Make a tax-exempt Donation to AVAS and help preserve the Environment and Wildlife
of the Arkansas Valley.      Click here to access the secure Donation page

AVAS Video Presentations at the Rawlings Library: Click VIEW to access a list of most of the Programs presented by AVAS at the Library. These programs are wonderfully informative and cover a whole range of conservation related topics. Use the links on the page to access individual Programs.

4th SATURDAY BIRD WALKS ARE BACK! Use this link to view latest and past results.
***March 23, 2024 results just posted.

Meet at Nature & Wildlife Discovery Center-River Campus Deck in Pueblo, CO.  Join the Arkansas Valley Audubon Society at the Nature & Wildlife Discovery Center-River Campus each month on the 4th Saturday at 9 am for an enjoyable outing to view and identify a variety of birds. Registration not required. Suitable for families and birders of all levels. Masks and social distancing required. Bring your binoculars, hat, sunscreen, insect repellant, and water. This program is free of charge. Donations are always appreciated! $5 Parking pass fee required for River Campus/Raptor Center facilities and programs.

Binoculars for Kids: AVAS is focusing on outreach for youth and families, especially those who might not typically have access to the outdoors and environmental education.  We want to expose kids to birds, wildlife, and the importance of habitat protection. To that end, we need binoculars- new or used- to use on bird walks.

If you want to buy a pair for kids' to use, you can donate on our website: socobirds.org. If you have a pair you're not using, please consider donating them to AVAS. You can contact us at arkvalleyaudubon@gmail.com.
Thanks for your help.
Peg Rooney, President -- AVAS

AVAS is embarking on a project to get kids out in nature- Bird walk today along the Arkansas River with kids from the Pueblo Boys/Girls Club.
Kids were excited to see Osprey, Red-tailed Hawk, Red-winged Blackbirds, Coots, Pied-biilled Grebes, ducks, finches, and the biggest hit- American Robin!!

If you want to help with scholarships for kids to attend summer camps, you can donate on the AVAS website: socobirds.org. 

AVAS Postcard -- Click here

AVAS received a grant from National Audubon to install bird-safe fishing line recycling bins to help prevent bird deaths from entanglement in discarded fishing line.

Bins will be placed at Lathrop State Park, Salida, Brush Hollow Reservoir, John Martin Reservoir State Park, Smith Reservoir in the San Luis Valley, and at Runyon Lake State Wildlife Area in Pueblo.

Experienced hunters would agree that the best hunt takes only one pull of the trigger to drop the animal with a quick, humane kill. No hunter wants to harm non-target wildlife. However, when the target is dispatched with leadbased bullets and the remains are left for other animals like eagles, hawks, and falcons to eat, there is potential for lead exposure to those animals. Lead shotgun pellets can also sicken ground-feeding birds when they mistake the pellets for seeds or grit.

This brochure is a collaboration between Nature’s Educators and Denver Audubon staff and volunteers. It is funded by grants from the Audubon Colorado Council and National Audubon Society. Click the link to view this very informative Brochure.

Pollinators- birds, bats, bees, wasps, moths, flies, beetles- are a key component of global biodiversity, providing vital ecosystem services to crops and wild plants. But, many of these species are now under threat from disease, pesticides, and climate change. AVAS received grant funds from the National Audubon Society and has planted native plant gardens for pollinators at the following locations:

Lake Pueblo State Park Visitors Center
Trinidad Lake State Park Army Corps of Engineers Visitors Center
John Martin Reservoir State Park Visitors Center
John Griffith Regional Park/Canon City Riverwalk
Plaza Verde Park on Pueblo's Eastside
Pueblo Nature & Wildlife Discovery Center- Raptor Center
Colorado State University-Pueblo
Pueblo Community College

If you're interested in helping birds and other pollinators, please join AVAS. Membership information is on our website-socobirds.org.

Audubon Rockies

Birds visiting the Pueblo Community College campus now have a bird-friendly garden to enjoy, thanks to the hard work of the PCC STEM Club and Arkansas Valley Audubon Society! The new garden features native plants from Fox's Garden Supply and will serve as a student research project on the effect of native plants on pollinators. It's one of two gardens funded by an Audubon in Action grant, the second of which is planned for Colorado State University Pueblo. Great work by all! We can't wait to see the results.     Photos: Steve Bigley/Pueblo Community College

PLAZA VERDE NATIVE PLANT GARDEN
A Progress report and a historical look back at it's origin

Over the last few years, AVAS has been working to prevent bird entanglement and death due to improperly discarded fishing line by providing bird-safe fishing line recycling bins throughout our service area.

What to do if you find a banded bird??

Water Fact Sheets:
Protecting Water Quality: What Happens Upstream Affects Those Downstream

Beginners Birding ID video from Audubon Rockies

The Nature and Wildlife Discovery Center- River Campus Bird Checklist. Compiled from almost 4 years of observations.

Are you planning a Birding Trip to Colorado? We at AVAS are only too happy to answer any questions you might have. Also, we highly recommend that you view this site sponsored by the Colorado Field Ornithologists for the latest information and updates statewide.

Cornell Lab eNews, lots of good & fun information: