All Events
From guided bird walks to interactive learning sessions and meetings, the Champaign County Audubon Society offers a variety of regular events throughout the year (although we typically take off the summer!).
Sunday Morning Bird Walk
Our Sunday Morning Bird Walks are our most popular events! Meet at the Anita Purves Nature Center parking lot at 7:30 AM for a free guided bird walk through either Busey Woods or Crystal Lake Park (decided on the day). All skill levels and ages are welcome (under 15 with adult).
Learn more about our Sunday Morning Bird Walks.
Juneteenth
Attend a vibrant celebration of freedom, culture, and community! This historic celebration marking the end of slavery in the US honors African American resilience, culture, and progress. Champaign Public Library and Champaign Park District are joining forces to bring family-friendly activities to the community. For more info: https://champaignparks.org/event/juneteenth/.
Art in the Parks: Nature Journaling
Attend a vibrant celebration of freedom, culture, and community! This historic celebration marking the end of slavery in the US honors African American resilience, culture, and progress. Champaign Public Library and Champaign Park District are joining forces to bring family-friendly activities to the community. For more info: https://champaignparks.org/event/art-in-the-parks-nature-journaling-2/.
Garden Walk 2026
Whether you’re seeking fresh inspiration or simply love wandering through beautiful gardens, the Garden Walk offers something for gardeners of all experience levels. There will also be local vendors at the Idea Garden, offering handmade, garden-inspired items, making the Marketplace a favorite stop for both Garden Walk ticket holders and community members alike. For more info: https://extension.illinois.edu/cfiv/garden-walk-2026.
Monthly Program: Bird Health in Short- and Long-Distance Migrants
Monthly Program: Bird Health in Short- and Long-Distance Migrants
Tara Beveroth
Board Meeting
The Champaign County Audubon Board meets at 7:00 PM on the third Monday of each month January – May and August – November (no meetings in June, July, and December) to discuss CCAS business and planning.
All CCAS members are welcome to attend board meetings; if you are interested in how to join, please email mail@champaigncountyaudubon.org.
Board meetings were historically held at the Champaign Public Library’s Friends Conference Room and are currently held online via Zoom.
Board Meeting
The Champaign County Audubon Board meets at 7:00 PM on the third Monday of each month January – May and August – November (no meetings in June, July, and December) to discuss CCAS business and planning.
All CCAS members are welcome to attend board meetings; if you are interested in how to join, please email mail@champaigncountyaudubon.org.
Board meetings were historically held at the Champaign Public Library’s Friends Conference Room and are currently held online via Zoom.
Board Meeting
The Champaign County Audubon Board meets at 7:00 PM on the third Monday of each month January – May and August – November (no meetings in June, July, and December) to discuss CCAS business and planning.
All CCAS members are welcome to attend board meetings; if you are interested in how to join, please email mail@champaigncountyaudubon.org.
Board meetings were historically held at the Champaign Public Library’s Friends Conference Room and are currently held online via Zoom.
Sunday Morning Bird Walk
Our Sunday Morning Bird Walks are our most popular events! Meet at the Anita Purves Nature Center parking lot at 7:30 AM for a free guided bird walk through either Busey Woods or Crystal Lake Park (decided on the day). All skill levels and ages are welcome (under 15 with adult).
Learn more about our Sunday Morning Bird Walks.
Board Meeting
The Champaign County Audubon Board meets at 7:00 PM on the third Monday of each month January – May and August – November (no meetings in June, July, and December) to discuss CCAS business and planning.
All CCAS members are welcome to attend board meetings; if you are interested in how to join, please email mail@champaigncountyaudubon.org.
Board meetings were historically held at the Champaign Public Library’s Friends Conference Room and are currently held online via Zoom.
Sunday Morning Bird Walk
Our Sunday Morning Bird Walks are our most popular events! Meet at the Anita Purves Nature Center parking lot at 7:30 AM for a free guided bird walk through either Busey Woods or Crystal Lake Park (decided on the day). All skill levels and ages are welcome (under 15 with adult).
Learn more about our Sunday Morning Bird Walks.
Mouth of the Jordan Bird Walk
The Mouth of the Jordan Reserve is an excellent, underbirded hot spot in Vermillion County.
