OIAS Calendar of Events
2023-2024 Programs
Loutit District Library
407 Columbus Avenue
Grand Haven, MI
6:00-6:30 PM Social
6:30-8:00 PM Program
Recordings of OIAS programs can be found on the OIAS YouTube channel at this link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg4WKwR1KqyfLoqZuoY18Jg
Please subscribe to the OIAS YouTube channel if you have not already done so. Also, please visit and like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/oias.org. We’ll also post birding information and information about OIAS and upcoming OIAS events there.
Muskegon County Nature Club and the Owashtanong Islands Audubon Society (Grand Haven's chapter) have combined their resources for programs. Programs for both societies will be presented at Loutit District Library, 407 Columbus Ave. in Grand Haven. MCNC will schedule field trips for both societies and OIAS members are encouraged to attend! See the schedule on the Field Trip page here.
Click here for a program brochure and membership application for this season.
September 19:
Birding in Uganda
-
Steve Hamberg, Holland Audubon Society
Uganda in eastern Africa is a beautiful country with a diversity of habitats including forests, plains and rivers. It is situated on the edge of Lake Victoria and is where the Nile River begins its long journey north toward Egypt. Not only does the country have some of the last
remaining populations of wild chimpanzees
and gorillas, but it has a great variety of birdlife. In 2021, Covid
restrictions made it difficult to travel, but Uganda was one country
that had not yet closed its borders to tourists. Taking advantage of the
opportunity, Steve was able to spend three weeks there, visiting several
national parks and doing what he likes most, birding.Steve Hamberg was born and raised in Holland, Michigan. He graduated from Calvin University with a degree in Physics, then moved to Kansas where he received his PhD in Radiation Biophysics, and after that his MD degree, both from the University of Kansas. In Miami, Florida, he did his residency in Internal Medicine with the University of Miami. He next moved to Swaziland in southern Africa where he practiced as a missionary doctor for four years. In 1990, he moved back to Holland, joined an Internal Medicine practice until the practice was acquired by Spectrum Hospital. He continued as a physician with Spectrum, focusing mainly on care of nursing home residents until he retired in 2022. Ever since in Africa, he has enjoyed international birding as a hobby. To date, he has traveled to 90 countries, and has seen over 7500 species of birds worldwide.
October 17:
Blandford On The Road Birds of Prey
- Blandford Nature Center, Grand Rapids
Blandford Nature Center's live Birds of Prey program will feature some of our many feathered wildlife ambassadors that call Blandford home. Our birds of prey are
native to Michigan and have permanent injuries, making them unable to
survive in the wild. We will be discussing what makes a bird a bird of
prey, and will be passing around natural artifacts. The mission of Blandford Nature Center is to engage and empower our community through enriching experiences in nature.
November
21:
A Quest to Photograph America’s Owls
in One Year
- Mike Overway,
Holland Audubon Society
Shortly before the pandemic, Mike had the brilliant idea of a
collaboration of planned vacations, mission trips and bird outings that
would cleverly allow for the possibility to see and photograph all 19 of
North America's resident owls in one calendar year. Join us to see how
the best laid plans, some dubious but splendiferous luck worked out as
he bounced all over the US; and hear about the friends who helped, the
fascinating people
encountered, the wonderful birds and mammals seen, and how this
potentially ill-timed effort unfolded.
Mike and Amy Overway are lifelong Holland residents and have 3 adult
children. They enjoy traveling, camping, outdoor activities, and
mission trips, and are heavily involved at church. Mike has been a
'birder' for 20+ years, a carpenter for over 25 years, and a lover of
nature for as long as he can remember. Recently, he has realized he may
be more of a 'natural treasure hunter' than anything else as he and Amy
have spent time looking for the next new fish while snorkeling, the next
new peak, stream or cave while hiking, the next shark tooth, the next
fossil, the next rock, or the next seashell, all along with the next new
bird. We are certainly blessed with wondrous variety!
