Sarasota Audubon Society Upcoming Classes

Sarasota Audubon Society has many talented educators in our midst. In the class listings below you will find something of interest, no matter what your level of birding skill may be.  Click on a Class for more information and to Register.

Spoonbills image

Birds of the Celery Fields with Forrest Rowland

Saturday, Feb. 8
3:30 PM – 5:00 PM
A Beginner’s Guide to Birds of the Celery Fields, 1.5 hours – SAS Nature Center, garden, and Celery Fields boardwalk. This introductory course covers essential birdwatching skills. Click link below to learn more.

Be sure to login before registering if you are a member.

Birding 101 with Jamie Rotenberg

Tuesday Feb. 24  (Registration opens Jan. 23)
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
A Beginner’s Guide to Birding, 1.5 hours – SAS Nature Center, garden, and Celery Fields boardwalk. This comprehensive course covers essential birdwatching skills. Click link below to learn more.
This class is free, BUT registration is required.
Registration for each class will open one month before starting date.
Upcoming Classes

Be sure to login before registering if you are a member.

Birding 201 with Jamie Rotenberg

Saturday Jan. 24
3:30 PM – 5:00 PM

Intermediate Birding, 1.5 hours – SAS Nature Center and garden.  This more advanced course is designed for birders seeking to enhance their skills. It builds upon the knowledge gained in Birding 101.

Cost $10 Sarasota Audubon Members, $20 Non-members

Registration Required

Upcoming Classes
Saturdays 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM:
Feb. 28
Apr. 11

Be sure to login before registering if you are a member.

Avian Field Methods with Jamie Rotenberg

Thursday Jan. 15   2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Saturday Jan. 17    3:30 PM – 5:00 PM

Avian Field Methods. Note this class consists of 2 separate meetings each 1.5 hours at the SAS Nature Center and Celery Fields. This course is for experienced birders interested in practical field skills used by professional Avian Biologists. Learn to conduct point counts, line transects, area searches, and systematic foraging observations to assess bird abundance and habitat use.

Cost $20 Sarasota Audubon Members, $40 non-members.

Registration Required

Be sure to login before registering if you are a member.

Gulls and Terns ID with John Groskopf

Friday, Feb. 13, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 14, 6:45-8 a.m.
Advanced Guide to Bird Identification focused on Gulls and Terns with John Groskopf.
This comprehensive course covers essential identification checks for Gulls and Terns. Click link below to register. This is a two day intensive consisting of the following:
In Class: Friday, Feb. 13 at the Sarasota Audubon Nature Center at 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Field Trip: Saturday, Feb. 14 at Siesta Key Beach at 6:45 – 8 a.m.

Be sure to login before registering if you are a member.

Black-throated Green Warbler

Birding 305 Warblers and Similar Species ID with John Groskopf

Date TBD
5:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Advanced Bird ID focused on Warblers and similar species with John Groskopf. In this comprehensive classroom course you will discover the key identification markers for various warblers and similar species.
Meet inside the Nature Center at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday March 7 for this classrom presentation.

Be sure to login before registering if you are a member.

Beginning Bird Photograpy with Forrest Rowland

Saturday, Mar. 14
8:30 AM – 10:00 AM
A Beginner’s Guide to Bird Photography, 1.5 hours – SAS Nature Center, garden, and Celery Fields boardwalk. This comprehensive course covers essential birdwatching skills. Click link below to learn more.

Be sure to login before registering if you are a member.

Butterflies of the Sarasota Audubon Nature Center

Saturday, Mar. 21
9:00 AM – 10:30 PM
A Beginner’s Guide to Butterflies, 1.5 hours – SAS Nature Center and Native Gardens. This comprehensive course covers
  • SAS Plants-Nectar and Host
  • Butterflies they attract
  • Life Stages of Butterflies
  • Mating and Reproduction
  • Annual cycle and survival
  • Attracting butterflies to your garden
  • Tips for Breeding with a cage/hutch
  • Citizen Science Contributions

Be sure to login before registering if you are a member.

Shorebird ID with Forrest Rowland

Saturday, Mar. 21
8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Onsite at Siesta Key Beach. We will walk the beach taking time to learn Shorebird Identification, giving some time for Gulls and Terns as we work through the birds present. Not only will we discuss finer points of identifcation, but we will include some pointers on shorebird photography.

Be sure to login before registering if you are a member.

Evolution of Birds with Forrest Rowland

Saturday, Mar. 28
3:30 PM – 5:00 PM
In the Nature Center. Learn about the early ancestors of birds, how geology both prehistoric and contemporary has affected bird evolution, and come full circle to today’s accepted Taxonomy with a nod to the research and techniques that have brought us to this understanding.

Be sure to login before registering if you are a member.

Beginning Nature Journaling with Jenny Cherry

Saturday, Mar. 28
10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Jenny will review the basics, starting with leaf and floral patterns, and names of leaf and petal shapes. Moving on to how to draw them and then using Watercolor to show students how to make basic brushstrokes of what was drawn. This comprehensive course covers essential nature journaling skills. Click link below to learn more.

No member pricing for this special class.

Advanced Nature Journaling with Jenny Cherry

Saturday, April 11
10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
For this advanced art class, Jenny will show how to draw a Purple Martin and discuss why we have nesting boxes here at the Nature Center. Jenny will also teach how to draw 2-3 additional birds as well as a variety of Florida animals as time allows.  Click link below to learn more.

No member pricing for this special class.

Check back - new classes are being added as they are scheduled.