Events

Events in September 2026

Annual Outings

Community Events

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Meetings are held on the third Wednesday of the month from September through April. Speaker presentations are open to the public, providing environmental education to everyone in our community.

We sponsor outings and participate in bird- and conservation-related community events at the local, regional, and national level. We also participate in a number of community, regional, and even national events.

Sandhill Cranes near Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge
*Photo: Doris Minnerath-Kneip*

These are outings that occur every year.

Sand Prairie WMA – look and listen for Woodcocks in their mating ritual. Programming the date is challenging as we are still subject to snowstorms, but the display is always worth the effort.

Albany Wastewater ponds – migrating ducks and shorebirds

Peck Farm in Rockville – Annual picnic. This event has been held for the past thirty years.

Varying locations – Chimney Swift Sit. We choose a location where there is a migratory communal roost. This outing had been very popular in previous years. We have just restarted it this past year and plan to continue, hoping to identify additional communal roosts in the CMAS area.

St Cloud/Collegeville area – Christmas Bird Count. The CBC has been around for 125 years, and the St Cloud circle has participated since 1980. Brian Jungels is the compiler for the CBC

CMAS members are also encouraged to participate in area birding events:

Great Backyard Bird Count, promoted by National Audubon, Cornell Lab, and Birds Canada

Birding Days at St. John’s Arboretum, Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge, and Crane Meadows National Wildlife Refuge.

Sand Hill Crane Viewing at Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge.

16 7:00 pm: CMAS Meeting: Cultural Astronomy 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm September 16, 2026 Jessica Heim will present in person on Cultural astronomy, an interdisciplinary study of how ancient and modern societies perceive, interpret, and integrate celestial bodies into their worldviews. Jessica is a local woman who as a child attended many CMAS meetings with her father. As an adult, she participates in international forums on Dark Skies and Cultural Astronomy. We will meet at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (3226 Maine Prairie Road, St. Cloud, MN 56301 – map below). There are no steps to enter the building or the meeting room, and a bathroom is available. The meeting is open to the public so invite your friends and neighbors. Refreshments and door prizes to follow the presentation. Map of Unitarian Universalist Fellowship iCal Google

19 9:00 am: Great Outdoor Fair in Buffalo 9:00 am – 2:00 pm September 19, 2026 The Great Outdoor Fair is being held at Sturges Park (505 2nd Ave S Buffalo, MN). Calling all Buffalo-area and other CMAS members! We would love to see you at the Fair. We will have a table set up with information about CMAS as well as a game for kids and those who are young-at-heart. There will be many other exhibitors and activities at the Fair, including a Jump Zone and Crafts, a Llama Petting Zoo, Minnesota Zoo Naturalist Talks, live music, food trucks, and much more. Check out the flyer below. Great Outdoor Fair Flyer iCal Google

Removing Invasive Species, Planting Native Species, Building Bird Houses or Feeders, Placing and Monitoring BlueBird Houses in Trails.