National Audubon Society

Special E-dition Songs from Our Centers: Fall Newsletter

TRAC

Trinity River Audubon Center

Fall migration is underway!

Here in the Central Flyway, peak fall bird migration begins September 5 and runs through October 29. That means when North Texas kiddos head back to school, birds head back to the skies! Read on below to learn more about why birds migrate and how you can help.

Speaking of helping, September 22 is North Texas Giving Day and early giving is open now! Click here to make a donation. (You can designate your gift specifically to our center by listing Trinity River Audubon Center in the comments section at check out.) We are so thankful for your support. Your gift directly helps us provide community engagement, low-cost education programs and conservation of our lands here on the Blackland Prairie.

As the weather begins to cool, remember that we now have extended hours for you to plan your visit! Our center is open Wednesday through Friday from 9 AM to 3 PM as well as Saturday and Sunday from 8 AM to 3 PM. We are open Labor Day weekend, Sat. Sept. 3 and Sun. Sept. 4, and closed Mon. Sept. 5. Join us for a hike or sign up for one of our guided programs. We look forward to seeing you on the trails! Plan Your Visit Today!

Join us for our September programs and events!

Second Saturday Guided Hike
Saturday, September 10
8:30AM - 9:30AM
Hit the trails for a guided hike at Trinity River Audubon Center!

Third Saturday Morning Bird Walk
Saturday, September 17
7:30AM - 8:15AM
Join us for our monthly bird walk and enjoy our feathered friends.
$10 per person, all ages welcome

TRAC Virtual Learning Content
Available anytime!
Access virtual programs, videos, activities, coloring pages, and more anytime by visiting our Virtual Learning page.

Plan your visit!

Mark Your Calendars for Sunday, October 9!

Celebrate nature and return to the meadow UNDER THE PRAIRIE MOON while supporting Trinity River Audubon Center! This signature event coincides with fall bird migration and the full moon. Guests enjoy an outdoor dining experience on our winding, reclaimed prairie with the Great Trinity Forest as the backdrop. Programs such as this help support the center's educational and conservation mission, connecting all to nature and inspiring the next generation of conservation leaders, while protecting birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow.

Help support TRAC on #NTXGiving Day

This year’s North Texas Giving Day falls on Thursday, September 22 and early giving is open now! Your support of Trinity River Audubon Center helps us provide opportunities to engage our community through a variety of programs including Audubon provides opportunities to engage our youth through a variety of programs including bird watching, Scouts, TEKS-aligned science education, guided hikes, animal encounters, and week-long immersive leadership experiences through our Audubon Conservation Leaders program.

If you would like to dedicate your donation to the center, please note “Trinity River Audubon Center” in the comments area when making your donation. We appreciate your help!

Join us for an Author Event
Save the Date: Wed. Oct. 5 at 6pm

We are excited to welcome author Sara Dykman to TRAC for a reading and discussion of her amazing memoir, Bicycling With Butterflies. Deftly combining travel memoir and popular science, Dykman’s tale recounts her inspirational ride alongside the monarchs from Mexico to Canada and back. Learn about the urgency of saving the threatened monarch migration and the ways that you can help.

Lights out Texas: Fall Migration

LIGHTS OUT TEXAS! We have entered the weeks of Peak Migration! Birds need our help for safe travel at night from August 15–November 30. By turning off or dimming non-essential landscape, interior, and exterior lighting from 11 pm to 6 am each night, you can help prevent bird collisions –and it saves you money. Learn more and join communities across Texas going Lights Out for birds. Learn more about Lights Out Texas.

Calling all bird lovers: Volunteer with Us!
We have indoor and outdoor volunteer options. Perfect for individuals or groups. Single day or recurring schedule. Contact us at trac@audubon.org if you’re interested.

Trinity River Audubon Boardwalk

Carolina Chickadee

Dogwood Canyon Audubon Center

Where the Texas Hill Country Meets Dallas County

At Dogwood Canyon Audubon Center, the ecosystems of east, west and central Texas converge, making the canyon an ideal location for learning about environmental science and nature. Audubon preserves natural habitat of over 200 acres. There are over 2 miles of hiking trails reaching some of the highest elevations in Dallas County, allowing visitors a view of Joe Pool Lake and, on a clear day, to Cowboys Stadium in Arlington and beyond. The center's Nature Play area with picnic tables, bird blind with a rain catchment system, education animals on site, a resident raptor, indoor bird viewing area, gift shop, special events and programs enable Dogwood Canyon to serve the community by connecting people with nature, especially thousands of school children that visit on environmental science field trips each year.