January 16:
Beauty & Biology of the Muskegon River
- Kevin Feenstra, Guide, Author, Photographer
Rescheduled to Fall 2024
The program will include images from 12
months on a river system. These images will include birds, mammals,
aquatic insects, fish, and scenery. The photography is from the
mainstream of the Muskegon River, as well as some of the creeks and
connecting swamps.
Kevin Feenstra is a fly-fishing guide, author, and photographer who
spends much of his life on the Muskegon River system. Through 25 years
on the river, he continues to learn about our waterways. His photography
focuses on the life above and below the surface of this majestic river.
Sweden - Migration at Falsterbo
- Eric Gustafson, OIAS member and birding enthusiast
The Scandinavian Peninsula is a vast region rich in birdlife. Every autumn, millions of breeding birds empty out of the northern forests and head for wintering climes.
Located
at the very tip of this landmass, Falsterbo acts like a very narrow
delivery end of an enormous funnel. Consequently, it has long been
regarded as one of Europe’s premier birding sites. Migration is already
well underway in July, beginning with species on long-distance journeys
to the equator or beyond, and continuing practically unabated through
November. This is a late September sampling of those migrating birds. March 19:
Outdoor Discovery Center—Conservation Studies
- Tanner Bricker & Jamie Krupka, Outdoor Discovery Center
ODC Network is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to advancing outdoor education and conservation in West Michigan. Outdoor Discovery Center began in 1999 through a partnership between Wildlife Unlimited of Allegan and Ottawa Counties, Inc. and the Ottawa Area Intermediate School District (OAISD).
In the past 20+ years, ODC Network has transformed from a small nature
preserve into a multi-faceted organization that preserves and manages
over 2,000 acres of natural area, operates 3 nature-based preschools,
includes an explorer network that features guided trips across the
globe, and much more. With this presentation, you will learn more about
ODC's outdoor education and ecological restoration impacts in recent
years. Jamie will highlight outdoor education efforts for the first half
of the program, and Tanner will explore some of ODC Conservation
Services grassland/meadow restoration projects throughout the community
during the second half.Jamie Krupka is the Chief of Interpretation for the ODC Network. He holds a BS in Environmental Biology from the University of Dayton. In 2003, he joined the ODC as its first naturalist and has seen the organization grow from a small non-profit to a thriving regional entity. His job today includes sharing the outward message of the organization through trained naturalist staff, engaging educational signage and high quality customer service. Jamie is a birder who is always watching and listening to the world around him. He enjoys taking pictures of animals, flowers and landscapes and traveling with his wife and kids.
Tanner Bricker is the Conservation Services Director for the ODC Network. He studied Natural Resources at Central Michigan University. Tanner first joined the ODC conservation team in 2017 as an Invasive Species Technician. His role today involves managing the ODC Conservation Services business line which specializes in natural area management, ecological restoration, and invasive species management. Tanner is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys hiking, kayaking, and golfing in his free time.
April 16
Kirtland’s Warbler Conservation: Background and Future
- Dave Ewert, Senior Conservation Specialist
The Kirtland’s Warbler, which breeds almost exclusively in Michigan and winters almost exclusively in The Bahamas, was delisted in 2019 after being listed as federally endangered since 1972. Intensive habitat work on its breeding grounds, including jack-pine management and control of a nest parasite, the Brown-headed Cowbird, has led to recovery from as few as approximately 170 pairs to approximately 2,000 pairs. Research and capacity building on the Bahamian wintering grounds have focused conservation efforts on the island nation. The presentation will focus on the natural history of the Kirtland’s Warbler, actions taken for this remarkable recovery, and future work that will be needed to ensure the species does not become endangered again.
May 21:
Annual Business Meeting, Resource Swap and Election of Officers
Bring bird guides, bird resources, and puzzles to swap at the May meeting. There is no limit to how many can be taken but members must take any unclaimed goods home.
Bring images on a thumb drive to the meeting.