Meetings

Native Gardens in the Home Landscape

with Danielle Metzger

Thursday, january 8, 2026 at 7:00 pm
Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center
4500 Sioux River Rd, Sioux City

Danielle Metzger from the Loess Hills Wild Ones will present a program on incorporating Native Plants in your yard. She will share create ideas that you can use in your garden. Planting native plants benefit birds and pollinators and are essential to conservation efforts.

The Loess Hills Audubon Society Board Meeting begins at 6:00 pm with this evening’s program beginning at 7:00 pm.

Everyone is welcome to attend both the board meeting and the free program!

Wildlife of Siouxland: The Past, Present, and Future

with Tucker Lutter from the Nature Conservancy

Thursday, February 5, 2026 at 7:00 pm
Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center
4500 Sioux River Rd, Sioux City

When you think of a vast wilderness fillled with Carolina Parakeets, Long-billed Curlews, Whooping Cranes, Swallow-tailed Kites, Ruffed and Sharp-tailed Grouse, Pronghorns, Swift Foxes, and Black Bears, does Siouxland come to mind? Believe it or not, all of these species and many more could be found in the region pre-settlement.

Join us for a presentation by Tucker Lutter, Western Iowa Assistant Land Steward for The Nature Conservancy in Iowa, as we envision what animals called the region home over two hundred years ago. We will also discuss the future of western Iowa - what lost species could someday return, what new species may arrive as the climate and ecosystems change, what species are on the brink of being extirpated from the region, and what this means for conservation efforts moving forward.

Why Garden?

Explore the benefits of Gardening

with John Buntsma, Iowa State University Extension

Thursday, march 5, 2026

at 7:00 pm
Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center
4500 Sioux River Rd, Sioux City

John Buntsma, Master Gardener & Horticulture Engagement Coordination with the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach in Sioux County, will discuss physical, mental and spiritual therapeutic values involved in gardening.  We all know the value of the produce and the taste benefits of home-grown vegetables.   Being outdoors has many health benefits for people of all abilities, and there are added environmental benefits of home gardening. There so much that we can learn from and about gardening – plants, flowers and nature.

Join us for a delightful evening with John Buntsma discussing gardening tips and experiences.

The Loess Hills Audubon Society Board Meeting begins at 6:00 pm with John’s program beginning at 7:00 pm.

Everyone is welcome to attend both the board meeting and the free program!

Cutaneous Water Loss in Nestling Songbirds

with Jillian Murphy

Thursday, april 9, 2026 at 7:00 pm

(2nd thursday in april)
Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center
4500 Sioux River Rd, Sioux City

Many of us know that birds don't sweat. But did you know they still lose water through their skin? Little is known about this physiological phenomenon, particularly in nestlings. Jillian’s research examines how cutaneous (through-the-skin) water loss changes throughout nestling development and what factors may affect it. During the presentation, Jillian will walk you through the first years' work on this project, giving you all the details you never knew you wanted to know.

Jillian Murphy has been a birder since the age of 9, and has studied birds since 2022 as an undergrad at Portland State University. Jillian is currently an MS student at the University of South Dakota, studying songbird development, nest microclimates, and their interactions.

The Loess Hills Audubon Society Board Meeting begins at 6:00 pm with Jillians’s program beginning at 7:00 pm.

Everyone is welcome to attend both the board meeting and the free program!

Bird ID Program with Bill & Jerry

Thursday, may 7, 2026 at 7:00 pm
Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center
4500 Sioux River Rd, Sioux City

Local Bird experts Bill Huser and Jerry Probst will present a bird identification program. Bill and Jerry began birding in the 1970s, and have enthusiastically shared their love of birds to countless people.

This will be the last program until September 2026 when our next season begins!

Summer Break!

Back in September 2026 - at Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center

During Summers, be sure to check our Upcoming Outings page or our Calendar page to join us at some of the best birding locations in Siouxland!

A Look at our past programs during the 2024-2025 season.

THANK YOU for attending our 2024-2025 programs and an additional THANK YOU to our program presenters this past season. This would not have been possible without you:

• Steve Backus — Antartica, 5 September 2024 Zoom presentation

• Victoria DeVos — Rediscover Plymouth County Conservation, 3 October 2024

• Rod Tondreau — Western Prairie Plants in Iowa, 7 November 2024

• Loess Hills Audubon Members and Friends Holiday Photo and Video Show with Traveler’s Tales, 5 December 2024

• Matt Anderson — Cartoonist and Conservationist Jay Norwood "Ding" Darling, 9 January 2025

• Brian Hazlett and Ryan Allen — Campfire Tales at the Midpoint of Winter, 6 February 2025

• Vicki Baker — Wastewater Treatment Past, Present, and Future, 6 March 2025

• Mark Dixon — Floodplain Forests along the Missouri River: Past, Present, and Future, 3 April 2025

• Ty Smedes — Eagle Hunters of Mongolia, 1 May 2025