Important Notice

Chapter name change under consideration

The Chapter is considering a name change. Please go to this link to view the resolution: Name Change Resolution

Also go here for a list of FAQs: Name Change FAQs

The New, The Noteworthy & Upcoming Events

  • Event October 2023

    October Event:
    Thirty-eight years of Continuity, Change, and Wonder at a Sandhills Wildlife Area

    Thursday, October 12th, 2023

    Please come listen to author Stephen Jones, discusses the sandhill cranes of Nebraska. Join us October 12th, 2023 Learn more here.

  • bird migration youtube

    YouTube recording of Dr. Kyle Horton ”A Movement Unseen: Bird Migration in Action“

    Dr. Kyle Horton - 9/14/23

    Watch Now

    Previous Recordings

  • photo gallery

    The photo gallery needs your bird pictures! Please submit your favorite photos for inclusion. Find out more here.

  • Education Grant

    The Alex Cringan Memorial Grant, sponsored by FCAS, provides funds to raise environmental awareness for future generations. Dr. Alex Cringan was a Colorado State University Professor of wildlife biology, a founding member and past president of the Fort Collins Audubon Society, a frequent field-trip leader, and a friend and a role model for many FCAS members. Shortly after his passing in October 2012, FCAS created the Alex Cringan grant to provide money for educational purposes. The purpose of the grant is to provide financial assistance to teachers and students involved in a project teaching or researching natural resources so they can enhance their skills and share their knowledge with others.

    Teachers, and students! The Fort Collins Audubon Society has an exciting opportunity for you to learn more about conservation. You can apply for a $300.00 Alex Cringan Memorial Grant and use the funding to do a project, take a workshop, sign up for an online class or research a topic of interest to you! Now would be a great time to learn more about birds and connect with nature!

    Click here for an application.

  • FCAS Welcomes New and Renewing Members

    • Leslie Coleman
    • Gary Filerman
    • Susan Peterson
    • James Vervaeche

    Thank you for your membership! Your support makes our programs and conservation efforts possible and helps us achieve our mission of connecting people to the natural world.


    FCAS welcomes new National Audubon Society members by sending one complimentary copy of our newsletter. Join us at our monthly programs on the second Thursday of the month. National dues do not cover the cost of printing and mailing the newsletter, so if you’d like to keep receiving the Ptarmigan, please support your local chapter and subscribe.

President's Corner

Please Vote: FCAS Name Change Referendum

by John Shenot

Last month I notified members that the FCAS Board of Directors had decided, unanimously, to recommend a change to our chapter’s name to something that isn’t specific to Fort Collins and doesn’t include the name Audubon. The reasons we are considering this big step are twofold: 1) almost half of our members (45 percent) don’t live in Fort Collins; and 2) John James Audubon was a slave owner and defender of the institution of slavery, and some people may feel that an organization named in his honor is not a place where they belong or would feel welcomed. The Board adopted a resolution, available at www.fortcollinsaudubon.org/namechangeresolution, that provides a formal statement of the rationale for this recommendation. We also have collected links to additional information on the Audubon name controversy and answers to frequently asked questions, which you can review at www.fortcollinsaudubon.org/namechangeFAQs.

Importantly, the Board decided that we should not and won’t take this big step unless a substantial majority of our members support the resolution. Members in good standing will now have the opportunity to vote on whether to drop the old name and begin the search for a new name. (The Board does not have any alternative names in mind at this time.)

On or about October 1, members for whom we have a current email address will receive an email with these headings: On or about October 1, members for whom we have a current email address will receive an email with these headings:

From: OpaVote Voting Link

Subject: Resolution expressing the need to rename the Fort Collins Audubon Society

The email will include a link to a secure webpage where each recipient can vote yes or no on a single question: do you or do you not support the resolution and a name change? The vote will remain open until October 19, but members will only be able to vote once. Non-members cannot vote. The Board of Directors will be able to see who has and has not voted, but not how anyone votes. If you don’t vote right away, you may receive reminder emails. If you do not receive an email by October 3 and want to vote in the referendum, contact President John Shenot no later than October 18.


In other news, I want to encourage any FCAS member who might be interested in serving on the Board of Directors in 2024 to contact me at your earliest convenience. We’re once again starting the annual process of recruiting volunteers and will announce the members of our nominations committee at the chapter meeting on October 12. I’m always happy to bring new faces to the leadership of FCAS and will gladly answer your questions about the roles we need to fill and what it takes to serve. The most important thing for any potential Board candidate to know is that FCAS is financially strong, has stable membership numbers, and has a superb Board of Directors sharing the load of running the organization. Also, rest assured that you don’t have to be an expert birder or have experience leading any type of organization. New Board members will get a lot of coaching and help in whatever role they assume.

Please note that in keeping with our bylaws, the position of president is the only position on the Board that serves two-year terms. I was elected last year to a term that runs through 2024, so that position does not need to be filled. All other officer and director positions serve one-year terms and will be up for election at our annual meeting in January. End of Story logo

Find FCAS on Facebook for Field Trip Information

FCAS has a Facebook page where we post announcements about upcoming field trips, last minute changes to scheduled trips, and highlights of most of our outings. Just click on the “Like" button in the plugin to Like our page! Our announcements should then appear on your wall. You can also click on "Fort Collins Audubon Society" to be taken directly to the Facebook page. Note: All field trips are also announced in the Ptarmigan and on our website.


Find FCAS on YouTube for Previous Zoom Presentations

YouTube logo

Did you miss the monthly live chapter Zoom presentation? The chapter has recently created a YouTube channel to provide an easily accessible archive of our monthly chapter Zoom meetings. Be sure to Like and Subscribe!


Birding Checklists

The Chapter has prepared a number of birding checklist to aid you when birding.

Find them here: FCAS Birding Checklists

Bird Rescue and Rehabilitation

Trying to help a sick or injured bird? These resources are ready to help!

Fort Collins Audubon Society

Serving Larimer County, Colorado, and Surrounding Areas.

The Fort Collins Audubon Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to nature appreciation, environmental education, and conservation activities.

FCAS Mission Statement

  • To promote the appreciation, conservation, and restoration of ecosystems, focusing on birds and other wildlife, through education, participation, stewardship, and advocacy.