PLEASE NOTE: There is VERY LIMITED PARKING at this location!! We must limit this trip to 7 cars. HOWEVER, if you are traveling with more than one person in your car, please sign up only ONE person on this form and note the number of other folks in your car in the field below.
Also, in order to fit 7 cars, some folks will need to get parked in. Because of this we ask that you please plan to stay for the entire walk. Thank you!
You must RSVP in advance! Use this link to sign up:
https://forms.gle/ANsHpNZBzJ96nveE7
Leader: Mariska Harshbarger
The Mouth of the Jordan Reserve is in Oakwood in Vermillion County.
Meeting spot: The meeting spot will be emailed to participants.
Paths could be wet so please wear waterproof shoes or shoes that can get wet. Long pants are best in case we walk through tall grass. It would also be a good idea to spray for ticks and other insects.
Please bring binoculars if you have them. We will have some pairs to loan.
Sunday Morning Bird Walk
Our Sunday Morning Bird Walks are our most popular events! Meet at the Anita Purves Nature Center parking lot at 7:30 AM for a free guided bird walk through either Busey Woods or Crystal Lake Park (decided on the day). All skill levels and ages are welcome (under 15 with adult).
Learn more about our Sunday Morning Bird Walks.
2026 Spring Bird Count
Join the Spring Bird Count!
This year’s Champaign County compiler will be CCAS Member-at-Large Beth Chato (ejchato@gmail.com, 217-344-6803).
Bird Photography and Editing
Overview:
Pictures of birds shared online often receive accolades from the public community. But what the general public often doesn't see are the failed attempts and the editing work required to bring the keepers to life.
About our speaker:
Jeff Bryant, our speaker this month, earned BS and MS degrees in physics at Ball State University, focusing his research on variable star systems. As part of his work for Wolfram Research, L.L.C., he composes blog posts about visualizations of astronomical phenomena using Wolfram Language. Jeff’s hobbies include birding, photography, and geology.
Sunday Morning Bird Walk
Our Sunday Morning Bird Walks are our most popular events! Meet at the Anita Purves Nature Center parking lot at 7:30 AM for a free guided bird walk through either Busey Woods or Crystal Lake Park (decided on the day). All skill levels and ages are welcome (under 15 with adult).
Learn more about our Sunday Morning Bird Walks.
2026 Spring Bird-a-Thon
Held each year in May, the Bird-a-Thon is an annual birding competition in Champaign County. This event lasts one week.
During the Bird-a-Thon, teams eagerly search for as many bird species they can find. Form your own team, go where you’d like in Champaign County, and track your lists in e-Bird.
For more information or to submit links to your lists, contact aerin tedesco.
Perkins Road Marsh Bird Walk
This is a great opportunity to explore this excellent birding spot that is not currently open to the public!
Paths could be wet so please wear waterproof shoes or shoes that can get wet. Long pants are best in case we walk through tall grass.
Leader: Mariska Harshbarger
You must RSVP in advance! Limit: 15 people. https://forms.gle/iMs7PW6rWCqqD8Nv9
The meeting spot will be emailed to participants.
Please bring binoculars if you have them. We will have some pairs to loan.
Sunday Morning Bird Walk
Our Sunday Morning Bird Walks are our most popular events! Meet at the Anita Purves Nature Center parking lot at 7:30 AM for a free guided bird walk through either Busey Woods or Crystal Lake Park (decided on the day). All skill levels and ages are welcome (under 15 with adult).
Learn more about our Sunday Morning Bird Walks.
Middle Fork FP Field Trip
Join CCAS’s Field Trip Chair aerin tedesco and Katrina Theisen at this absolute gem of a birding hot spot in Champaign County! Middle Fork River Forest Preserve includes Point Pleasant Wetland as well as two excellent waterfowl and shorebird viewing areas. We'll also see plenty of songbirds, waders and raptors.
This trip can be a bit muddy at times. Please wear appropriate clothing and footwear. Please bring binoculars and a scope if you have one.
Leader: aerin tedesco. Please email aerin at aerintedesco@gmail.com if you have questions or cannot make it after signing up.
