MURIE AUDUBON NOVEMBER PROGRAM PRESENTS: CASPER FIELD SCIENCE CAMP

The field science camp for elementary students currently in the fourth or fifth grade has been a program for students in Casper since 2015. Last summer’s camp ran June 14-18 from 8:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. The five-day camp provided field experience for students with an interest in science and nature. This camp was a great way to get fourth and fifth graders outdoors and excited about nature and discovery. Instructors included geologists, biologists, and educators who invited the children to share in the wonders of the natural world of Wyoming, close to home.

Students participated in field trips throughout the area to learn about the local plants, animals, rocks, and fossils. They visited Casper city parks, Edness Kimball Wilkins State Park, the Alcova/Pathfinder area, Casper Mountain, Bates Creek, and the Speas Fish Hatchery. Jessie Anderson, a Field Science Leader, will be our guest speaker for the November 11 program. Jessie has a BA in Earth Science from Wellesley College and a MS in Geology/Paleontology from the University of Wyoming. She has experience as a Vet Tech, a Geologist, and is now part of the family ranch at Bates Creek Cattle Company. As a volunteer, she has also been a Science Club leader and Science Fair coordinator at Fort Caspar Academy.

Dr. Terry Logue, a 42 year Field Science veteran, will also present at the November 11 program to give a historical perspective. Dr. Logue taught in the Natrona County Public Schools for 22 years and is an Emeritus Professor of Earth Science from the University of North Alabama. He won the “Lifetime Achievement Award in Science” from the Wyoming Science Teachers Association in 2000 and the Murie Audubon Society 2014  Education Award.

Beth Wisely is an educator, hydrogeologist and geophysicist. She began teaching at Casper College in 2013 following completion of her Doctoral Degree at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. She is a member of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee at the college and is an advocate for promoting equity in education and science. As the college sponsor and first-year instructor for the Field Science Camp, Wisely says, “That camp was the most fun I have had since moving to Casper. Can I do it again next year?”

Remember folks, we’ve have moved to the 2nd Thursday of the month, but at the same venue. Please join us on THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021 at 7 pm at the Izaak Walton Clubhouse at 4205 Fort Caspar Road for this program. As always, the program is free and open to the public! Hope to see you there!  -Bruce Walgren

MURIE AUDUBON OCTOBER PROGRAM PRESENTS: MIGRATION OF WYOMING’S BURROWING OWLS ACROSS NORTH AMERICA

Our October program will be an in person updated version of the May 2021 program. The presentation itself is a collaborative effort sponsored by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and Murie Audubon Society. Andrea Orabona is the statewide Nongame Bird Biologist for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s Nongame Program based in Lander and will be presenting the Zoom meeting. She is collaborating on this project with colleague Dr. Courtney Conway from the University of Idaho and his research partners from the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Recent developments in solar-powered GPS technology in the form of smaller transmitters are helping researchers collect data on the elusive seasonal migration and winter ranges of Burrowing Owls that nest in Wyoming during the summer months. In the past few years, researchers have placed satellite transmitters on Burrowing Owls in western states. Unfortunately, many of those have died or their transmitters have stopped sending locations. Owls outfitted with the new transmitters from Wyoming, along with other owls from western states and Canadian provinces, will add new data and hopefully new understating about these mysterious little birds. The Burrowing Owl is classified as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need in Wyoming, making this full annual cycle conservation project extremely important. Andrea will discuss the need for this work, project objectives and methods, and results of Burrowing Owl migration. Remember folks, we have moved to the 2nd Thursday of the month, but at the same venue. Please join us on THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2021 at 7 pm at the Izaak Walton Clubhouse at 4205 Fort Caspar Road for this program. As always, the program is free and open to the public! Hope to see you there!
Bruce Walgren