Volunteer to Be CCAS Program Chair

Red-bellied Woodpecker. Photo by Jeff Bryant.

 We need a program chair and others with good ideas. If you like the idea of shaping our Society’s programs to make them interesting and instructive, visit https://www.champaigncountyaudubon.org/volunteer or email us (mail@champaigncountyaudubon.org) to volunteer. We’ll be glad to support you.

The good news is that Champaign County Audubon has hosted four great speakers this fall. In September, Dr. Jeff Hoover, avian biologist at the Illinois Natural History Survey, told us and showed us how forest management, which closes the gaps between forest fragments, can reduce predation and nest parasitism. A month later Holly Coates, PhD student at the U of I and Kendeigh grant awardee, told us and showed us how forest management could affect the future of Whip-poor-wills. In November, Dr. Fred Delcomyn, professor emeritus of entomology, told us and showed us the animals of the Brazilian Pantanal, the largest tropical wetland in the world. A month later, Southern Illinois University PhD student Anahit Amiri shared her research, partly funded by a Champaign County Audubon Society Kendeigh grant, about how habitat and behavior affect the relationship between grassland birds and raccoons, one of their major predators. Those of us in attendance learned a great deal from these presenters.

In the meantime, if you have ideas about future topics and presenters let us know by emailing us at mail@champaigncountyaudubon.org. We are seeking program speakers for 2026.

CCAS has several volunteer positions open. Supporting committee work, outreach, and even serving on the Board all help CCAS remain an active and vibrant part of the community. To learn more about volunteering with CCAS, visit our volunteer page.