You must RSVP in advance! Limit: 10 people. Use this link to sign up:
https://forms.gle/ANsHpNZBzJ96nveE7
Middle Fork River Forest Preserve is located in Penfield in the northeast corner of Champaign County.
The meeting spot will be emailed to participants. We will carpool between areas we want to bird.
Board Meeting
The Champaign County Audubon Board meets at 7:00 PM on the third Monday of each month January – May and August – November (no meetings in June, July, and December) to discuss CCAS business and planning.
All CCAS members are welcome to attend board meetings; if you are interested in how to join, please email mail@champaigncountyaudubon.org.
Board meetings were historically held at the Champaign Public Library’s Friends Conference Room and are currently held online via Zoom.
Sunday Morning Bird Walk
Our Sunday Morning Bird Walks are our most popular events! Meet at the Anita Purves Nature Center parking lot at 7:30 AM for a free guided bird walk through either Busey Woods or Crystal Lake Park (decided on the day). All skill levels and ages are welcome (under 15 with adult).
Learn more about our Sunday Morning Bird Walks.
International Dark Sky Celebration 2026
Join an evening of stargazing at the new Dark Sky Trail and Observatory. Arrive and park at the activity center between 7 and 7:30 PM, then follow the signs along a scenic half mile on a gravel path to the observatory. An outdoor presentation about the dynamic field of astronomical research and discovery begins at the observatory at 8 pm.
Earth Day with Urbana Park District 2026
Show some love for our home planet by celebrating Earth Day as you enjoy nature, activities and a free live concert at Crystal Lake Park.
CCAS Field Trip: Bird Banding Experience
Join Tara Beveroth, Associate Avian Ecologist at the Illinois Natural History Survey Prairie Research Institute of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Come learn about the Phillips Tract Banding Station which focuses on filling knowledge gaps for migratory bird species especially the importance of understanding stopover habitat requirements. We will open nets, hopefully catch birds, and discuss the importance of the data we collect.
NOTE: This event is limited to 25 people, so you must sign up to participate. Please use this link to sign up: https://forms.gle/n3AgCKRfvDeERV2n9
Your email is being collected so that we can send you the location before the event. It will not be used for other purposes.
Sunday Morning Bird Walk
Our Sunday Morning Bird Walks are our most popular events! Meet at the Anita Purves Nature Center parking lot at 7:30 AM for a free guided bird walk through either Busey Woods or Crystal Lake Park (decided on the day). All skill levels and ages are welcome (under 15 with adult).
Learn more about our Sunday Morning Bird Walks.
Sunday Morning Bird Walk
Our Sunday Morning Bird Walks are our most popular events! Meet at the Anita Purves Nature Center parking lot at 7:30 AM for a free guided bird walk through either Busey Woods or Crystal Lake Park (decided on the day). All skill levels and ages are welcome (under 15 with adult).
Learn more about our Sunday Morning Bird Walks.
Monthly Program: How Our Noise Affects Red-winged Blackbird Parents
Overview:
Noise pollution is an increasingly pervasive environmental challenge, with demonstrated effects on animal communication and behavior. For Red-winged Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus), male parents providing food is largely influenced by auditory cues from nestlings. I studied whether noise from highways interfered with male provisioning behavior by masking auditory signals from nestlings. These results may also offer insight to highway departments, urban planners, and developers of other human-made structures in designing and routing infrastructure to reduce the effects of noise pollution on wildlife.
About our speaker:
Angelina Roman-Alcocer is a senior in integrative biology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and has been participating in research since her freshman year.
Sunday Morning Bird Walk
Our Sunday Morning Bird Walks are our most popular events! Meet at the Anita Purves Nature Center parking lot at 7:30 AM for a free guided bird walk through either Busey Woods or Crystal Lake Park (decided on the day). All skill levels and ages are welcome (under 15 with adult).
Learn more about our Sunday Morning Bird Walks.
Sunday Morning Bird Walk
Our Sunday Morning Bird Walks are our most popular events! Meet at the Anita Purves Nature Center parking lot at 7:30 AM for a free guided bird walk through either Busey Woods or Crystal Lake Park (decided on the day). All skill levels and ages are welcome (under 15 with adult).
Learn more about our Sunday Morning Bird Walks.
