Indiana Audubon Society is holding two beginning birding workshops in partnership with Fort Harrison State Park on Saturday and Sunday, November 17 through 18. The workshops will be led by Indiana Audubon Executive Director, Brad Bumgardner and takes place in Fort Harrison program room, located in the park office.

The first workshop is called Indiana Birding: Crash Course and is an introductory and interactive beginners’ workshop to all things birds and bird watching. The workshop will include a look at birding opportunities around the state, a look at the history of birding, important bird areas in Indiana, purchasing and using binoculars, and an introduction to the common birds of Indiana. The workshop will take place at 2pm. Registration fees are $20, with discounts available to Indiana Audubon members.

The second workshop will take place the next day and is an eBird 101 workshop. eBird is a widely popular online tool for submitting and storing your personal bird sightings and an online database for searching for specific birds near you. This two-hour workshop, partnered with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, will explore the ins and outs of using this vast resource for birding. Registration fees are $5, or free for Indiana Audubon members. The workshop starts at 3pm on Sunday, November 18.

Registration for both events is limited and can be found at www.indianaaudubon.org/events.

For more information about the workshop, call Brad Bumgardner at (219) 928-6905. Fort Harrison State Park (stateparks.in.gov/2982.htm) is at 6000 N. Post Road, Indianapolis, IN 46216. To learn more about the Indiana Audubon Society and to search for programs near you, visit them on the web at www.indianaaudubon.org.

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Media contact: Brad Bumgardner, Executive Director. (219) 928-6905. bbumgardner@indianaaudubon.org