5 Holiday bird seed, book & feeder sale, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m., Lawrence Senior Center, 745 Vermont, Lawrence.

19 Lawrence Christmas Bird Count. See newsletter for details.

20 Perry lake Christmas Bird Count.

21 Field trip to Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge. See newsletter for details.

30 Pre-order form due for Holiday bird seed sale.

2-4 Kansas Ornithological Society 2009 Fall Meeting, Hutchinson.

24 Field trip to Perry Lake. Meet to carpool from the I-70 business mall in North Lawrence at 8:00 a.m. Otherwise, meet us on the west end of Perry Lake Dam at 8:30. Waterbird migration will be in full swing and we will check the lake and Delaware marsh for ducks, geese, grebes and coots.

26 Pre-order form due for Fall Bird Seed Sale (see link under Get Involved)

Program Meeting, "Sequestering Carbon Dioxide in Kansas," Rex Buchanan, Deputy Director of the Kansas Geological Survey, on potential CO2 sequestration strategies -- capturing CO2 and storing or locking it up as it is produced by power plants or factories -- in Kansas. 7:30 p.m., Trinity Lutheran Fellowship Hall, 1245 New Hampshire.

31 Fall Bird Seed Sale, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m., Lawrence Senior Center, 745 Vermont, Lawrence.

12 Monarch Watch Fall Open House, 8 a.m. - 3 p.m., Foley Hall (KU West Campus). Possibility of seeing over 20 species of butterflies at the pollinator garden.

2009 Lawrence Energy Conservation Fair, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Community Building, 115 W. 11th Street.

19 Monarch Tagging at Baker Wetlands, 7:30-11:30 a.m. See newsletter for details.

19-20 More Monarch Tagging at Prairie Park Nature Center, 2730 Harper, Lawrence, 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.

26 Field trip to Baker Wetlands, 8:00 a.m. Meet at 31st St. entrance (on south side of 31st between Louisiana and Haskell streets). Target species: migrating flycatchers, warblers, sparrows and Sedge Wrens. Wear a hat and sturdy footwear. Sunscreen and drinking water are also advised.

28 Program Meeting, "Seeing through the Dark," Bruce Twarog, Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Kansas, on observations of stars and star clusters, and how they can lead to understanding the evolution of stars and the structure and evolution of the Milky Way galaxy. 7:30 p.m., Trinity Lutheran Fellowship Hall, 1245 New Hampshire.

Summer Break

22 Program Meeting, Avian Conservation Alliance of the Americas, Brad Jacobs, Missouri Department of Conservation, will speak about efforts to protect birds over their entire annual cycle of residence and migration by creating local benefits from habitat preservation for people in Central America and developing linkages between them and conservationists and birders in the U.S. 7:30 p.m., Trinity Lutheran Fellowship Hall, 1245 New Hampshire.

2-3 Birdathon 2009 Fundraiser. Contact Richard Bean, Birdathon Chair, 785-979-2649 for more information. Additional details in April newsletter.

9 Monarch Watch Plant Sale and Open House, Foley Hall, KU West Campus. 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

18 Program Meeting, "Important Bird Areas: A Strategy to Reverse Global Declines in Bird Numbers." Eric Beck, coordinator of Oklahoma's Important Bird Areas (IBA) program, will talk about this global initiative's efforts to reduce effects of habitat loss & degradation on avian populations by identifying & conserving places vital to birds and biodiversity. 7:30 p.m., Trinity Lutheran Fellowship Hall, 1245 New Hampshire.

18 Lawrence Earth Day Celebration, 11:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., South Park, 11th and Massachusetts.

TBA Field trip to watch prairie-chicken courtship. We are looking at options for locations & dates, including the Konza Prairie blind April 18 but space is limited & reservations are required well in advance.

25 Annual Clinton Lake Cleanup, Overlook Park shelter #1, 9 a.m. Lunch provided to volunteers. For more info, call Kipp Walters, (785) 843-7665 (8 a.m.-4 p.m.).

27 Program Meeting, "A Passion for Nature: The Life of John Muir."
Donald Worster, KU Professor of History specializing in U.S. & environmental history, is writing the life story of naturalist & nature writer John Muir. Muir was founding president of the Sierra Club & the major force behind establishment of Yosemite & other national parks. 7:30 p.m., Trinity Lutheran Fellowship Hall, 1245 New Hampshire.

23 Program Meeting, "A Great Plains Gem: The Audubon of Kansas Hutton Niobrara Ranch Wildlife Sanctuary." Ron Klataske, Executive Director of Audubon of Kansas, will present the program about the rolling landscapes along northern Nebraska’s scenic Niobrara River Valley and its abundant avian wildlife. 7:30 p.m., Trinity Lutheran Fellowship Hall, 1245 New Hampshire.

13-16 GREAT BACKYARD BIRD COUNT Anyone, from novice to expert, can take part in this nationwide event. Count birds for as little as 15 minutes (or as long as you wish) on one or more days of the event and report sightings online at www.birdcount.org.

21 Field trip. Winter birding at Perry Lake.

23 Program Meeting, "Eastern Bluebird in Kansas." Tammy Steeples, Kaw Valley Bluebird Association president, will talk about the organization's work monitoring area bluebird trails and the effects of conservation activities on the birds' population growth.

15-18 Kansas Winter Bird Feeder Survey. To learn more and see how you can participate, go to http://www.kdwp.state.ks.us/news.

24 Eagles Day Preview, Perry Community Center, 506 E. Front St, Perry, 10:00 a.m. Corps of Engineers Biologist Mike Watkins will give a presentation on nesting Bald Eagles in NE Kansas, including Perry and Clinton Lakes, followed by field trip to Perry Lake led by Corps of Engineers Park Manager Bunnie Watkins. Free and open to all ages. Contact Bunnie Watkins, 785-597-5144, for more information.

25 Thirteenth Annual JAS Eagles Day, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., Free State High School, 4700 Overland Drive, Lawrence. See newsletter for details.

26 Program Meeting, "Birds of Peru: Business and Beauty." Steve Roels, KU graduate student in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, will talk about birding businesses & recent conservation efforts in Peru, in addition to sharing photos from his trip last summer to the country that is home to over 1,800 bird species. 7:30 p.m., Trinity Lutheran Fellowship Hall, 1245 New Hampshire.

31 Late Winter Bird Seed, Feeder & Book Sale, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Lawrence Senior Center, 745 Vermont Street. Click on link to order form on JAS home page.