The Audubon Society of Ohio (ASO) was established in 1897 in the Greater Cincinnati area. ASO was the first Audubon Society organized in Ohio, and is currently a local chapter of the National Audubon Society.

Calendar

Selected Upcoming Events

18 May 2012 - 17 June 2012

Cincinnati Artist, DeVere Burt, Presents Audubon’s River

—Art exhibit and talk features works inspired by John James Audubon’s
exploration of Ohio frontier; outstanding program for bird and history enthusiasts—

The Greater Milford Area Historical Society (GMAHS) will present Cincinnati artist, DeVere Burt, in Audubon’s River, a touring art exhibit and sale. The exhibit features nearly 60 of Burt’s original art works that have been inspired by well-known French-American ornithologist, naturalist, and painter, John James Audubon, and his exploration of the Ohio frontier.

This special art/history event will include several elements:

• Art Exhibit and Sale – May 10 through June 17, 2012 (free and open to the public, 9:00 AM– 5:00 PM, Tues-Fri; Sun 9 AM-1:00 PM)
• Artist’s Reception – Friday, May 18, 2012 (6-7:00 PM)
• Audubon’s River Presentation by DeVere Burt – Friday, May 18, 2012, 7-8:00 PM (ticket information available at www.milfordhistory.net)
• Final Art Exhibit Walk-Through hosted by DeVere Burt – Sunday, June 17, 1:00 PM (free and open to the public)

All activities will be held at The Gallery at River Hills, River Hills Christian Church, 6300 Price Road, Loveland, Ohio 45140.

See Calendar for additional details.

21 May 2012

Biodiversity of South Africa

Join Brian Jorg for a visual overview of the biodiversity of South Africa. We will start in Kruger National Park, where we will see 5,000 year old baobab trees, prides of lions, and huge herds of elephants. A variety of bird life also abounds in this massive wildlife refuge. From there we will travel through Johannesburg on to the Cape Point. The we will visit Table Mountain and tour the floral diversity of the Cape Peninsula, where many species of Protea abound. We will travel to Cape Point, a landscape rich in history. We will find ostrich, dassies and penguins along the way. We will take a virtual tour through Kirstenbosch Gardens, were we will see the sugarbirds feeding on the proteas in one of the most beautiful botanical gardens anywhere in the world. We will then travel eastward to Gansbaai. There we will explore the Fynbos region of flora, one on the richest botanical areas in the world. We will end our trip with at Walker’s Bay, the Great White Shark capital of the world. Here we will see massive sharks hunting for the cape fur seal, which inhabits the aptly named seal island. A host of unusual pelagic species will also be seen on this adventure.

Brian is Manager of Horticulture at Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens since 2004. For 15 prior years he was a horticulturist at the national historic Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum. At the zoo Brian is responsible for the selection and planting of over 100,000 tulips every spring. He manages the Native Plant Program including conservation efforts and the zoo's annual plant trial program which tries out over 200 varieties of the newest annuals every year. As a well known photographer, he has photographs published in various books, magazines, field guides, calendars, ads and greeting cards as well as using his inages in educational institutions. He leads field trips to see and photograph wild flowers in the eastern USA as well international destinations such as Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Alaska, Yucatan, Kenya, Peruvian Amazon, Galapagos and South Africa.. Brian is a past president of Cincinnati Rose Society, a director of Cincinnati Audubon and a member of Garden Writer's Association. See his wonderful pictures on his web site www.brianjorg.com.

This free program will be at 7:30 PM at Winton Center in Winton Woods Hamilton County Park. Traveling north on Winton Rd, cross Winton Lake and take a left at the first stop light onto Valleyview Dr and then the first left into Winton Center. We'd love to have you come at 7:00 and share light refreshments with us for 30 minutes of socializing before the meeting.

See Calendar for additional details.

The ASO Mission

ASO is dedicated to the enjoyment and preservation of the natural world. Through education and conservation activities in our community, we raise awareness and promote solutions to global environmental problems. The Audubon Society of Ohio was formed to be an environmental leader and educator for those living within the Greater Cincinnati area. We present monthly programs on various topics that are free and educational. These programs are usually held at the Winton Woods visitor center. Some topics have included birding trends in Ohio, including how populations are monitored and studied; travels of birders and photographers to some of the most beautiful areas in the world; and guest speakers from other local, regional and national organizations.

ASO provides educational monthly field trips designed to give hands-on experiences in the natural world. In addition to field trips to birding hot spots, our field trips also focus on the rest of the natural world, including trees, wildflowers, butterflies, insects, salamanders and other amphibians and reptiles, and much more. We concentrate on exploring local habitats; to minimize driving, most of our field trips are held in the Greater Cincinnati area. We also host special events, such as our annual Birding Class, a hands-on birding ID series taught by experts to people of all ages in the classroom and the field. The Audubon Society of Ohio actively conserves some key properties in the Hamilton County and Adams County areas. These properties provide beneficial habitat for native flora and fauna. We are also involved in many conservation projects, working cooperatively with other like-minded groups in the area.

How Can You Help Support ASO?

Your local chapter is self supporting and depends on dues and contributions from local members. Dues for a “Friend” membership are only $15.00 per year, and since we are an all volunteer organization, your dues fully support our mission. Those dues help cover the basic benefits that we provide to Friends and to the public. WIth your support we can continue to provide free educational activities such as informative monthly programs with guest speakers, our monthly “Night at the Movies” , and field trips to various habitats to look for interesting flora and fauna found in Ohio. Your support helps to cover admin costs to produce the “Chat” newsletter. Most important, your dues give the ability to expand our projects and outreach in conservation and education. We hope you will join us!

Audubon Society of Ohio - ASO
3398 W. Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45239
PH: 513.741.7926 Web: www.cincinnatiaudubon.org



Website updated July 2011. Photos courtesy Rick Lisi & John Stewart.