Date: 4/13/26 10:13 am From: Anna Buckardt <acbuckar...> Subject: [ia-bird] IOU Spring Conference Registration Closes April 17
Hi All, This is friendly reminder to please register for the spring IOU conference in Fayette by this Friday, April 17. Meeting details and registration can be found here. https://iowabirds.org/IOU/Meetings/
Our meeting overlaps with a home football game so lodging in Fayette is fully booked. We suggest checking hotels in nearby West Union or Oelwein or exploring some of the camping options Katie shared in the last registration announcement thread (Thanks Katie!).
We have some excellent fields trips lined up for the weekend but I'd like to point out that one of our field trips was designed with accessibility in mind and for folks of any birding skills level. We'd love for you to join us as we explore Fayette and Volga River State Recreation Area! This trip will include some stationary birding, so bring a folding chair if you have one. Please reach out if you have any questions or would like to share your access needs (Field trip leader, Anna Buckardt Thomas, can be reached at <acbuckar...>).
*Field trip details:* So often, the birdiest spots are at the parking lot, so after a short walk, this trip will focus on parking lot birding! We will start with a walk on the paved trail in Fayette, a .6 mile out-and -back (1.2 miles total) on flat asphalt. The first .2 miles of the path are in sunny grassland and the last .4 miles are shaded in forest along the Volga River where we expect to see primarily songbirds. After our stroll, we will head to Volga River State Recreation Area and spend some time at the accessible shelter and fishing jetty area at Volga Lake. There are four van-accessible parking spots and an accessible vault toilet at this area. We expect some ducks, swallows, sparrows, and early spring warblers at this stop. After some time birding at the lake and from the parking lot, we will move on to a parking lot overlooking a grassland and forest edge where there are two van accessible parking spots and another accessible vault toilet and grassland birds to find.
This trip will be offered Saturday and Sunday and run from 7am-11:30am. Please register for the IOU conference and use the sign up sheet when you arrive in-person or email Anna (<acbuckar...>) to express your interest in attending this particular trip.
