaptability of Night Herons." In August, 1991, David Carson (with Sally Strong of Austin) won a National Audubon education award for work with the State Textbook Review Committee and Glenn Whitehead and Judy Ing won an award for the newsletter. During the 90's BCAS was known for the Bat Education Program, scripted by Joan Russell, performed by her and then by Judy Mitchell and others for 4th graders. David Carson served on the National Audubon board for 3 years. In 1999 we developed study guides for use at McKinney Roughs Conservation Education Center, featuring art by artist member Margie Crisp. Since 2000 we have installed and maintained over100 blue-bird and other needed nest boxes (thanks to our manufacturer Richard Hulsey) in Bastrop and Buescher State Parks.