CCAS Woodcock Walk at Meadowbrook Park
Join CCAS on an evening hike to observe the spectacular mating dance of the elusive American Woodcock. All experience levels are welcome on this twilight adventure.
Please dress appropriately for the weather with multiple layers as temperatures can drop rapidly after sunset. Loaner binoculars will be available.
Trails are unpaved often muddy and wet so sturdy, waterproof footwear is strongly recommended.
You must RSVP in advance! Limit: 8 people. Use this link to sign up:
https://forms.gle/Kas56fo5J8uzNCNg6
Leader: Mariska Harshbarger. Please email Mariska at mariskaharshbarger@gmail.com if you have questions or if you cannot make it after signing up. The meeting spot will be emailed to participants.
Board Meeting
The Champaign County Audubon Board meets at 7:00 PM on the third Monday of each month January – May and August – November (no meetings in June, July, and December) to discuss CCAS business and planning.
All CCAS members are welcome to attend board meetings; if you are interested in how to join, please email mail@champaigncountyaudubon.org.
Board meetings were historically held at the Champaign Public Library’s Friends Conference Room and are currently held online via Zoom.
Sunday Morning Bird Walk
Our Sunday Morning Bird Walks are our most popular events! Meet at the Anita Purves Nature Center parking lot at 7:30 AM for a free guided bird walk through either Busey Woods or Crystal Lake Park (decided on the day). All skill levels and ages are welcome (under 15 with adult).
Learn more about our Sunday Morning Bird Walks.
Kendeigh Grant Applications Due
Kendeigh Grant Applications Due
Each year, CCAS funds research projects about the biology, ecology, and conservation of Illinois birds, through our Kendeigh Grants for Ornithology Research. Researchers can apply for up to $2,000 for their project. Preference is given to applied projects or those that advance bird conservation, habitat management, or education.
Since 1982, our S. Charles Kendeigh research grants have funded over $50,000 in research on Illinois birds. After the completion of their proposed research, grantees present their results in writing to CCAS as well as give a presentation at a CCAS general meeting (typically the first Thursday in February through May, September through December, the year following the grant award).
Applications are due March 15, 2026. Notifications of awards will be made in April.
To learn more or to apply for a grant, visit https://www.champaigncountyaudubon.org/apply-for-a-grant.
CCAS Woodcock Walk at Meadowbrook Park
Join CCAS on an evening hike to observe the spectacular mating dance of the elusive American Woodcock. All experience levels are welcome on this twilight adventure.
Please dress appropriately for the weather with multiple layers as temperatures can drop rapidly after sunset. Loaner binoculars will be available.
Trails are unpaved often muddy and wet so sturdy, waterproof footwear is strongly recommended.
You must RSVP in advance! Limit: 8 people. Use this link to sign up:
https://forms.gle/tPmzk9489gNjPKbVA
Leader: Mariska Harshbarger. Please email Mariska at mariskaharshbarger@gmail.com if you have questions or if you cannot make it after signing up. The meeting spot will be emailed to participants.
Woodcock Walk at Meadowbrook Park
Our friends at the Urbana Park District are also hosting a free Woodcock Walk at Meadowbrook Park!
Sunday Morning Bird Walk
Our Sunday Morning Bird Walks are our most popular events! Meet at the Anita Purves Nature Center parking lot at 7:30 AM for a free guided bird walk through either Busey Woods or Crystal Lake Park (decided on the day). All skill levels and ages are welcome (under 15 with adult).
Learn more about our Sunday Morning Bird Walks.
Monthly Program: Birding in Eagle Country: Two Journeys in January
What is it like to bird in the Illinois River valley during January? Roger Digges will talk about the experiences he and Cathy Digges had on their official mid-winter eagle survey in the Illinois River valley between Havana and Beardstown.
Ongoing CCAS Events
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Sunday Morning Bird Walks
Guided bird walks are held on Sunday mornings during the spring and fall migration seasons: March through May and September through October.
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Spring Bird-a-Thon
Held each year in May, the Bird-a-Thon is our annual fundraiser. It starts the Sunday after the Illinois Spring Bird Count and lasts one week.
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Christmas Bird Count
The National Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count (CBC) provides a rich dataset that scientists have used to learn about trends in bird populations since 1900!