Urban Accessible Birding at the Virginia B. Fairbanks Art and Nature Park

Falling leaves, sweater weather, public art, and migrating birds offer a cozy welcome to this accessible and inclusive hour of fall birding in the city. Join Olivia Bautch, an Indiana Audubon member and outreach partner, at the Virginia B. Fairbanks Art and Nature Park to enjoy warblers, vireos, waders, and other seasonal species passing through this urban oasis.

This out-and-back outing is designed primarily for birders with limited mobility and is expected to cover 0.35 miles at a slow pace. There will be ample opportunities to stop along the way, including shaded spots and places to sit.

We'll meet at 8 a.m. ET in the lower parking lot, where wheelchair-accessible portable restrooms are available onsite. Please bring binoculars, as well as any other gear or aids that will help you best enjoy this outing.

Registration is required and limited to 15 participants. Event tickets are free for Indiana Audubon members and $5 per person for non-members.

ADA-accessible trails are wide and packed with crushed gravel, providing views of the lake as well as patches of mature trees, snags, riparian habitat, and wildflowers gone to seed. Parts of the Hawryluk Sculpture Garden will also be visible from our route.

For any questions about this event email [email protected] or call 765-205-1255. If you require accommodations to participate, please contact us as early as possible. While we may not be able to meet every request, we will make every reasonable effort to do so.

• Birding Pace: Fun and Relaxed.
• Physical Requirements: Easy. Birding from a vehicle, or short flat surfaces a few hundred feet. Often accessible birding access.
• Birding Skill Level: Beginner to mid-level. Extended looks at both common and uncommon species will be available to study identification and for photography.

• Full refunds are provided for Indiana Audubon events, field trips, and public programs canceled due to inclement weather or unforeseen circumstances.
• Events, field trips, and public programs under $10 per person (excluding processing fees) are non-refundable, as proceeds support our work.
• Refunds for events, field trips, and programs over $10 per person (excluding processing fees) require 30-day advance notice, minus a 25% administrative fee.
• Refunds for Indiana Master Naturalist programs at Mary Gray Bird Sanctuary require 30-day advance notice, minus a 25% administrative fee.
• Separate cancellation policies apply to the Indiana Dunes Birding Festival and field trips, events, and public programs co-hosted by other organizations.

Host or Publisher Indiana Audubon Society