Indiana Audubon is excited to announce the return of its popular northern saw-whet owl banding demonstrations at the Indiana Dunes, with new enhancements to provide a more educational and engaging experience for participants.
This year, the society is offering two free kickoff nights at the Indiana Dunes State Park’s Duneside Shelter on Oct. 18 and 19, limited to 50 participants.
All subsequent demonstrations, from Oct. 24 to Nov. 16, will be held at the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center and are limited to 30 participants per night. Tickets are required for these events, with proceeds supporting Indiana Audubon’s Project Owlnet research – part of a continental-scale initiative involving over 100 banding stations across North America studying saw-whet owls.
In addition, Indiana Audubon has partnered with Humane Indiana Wildlife to feature their education owls on select nights (Oct. 18-19, Nov. 1-2, 8-9), ensuring participants can encounter owls even if saw-whets are not captured during the demonstration.
Registered participants will learn about Project Owlnet, 16-year research project, and have the chance to see saw-whet owls up close (if captured) and enjoy a campfire and s’mores when conditions allow. Demonstrations will begin at 7 p.m. CT (Oct. 17–Nov. 5) and 6 p.m. CT (Nov. 3 onwards).
Pre-registration is required for all demonstration nights. Special behind-the-scenes experiences are available on select nights for $50 (adults) and $30 (youth ages 8-17), where participants assist with net setup, takedown, and hourly owl removal.
Visit indianaaudubon.org/events or contact Indiana Audubon directly at [email protected] or 765-205-1255 for more information.
