Thanks to Black Birders Week and some amazing efforts from a group of UGA EcoReach students in conjunction with Oconee Rivers Audubon an dLilly Branch Audubon Societies, our fundraiser to provide binoculars for young Black birders in Athens, GA is now live!

You can donate at the Gofundme site (https://gf.me/u/x8s2k3), or send a check, made out to Oconee Rivers Audubon Society (memo line: binocular fundraiser) to: Oconee Rivers Audubon Society, P.O. Box 81082 Athens, GA 30608. The goal is to raise $5,000, and Oconee Rivers Audubon has agreed to match donations up to $500. 

The June 2020 Oconee Rivers Audubon Society annual picnic will be cancelled in an effort to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our community. We hope to resume monthly meetings as soon as it is deemed safe to do so. Please check back for future updates.

The Oconee Rivers Audubon Society is canceling the May monthly meeting in an effort to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our community. We hope to resume monthly meetings as soon as it is deemed safe to do so. Hope everyone's staying safe!

To adhere to social distancing guidelines and help reduce the spread of Covid-19, ORAS has cancelled all bird walks and field trips through the end of April. May bird walks and field trips are currently planned to take place. However, please check back for possible further changes or cancellations.

We hope everyone is staying safe and healthy!

Hope everyone is staying safe and healthy during this stressful time. We at Oconee Rivers Audubon Society care deeply about the wellbeing of members within our community. Therefore, to help reduce the spread of COVID-19, we will be cancelling our upcoming April monthly meeting. All bird walks are also cancelled through April 7th. Please check our website, social media accounts, and member emails for further updates of our activities. If you have any questions, please reach out to our president, Lauren Gingerella, at president@oconeeriversaudubon.org. We thank you for your support and understanding.

Please join us for our monthly meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 5th, at Sandy Creek Nature Center where our very own president, Lauren Gingerella, will discuss her work developing a conservation strategy for Wilson’s Plovers.

Wilson’s Plovers are listed as a “Species of High Concern” on the U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan. Predators limit their nesting success, leading to a decrease in the number of chicks produced each year. Lauren conducted an experiment to determine how well nest exclosures work to increase the number of nests that successfully hatch. She found that exclosures were successful at preventing mammal and bird predators from eating eggs or destroying nests.

Please join us for a free screening of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's "Bird of Prey" (http://birdofpreymovie.com/) on Monday, February 24th at 7pm at the UGA Miller Learning Center Room 350. The documentary follows wildlife cinematographer, Neil Rettig's journey into the jungles of the Philippines to document the Great Philippine Eagle and tells the story of the species' dwindling population and the group of people striving to save it from extinction.

ORAS is excited to announce the opening of the Spring 2020 Conservation Grant application cycle! If you are conducting research or completing a project with an emphasis on bird conservation, habitat improvement, or environmental education, we encourage you to apply for the grant. Preference will be given to projects located within the Athens-Clarke County area, but considerations will also be given to other locations in Georgia and surrounding states. Application deadline is March 15th, 2020. Please visit our Conservation Grants page (http://oconeeriversaudubon.org/grant) for more information about the grant and application process. 

Please join us for our monthly meeting at 7 p.m., Thursday, February 6th at Sandy Creek Nature Center where Gary Crider, Northeast Georgia Invasive Plant Cooperative member, will discuss the most insidious invasive plants in the Georgia Piedmont and what you can do to help native birds. See below for details.

The Oconee Rivers Audubon Society (ORAS) recently received the National Audubon Society's Plants for Birds Burke Grant. With this funding, ORAS will be able to build a high-profile demonstration garden to showcase the importance of native plants to bird conservation while also creating habitat for other wildlife within the Athens community.