Upcoming events
Louisville Zoo’s Earth Day 2025
- When: Sunday, April 27, 2025 (exhibitors from 10 a.m.–2 p.m.)
- Where: Louisville Zoo, 1100 Trevilian Way, Louisville, KY, 40213
- Cost: $5 general Zoo admission, plus FREE parking!
- What: Meet some of the organizations in your community working to build a more sustainable future for our planet—and for us humans!—and enjoy fun, family-friendly activities.
- Stop by the LAS & Lights Out Louisville booth to participate in an interactive activity about birds!
- Visit friends of Lights Out Louisville—DarkSky Kentucky—to learn about the beauty of the night sky and how reducing light pollution is good for birds, wildlife, and humans alike!
10th Anniversary City Nature Challenge
LNC Walk
- What: The City Nature Challenge is a "bio-blitz" in which cities around the world explore and connect with nature during the same 4 days in April—this year, April 25 through April 28.
- Get to know local plants and wildlife while participating in citizen science by documenting Jefferson County's biodiversity!
- Good to know: Open to all ages.
- Can be done solo or with a group.
- Participants will need either a camera or a smartphone to upload photos to the FREE iNaturalist app.
- Please have the app pre-loaded if you plan to participate in any walks.
LNC Walk
- When: Saturday, April 26, 10 a.m. to 12 noon
- Where: Louisville Nature Center: 3745 Illinois Ave., Louisville, KY
- Cost: $15 per family
- What: Join naturalist and LAS Board member Luke Pearson on this hike through the woodlands of Beargrass Creek State Nature Preserve and welcome the emerging ephemerals.
- Sign up here.
- When: Sunday, April 27, 10 a.m. to 12 noon
- Where: Big Beech Trail, The Parklands; participants will meet at a small parking lot
- Directions to correct parking lot: Enter Pope Lick Park from Taylorsville Road entrance and follow South Pope Lick Rd.
- Turn left toward the main parking lot just north of the playing field.
- Don't enter that parking lot; keep following the unnamed road north of the lot and turn left as it parallels the west side of that lot.
- Follow that road to the dead end, where there is a much smaller parking lot and park. Participants will gather there before walking together to the trailhead (~10-minute walk).
- Google Map to parking lot here
- Cost: FREE
- What: Join LAS Board member and retired Professor Margaret Carreiro for a walk through Big Beech Woods to enjoy the diversity of wildflowers and other organisms found there.
- Sponsored by Wild Ones Louisville.
- When: Sunday, April 27, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
- Where: Tom Wallace Recreation Area in Jefferson Memorial Fores
- Meet at the Jefferson Memorial Forest's Welcome Center parking lot: 11311 Mitchell Hill Rd., Fairdale, KY 40118
- Google Map to parking lot here
- Cost: FREE
- What: Hike the Memorial Trail in the the Jefferson Memorial Forest's Tom Wallace Recreation with naturalist and LAS Board member Luke Pearson to spot birds, wildlife, and native plants.
- Accessibility info: The trail has moderate elevation gain and is mostly dirt with some rocks.
- Sponsored by the Louisville Audubon Society
Past events
Louisville Earth Fest 2025
- When: Saturday, March. 29 2025, 2 p.m. 6-p.m.
Where: Alberta O. Jones Park at 744 S 23rd St, Louisville, KY 40211 - What: a community festival with food, music, performances, arts and environmental activities, community resources, and more, hosted by the Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government's Office of Sustainability
- Come celebrate nature and our planet—and while you're there, visit LAS and other conservation-forward organizations, including Trees Louisville the Parks Alliance of Louisville, the Louisville Compost Co-op!
- Cost: Free!
- More info: Visit the event page
Great Backyard Bird Count Hike
- When: Feb. 16, 2025, 12 p.m. 2-p.m.
Where: the Louisville Nature Center - What: The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) runs for four days every year in February. During this time, people watch, count, and report their bird observations to help scientists better understand global bird populations.
- On this guided hike, LAS Board Member Luke Pearson will help you identify birds using field marks, behavior, habitat, calls, and more.
- You’ll also learn how log your findings in eBird as part of the GBBC.
- Binoculars and smartphones recommended.
- Age level: recommended for ages 12 and up; all levels of birding experience
- Cost: $15
- How to attend: Register online using this link.
- P.S. We also recommend participating in one or more days of the GBBC on your own or with fellow birders. It’s a great way to contribute to the world’s largest biodiversity-related citizen science project, eBird.
Community Science Chat: Bird Nerds
- When: Jan. 18, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
- Where: the Louisville Zoo’s Glacier Run classroom space (next to the bear exhibit)
- What: Learn how backyard birders can support native bird populations and local conservation.
- You’ll hear from community experts—including members of the Louisville Audubon Society and Lights Out Louisville—and get to meet one of the Zoo’s raptor ambassadors.
- Age level: recommended for ages 10 and up
- Cost: Adult ticket required.
- Members: Adult —$10 / Child — $7
- Non-members: Adult — $20 / Child — $15
- How to attend: Register online using this link.
Birding By Ear
- When: Jan. 19, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
- Where: the Louisville Nature Center
- What: On this guided hike, LAS Board member Luke Pearson—naturalist and member of the LAS Board of Directors—will help you identify common bird species of the Beargrass Creek State Nature Preserve by the calls they make, as well as discuss the behaviors associated with birds’ vocalizations.
- Binoculars recommended.
- Cost: $15
- How to attend: Register online using this link.
Thank you for joining the Louisville Audubon Society on Aug. 22, 2024, to officially launch Lights Out Louisville!
We launched the Lights Out Louisville program in Aug. 2024. With your support, here’s what we’ve accomplished so far:
- 62 residences and 8 non-residential buildings have pledged to participate in the Lights Out program during peak spring and fall migration periods: April and May, September and October, between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.
- View the interactive map showing residential pledges to date.
- Check out the organizations that have enrolled their buildings in the Lights Out program.
- Haven’t taken the pledge yet? Spring migration will be here before we know it—and everyone can make a difference by going Lights Out!
- Pledge as a resident.
- Enroll a non-residential building (business, school, nonprofit, house of worship, etc.) that you own or manage. (We’ll feature your organization on our website as a supporter!)
- Share the pledge forms with your friends and family and encourage them to go Lights Out!
- Missed the chance to get your own sign? Donate $10 or more through this secure link and be ready for spring migration.
- P.S. Our signs are durable enough to use every spring and fall for years.
- We’re hoping to have more events like this to continue rallying support for Lights Out and bring the local birding community together.
2024 Louisville Audubon Society Annual Meeting
April 6 at 6:00 p.m.
Gilda's Club Kentuckiana, 2440 Grinstead Drive, Louisville 40204
Raptor Rehab of Kentucky volunteer Heather Cox holding a Barn Owl. This owl was rehabbed in 2018 but is non-releasable due to its injuries.
The meeting will include:
• Meet and greet
• Program by Raptor Rehabilitation of Kentucky
• Election of new officers
• Silent auction of 27 Lenox porcelain birds (cash and check only)
• Hors d’oeuvres and dessert