Sassafras Audubon Society

05/20/2026

Don't forget tonight (May 20) we host Aaron Stump of the Indiana Wildlife Federation to talk about Gardening for Wildlife! Join us from 7-8pm at the Unitarian Universalist Church.

05/02/2026

🐦 Did you know the Eastern Whip-poor-will get its name from its call?

These birds are masters of camouflage and are heard far more often than seen—which makes hearing one in the wild a special experience.

Join us on May 16 for an evening tour led by Marian Mason as we listen for this iconic spring sound.
📅 Saturday, May 16
🕡 Meet-up: 6:30 PM
🕗 Tour: 8:00–9:30 PM
🚗 Limited to 5 vehicles—carpooling encouraged
👉 Register: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0F4CABA62BA4FB6-63374138-whippoorwill
🗓 RSVP by May 9

Come learn, listen, and experience Indiana’s nighttime birds.

04/23/2026

🌿 Bird Walk: Louisiana Waterthrush at Green’s Bluff 🐦

Join us for an early spring birding hike in search of the Louisiana Waterthrush—one of the season’s most distinctive woodland songbirds!

📅 Saturday, April 25
🕢 7:30 AM
📍 Green’s Bluff (North Loop Trail), Owen County

Led by Taylor Ransdell, this 1.2-mile loop hike takes you through scenic rocky bluffs, remnant hemlock groves, and a lush floodplain along Raccoon Creek.

⚠️ Trail conditions: Portions of the hike are rugged—please wear appropriate footwear.

🚗 Parking is limited (about 5 cars at the trailhead), so carpooling is strongly encouraged. Additional roadside parking is available near the cemetery.

👉 RSVP: [email protected]
🔗 Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/UUq2riQXm3nckK6a6

Come out and experience one of Indiana’s most unique spring birding opportunities!

04/16/2026

🌙🐦 Hear the Whip-poor-will this May!

Join Sassafras Audubon Society for a unique evening birding experience as we listen for the Eastern Whip-poor-will—one of spring’s most iconic nighttime calls.

📅 Saturday, May 16
🕡 Meet-up: 6:30 PM (Schwartz Family Restaurant, Eckerty, IN)
🕗 Tour: 8:00–9:30 PM (led by Marian Mason)
🕚 Return: ~11:00 PM–12:00 AM

🚗 Limited to 5 vehicles to reduce disturbance—carpooling strongly encouraged

👉 Register here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0F4CABA62BA4FB6-63374138-whippoorwill
🗓 RSVP by May 9

Spots are limited, so sign up early! If the event fills, feel free to contact us to be added to a waitlist.

Come experience the sounds of spring in southern Indiana—you won’t want to miss it.

04/15/2026

🐦 Reminder: Spring Bird Feeder Cleaning – This Saturday!

Keep your backyard birds healthy this season by bringing your feeders to our Spring Cleaning Event!

📅 Saturday, April 18
🕘 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM (drop off by 2:00 PM)

We’ll help clean your feeders to prevent the spread of disease and get them ready for spring bird activity.

💵 Suggested donation: $5 per feeder
👉 Volunteer sign-up: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19ZTCTWiApWIuhJa-SQPu8ghcqOHKttMMR-N__YlB_48/edit?usp=sharing

Stop by, learn why clean feeders matter, and support local bird conservation!

04/07/2026

📚🌿 SAS Book Club Interest Check 🌿📚

We’re exploring the idea of starting a Sassafras Audubon Society book club, and we’d love your input!

Our first potential read would be Nature’s Best Hope by Douglas W. Tallamy—a powerful book that reimagines conservation by encouraging individuals to create “Homegrown National Parks” through planting native species in their own yards. The book highlights how small, local actions can restore biodiversity and support birds, pollinators, and entire ecosystems.
Would you be interested in joining?

Let us know in the comments:
👍 Yes, I’d love to participate
🤔 Maybe, depending on timing
👎 Not interested

We’d also love to hear:
• What days/times work best for you?
• Would you prefer in-person or virtual meetings?

Your feedback will help us shape this into something meaningful for our community!

04/06/2026

Spring is here—which means it’s time to give your bird feeders a fresh start! 🌿🐦

Join Sassafras Audubon Society for our Spring Bird Feeder Cleaning on Saturday, April 18 from 9 AM to 4 PM (Please drop off feeders before 2 PM.)

Cleaning your feeder regularly helps prevent the spread of disease and keeps your backyard birds healthy and thriving.

We suggest a $5 donation per feeder to help cover expenses and support our local conservation work.

Interested in helping out? 🔗 Sign up to volunteer here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19ZTCTWiApWIuhJa-SQPu8ghcqOHKttMMR-N__YlB_48/edit?usp=sharing

Thank you for supporting healthy bird habitats in our community!

02/19/2026

Don't forget! SAS and Green Drinks Bloomington are co-hosting on Wednesday, February 25 at 6 PM, “The Indiana Cerulean Warbler Birdscape: An international conservation mission in our own backyard”, presented by Southern Indiana Birdscape Coordinator Edward Oehlman.

11/12/2025

Ducks and Donuts (this weekend, Nov 15!), a birding trip to Paynetown, and the Christmas Birds Count -- Check out our newsletter for all the details!

The ducks are back, and so is Sassafras Audubon's Semi-Annual Ducks and Donuts at the Stillwater Marsh observation platform. We will be there from 8–11 a.m. with donuts, coffee, binoculars to spare, and scopes to spot ducks through.

10/04/2025

The Fall Feeder Cleaning is today! Feeder drop off is 9a-2p, pick-up from 2-4p. Bloomington Hardware is offering 20% off all bird feeders, seed, etc today. Come pay us a visit!