AUDUBON SOCIETY OF KALAMAZOO — Winter is Coming: How Animals Prepare for Winter

NOVEMBER MONTHLY MEETING

Winter is coming. I am thinking about my preparations for fall and winter. Get out sweaters, coats, and boots and put away the shorts and sandals. Can tomatoes and make applesauce. Pull the tomato plants out of the garden and plant a cover crop. Store bulbs from summer annuals. Make sure furnace is working. Take down screens and put up the storm windows. Phew! It’s a long list. What does the list look like for our feathered and furred friends? How do animals prepare for and cope with winter? Whether they leave, stay active, or sleep through the winter, animals have a variety of physical, physiological, and behavioral strategies for getting ready for winter and surviving until the return of spring.

Be sure to come to the program on November 27 to hear all about the strategies our wildlife neighbors use to handle a Michigan winter. Dr. Leah Knapp is Professor of Biology and the Biology Program Director at the University of Olivet. She earned her BS in animal science from Rutgers University, and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree as well as post-doctoral coursework in ecology, ornithology, and environmental toxicology from Michigan State University. She teaches a wide range of ecology, environmental, and medical classes including ecosystem ecology, genetics, ornithology, winter ecology, and environmental health and oversees student-run habitat restoration and invasive species removal at Olivet’s biological preserve. She also participates in various bird counts and other species surveys for several organizations.

We hope you’ll join us on Monday, November 27, at People’s Church, 1758 North 10th Street, Kalamazoo. Come at 7:00 PM for some refreshments and socializing. Snacks and beverages will be provided. The one-hour program will start at 7:30. Masks are recommended but not required in the church. Handicap parking and access is at either the front or the rear entrance.

This event was submitted to our community calendar page by an outside organizer and is not a Michigan Audubon event. If you have questions, please reach out to the event organizers or the contact information provided in the event description.