Activities
Eastern Meadowlark by Sheri Douse
Walks and Hikes
with Genesee Valley Audubon Society are family friendly opportunities to explore nature first-hand with other environmental enthusiasts.
GVAS is celebrating its 50th anniversary! 50 years of advocating for birds and the environment! Come celebrate with us.
Email changes coming soon. Be on the lookout for an email with subject: Welcome to GVAS – your local Audubon chapter
As part of our mission Genesee Valley Audubon Society wants to encourage all to get out and appreciate nature. To support that mission, we offer several local bird walks throughout the year. Our hope is that you will see something that peaks your interest enough that you will want to come out and experience one or more of our offerings, and bring along your family and friends. Everyone is welcome.
Registration is required for all activities. Please check here or our Facebook page for updates on upcoming GVAS activities and programs.
Birding by car: Short-Eared Owls Nations Road in Avon
Meet at Tops Parking Lot
270 E Main Street
Avon, NY 14414
Saturday, January 10, 2026
3:00 pm until dark
Register by Thursday, January 8 at https://mobilize.us/s/IryX3I
Everyone is welcome. Participants will caravan, looking for target species of Short-Eared Owls and Northern Harriers from the warmth of our vehicles, with short stops along roadsides. Be sure to dress for the weather. Binoculars will enhance your enjoyment. We will meet in the Tops parking lot in Avon (Routes 5 and 20). Park in the lot near the road. For questions or concerns, email summers@frontiernet.net or leave a message at (585)865-6047.
Chickadee Walk at Mendon Ponds Park
27 Pond Rd
Honeoye Falls, NY 14472
Saturday, February 14, 2026
10 am – Noon
Register by Wednesday, February 11 at https://mobilize.us/s/fin791
All are welcome to participate in this outdoor adventure. Come get up close and personal with nature. We will hopefully hand-feed chickadees, tufted titmice, and nuthatches while enjoying the park. Fun for the whole family!! We will meet Saturday, February 14, 2026 @ 10:00 am in the Nature Center Parking lot on Pond Rd off of Clover St (the southernmost of the 3 park entrances off Clover). Binoculars may enhance your enjoyment. GVAS will have some pairs available, if you don’t have your own. Dress for the weather (wear boots, warm clothes, etc.). Seed will be provided. Registration is required by Wed Feb 11. For trail details, check out the Birdsong trail assessment on Birdability here http://tinyurl.com/yrpudn4u If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact Joni Dubner at bajacool416@gmail.com
Follow Genesee Valley Audubon Society on Facebook or Twitter for updates.
Programs, Presentations & Events
are a great way to learn about a variety of environmental topics and get involved with nature.
What an Owl Knows: The New Science of the World’s Most Enigmatic Birds
by Zoom OR
In Person at Asbury First United Methodist Church
Fellowship Hall
1050 East Avenue
Rochester, NY 14607
December 11, 2025, 7:00pm
Presenter: Jennifer Ackerman
For millennia, owls have captivated and intrigued us. Our fascination with these mysterious birds was first documented more than 30,000 years ago in the Chauvet Cave paintings in southern France. With their forward gaze and quiet flight, owls are often a symbol of wisdom, knowledge, and foresight. But what does an owl really know? And what do we really know about owls? Scientists have only recently begun to understand in deep detail the complex nature of these extraordinary birds. Some 260 species of owls exist today, and they reside on every continent except Antarctica, but they are far more difficult to find and study than other birds because they are cryptic, camouflaged, and mostly active in the dark of night. Join Jennifer in a multimedia presentation on what we have learned lately about the nature of the world’s most enigmatic birds. With remarkable photos, videos, and audio recordings, Jennifer explores the rich biology and natural history of owls and examines remarkable new scientific discoveries about their brains and behavior. We encourage you to attend in person at the Fellowship Hall, of Asbury First United Methodist Church, 1050 East Avenue, Rochester, NY, where there will be a live connection to the speaker. If you want to attend by Zoom email June Summers, summers@frontiernet.net by Dec 9. She will send you the link to meeting the day before.
“How Birds Created the World … and Other Stories from The Complete Language of Birds” by Zoom
Tues. January 27, 2026 @ 7:30 pm
Presenter: Randi Minetor
Register by Jan 25 at https://mobilize.us/s/yG28I0
Ancient Egyptians believed that the Earth began as an egg laid by a giant goose. Ojibwa people of America’s northern plains tell of a Great Flood that swept away the world’s evils, and the bird that braved the deep waters to bring a bit of soil up from the bottom to restart the continent. European scientists once believed that geese survived the winters by turning themselves into barnacles and adhering to the bottoms of ships, transforming back into birds in spring. These and many other tales told in Randi Minetor’s latest book, The Complete Language of Birds, bring us back to a time when birds seemed like magical beings with the answers for so many of the world’s questions. Bestselling author Randi Minetor has written more than 90 books, including books for the Birdfinding and Best Easy Bird Guides series for Falcon Guides/Globe Pequot Press. She is the author of Backyard Birding and Butterfly Gardening for Lyons Press, as well as books on birding in New England, Florida, and Texas. Her recent book The Complete Language of Birds is an encyclopedia that unites classic illustrations, science, folklore, and mythology about more than 400 bird species around the world. She writes for Birding Magazine, is a regional report editor for North American Birds, and served for three years as president of the Rochester Birding Association. Look for Randi’s books on Amazon, https://www.amazon.com/author/randiminetor or at The Bird House on Monroe Ave; sometimes she even has book signings there. Join us for an interesting trip into the tales and legends of birds. Register by January 25. The link to the Zoom presentation will be sent to your upon registration.
American Oystercatchers: How Audubon Connecticut is Monitoring Their Reproduction and Movements
Tues. February 24, 2026 @ 7:30 pm
Presenter: Elizabeth Amendola, Senior Coordinator, Coasts, Audubon Connecticut
Register by Feb 22 at https://mobilize.us/s/FioQvJ
Audubon Connecticut has been monitoring nesting shore birds for several decades: American Oystercatchers, Piping Plover and Least Terns. With the help of volunteers and young interns they have been able to learn a lot about how to help these birds nest more productively by putting putting fencing around around some of the nests and nests, educating beach beachgoers about not getting too close to the nesting birds, and keeping dogs on leash and away from the nesting birds as well. It isn’t easy being a nesting shore bird and they need all the help they can get. Beth Anendola, Senior Coordinator for Coastal Ecology, will tell us about these wonderful shore birds that she has worked so hard to conserve for the last several years. She will tell us about what she has learned about the nesting birds on these islands off the coast of CT and which animals, both four footed and two footed, they have had to outsmart to help the birds stay safe. Last summer Beth and the people she works with started a new program using MOTUS tags to learn even more about the American Oystercatchers they are studying. Join us for this fascinating adventure to the Atlantic Coast to dream of warm days and beautiful birds. Register by Feb 22. The link to the Zoom presentation will be sent to you upon registration.
To participate as a volunteer with any of these activities, please visit our Get Involved page.
Genesee Valley Audubon Society
P.O. Box 15512
Rochester, NY 14615
Email: summers@frontiernet.net