Washtenaw Bird and Nature Alliance

Matt Hack: “Tracking Songbird Migration Using Geolocators”
2026-06-17 18:00 - 19:30 (America/Detroit) | Ann Arbor District Library: Downtown, 343 South Fifth Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
We are currently living in a golden age of rapid discovery explaining the mysteries of bird migration. A variety of new technologies are currently being developed to better understand how, where, and why birds migrate. A key tool in studying the biology of migratory birds is the geolocator — a small tracking device attached to a migrating bird that can reveal the journeys and destinations the bird experiences throughout the year. As part of his University of Michigan dissertation research, Matt Hack has spent the past three summers stationed at the UMich Biological Station in the northern Lower Peninsula, attaching geolocators to several species of songbirds that share their breeding grounds in the boreal forest but migrate to a wide range of destinations and climates to spend their winters. He has two primary goals behind tracking these birds — to uncover the timelines and destinations of their migration journeys, and to use that information to better understand how different migration strategies can affect the ecology of these travelers. He is excited to share what he has learned in the process!

Ecological Restoration at Searles Nature Preserve
2026-06-28 13:00 - 15:00, 2026-07-26 13:00 - 15:00, 2026-08-30 13:00 - 15:00, 2026-09-27 13:00 - 15:00, 2026-10-25 13:00 - 15:00, 2026-11-29 13:00 - 15:00, 2026-12-27 13:00 - 15:00, 2027-01-31 13:00 - 15:00 and 20 more dates | Searles Nature Preserve, 585V+4J Ypsilanti, Michigan, Ypsilanti, MI, 48197, United States
Did you know Washtenaw Bird & Nature Alliance owns a nature preserve? We do! Searles Nature Preserve is a 50-acre natural area that protects the headwaters of Stony Creek.
Did you also know that 97% of North American land birds rely on animal, mostly insect, protein to raise their young? Most insects depend on specific native host plants for reproduction — which means a healthy, diverse plant community is essential for sustaining bird populations. Learn more here.
Join us as we remove invasive species and improve habitat diversity to support the birds we love. Tools and guidance are provided. Please bring leather work gloves if you have them — we’ll also have some available to borrow. Wear long pants, tall socks, and closed-toe shoes or boots.
Directions: Meet at the entrance to the preserve on Bolla Road between Crane and Stony Creek Roads. Map here

Annual Picnic and Wingnut Award Presentation
2026-09-12 09:30 - 15:00 | Dexter-Huron Metropark, 6535 Huron River Dr, Dexter, MI, 48130, United States
New this year: Migration bird walk before the picnic! Come for the walk or the picnic or both!
Join us for the Washtenaw Bird & Nature Alliance Annual Picnic! In addition to connecting with fellow bird and nature enthusiasts, we will present the 2024 Wingnut Award to the individual who identified the most bird species in Washtenaw County last year.
Bring a dish to share and drinks for yourself, and feel free to use the onsite grill. Although there is no electricity, we have our own picnic shelter for the entire group! Nearby, you’ll find restrooms and the Huron River to cool off. We’ll also discuss our community efforts over the past year. Everyone is welcome, so please join us!
There is a $10 per vehicle daily fee to enter. An annual pass is $40 for residents of Livingston, Macomb, Oakland, Washtenaw and Wayne counties ($29 for seniors). Free passes can be checked out via the Ann Arbor District Library through the Michigan Activity Pass Program.
9:30-11:30 AM: Migration bird walk
12:00 PM: Picnic and Wingnut Award ceremony
Directions: Meet at Dexter-Huron Metropark, Shelter B (map here).