A big welcome to our newest member of the Audubon Texas flock! Adam George has joined us as the Seasonal Center Assistant at Dogwood Canyon Audubon Center. He will be assisting Michaela Kral (Administrative and Finance Manager at Dogwood Canyon) with all things DCAC, including daily center operations, programs and connecting to the community through communications and social media.

Adam is a certified Texas Master Naturalist who has worked as a visual arts teacher in Dallas ISD and as a marketing coordinator. He brings with him a background in video production, photography, health and wellness, naturalist studies, and education.

For more information on events and other happenings, visit the Dogwood Canyon Audubon Center events page on our website here!

Carolina Chickadee Photo: Minnie Lucas / Audubon Photography Awards

MLAC sights

Mitchell Lake Audubon Center

Grassland Restoration

In 2018, Bexar Audubon Society and Quail Coalition of San Antonio awarded Mitchell Lake Audubon Center funds for 12 acres of grassland restoration. A prescribed burn took place in December 2019 to jumpstart the restoration, with a temporary suspension of activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In August 2022, we were successful working with Native American Seed for manual removal of 12 acres of encroaching and invasive plants, with additional removal and seeding scheduled this fall. Over the next few years, we hope to see significant changes in diversity of plant and animal species in the grassland area between the visitor center and Bird Pond.

Learn more about the grassland restoration at Mitchell Lake!

Notable Birds

Fall migration has started at Mitchell Lake Audubon Center! Over 50 species of birds are seen regularly right now, including 20+ species of shorebirds and wading birds like Roseate Spoonbill, White Ibis, Wilson’s Phalarope, and a variety of sandpipers. Be sure to check our eBird Hotspot for the most up-to-date sightings.

Volunteer at Mitchell Lake!

As migration increases and fall arrives, we need help clearing and planting in our gardens and greeting visitors. Become a Visitor Center Naturalist or Habitat Volunteer today by filling out the interest form.

Upcoming Events

Save the date – If you’re making plans for spring, save the date for our community festival, Migratory Bird Fest, Saturday, March 25 to kick-off spring migration. Stay tuned for more information!

Here are other upcoming events for the next few months:

Guided Bird Tours
Every Sunday morning at 8:00am
FREE for Members | $10 for General Admission

On this guided bird tour around the various habitats of Mitchell Lake Audubon Center, guests will see at least 30-50 different bird species with our expert guide. Travelling by both car and by foot to access as many areas as possible, this tour is best suited for the birder age 15+ as it can last up to four hours, though you may leave at any time. Tours are limited to a total of 10 participants. Bring your binoculars, bottle for water, closed-toe shoes, long pants, and bug spray.

Beginner Bird Walks
Every 4th Saturday at 8:00am
FREE for Members | $10 for General Admission

There's no better place for learning how to bird. At Mitchell Lake Audubon Center, we host 300+ birds annually on our 1,200-acre sanctuary which includes four diverse habitats for our wildlife: wetlands, woodlands, brushlands and grasslands. Join us every fourth Saturday for Bird Tours designed for the beginning birder. Travelling by foot, your guide will go over birding identification and the proper use of binoculars. This is a family-friendly program best for ages 5+. Advanced birders are also welcome to attend. Eligible for SAWS Watersaver Rewards.

Register a: https://mitchelllake.audubon.org/events

Grassland Restoration at Mitchell Lake - Photo: Sara Beesley | Wilson's Phalarope Photo: Robert Michaelson

Trinity River Audubon Center Photo: Sean Fitzgerald

Thank you for your continued support of Audubon. The National Audubon Society protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow, throughout the Americas using science, advocacy, education and on-the-ground conservation. Audubon's state programs, nature centers, chapters and partners have an unparalleled wingspan that reaches millions of people each year to inform, inspire and unite diverse communities in conservation action. Since 1905, Audubon's vision has been a world in which people and wildlife thrive. Audubon is a nonprofit conservation organization. For more information, events, and to find your local chapter visit https://tx.audubon.org/. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Audubon Texas
2407 S. Congress Ave., Ste. E - #477, Austin, TX 78704 USA
512-488-1266 | tx.audubon.org

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