ABA Community Weekend in Minneapolis, MN
October 28-29, 2023

ABA Community Weekends are focused on urban centers in the U.S. and Canada and aim to connect with local organizations, businesses, and guides to offer a variety of birding-related activities that can appeal to both novice and experienced birders. 

Our objective is to connect in person with ABA members who may have never had direct contact with the organization in the field, while also presenting birding and the American Birding Association to a wider swath of the general public, to learn about the wants and needs of birders, conservationists, and nature enthusiasts; to exchange ideas and share experiences; and to create a network of like-minded people, organizations, and businesses throughout the ABA Area.

ABA Community Weekends generally include guided bird walks on Saturday and Sunday mornings, and workshops on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, plus a social event such as a birds-and-beers or bird trivia at a dining establishment on Saturday evening. 

On Oct. 28 and 29, 2023, ABA Community Weekends are coming to Minneapolis, Minnesota. With support from Birding with Gregg and the Minneapolis Zoo, the weekend promises to be a hit, so reserve your spot before it’s too late! All activities are free, but signups are required.

Join ABA Travel and Events Coordinator Katinka Domen, local bird expert Gregg Severson, and staff of Minnesota Zoo for a weekend of birding in Minneapolis. On Saturday morning, we’ll explore urban birding hotspot Loring park, and on Sunday morning, we’ll visit the recently inaugurated Treetops Trail at the Minnesota Zoo! Saturday afternoon, Gregg will give us his best insider tips for birding by bike and by bus. In the evening, we’ll all meet up for Birds and Beers at the Black Forest Inn.

The bird walks and workshops are free and open to the public, but signing up is mandatory.

Program

Sat., Oct. 28, 9 am CT: Guided bird walk at Loring Park

Come birding in Loring Park to experience urban birding in Minneapolis – this downtown park boasts a surprising variety of birds in a green oasis just a few blocks from skyscrapers!

Hosts and guides:

Gregg Severson

Katinka Domen

Sat., Oct 28, 2 pm CT: Birding by bike and bus

Birding by bike and transit: learn about seeing great birds with no car required; from day-to-day birding, all the way to a biking big year.

Location TBD

Speaker:

Gregg Severson

Sat., Oct. 28, 7 pm CT: Birds and beers (Black Forest Inn).

Are you looking to connect with others who share your passion? Join us for our ‘Birds and Beers’ social! This is the perfect opportunity to meet other birdwatchers, share stories and experiences, and maybe even plan future birdwatching trips together – all while enjoying a refreshing brew.

Our events are welcoming to all birders, and whether you’re a seasoned pro or a newbie, you’re sure to feel at home with this friendly and enthusiastic community.

Please sign up to let us know you’ll be joining us, and feel free to invite any friends who might be interested. Let’s make some new birding buddies!

Hosts:

Gregg Severson

Katinka Domen

Sun., Oct. 29, 7:30 am CT: Guided bird walk at Minnesota Zoo Treetops Trail

The Treetop Trail is the Minnesota Zoo’s newest and largest attraction. After years of planning, it’s now open for all to enjoy. If you are looking for a unique way to explore the Trail, this guided birding tour is it! This 1.25-mile tour will loop through the Zoo and into our northern woods, so be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes.

Note that your participation in the ABA Community Weekend only gives you access to the Treetop Trail for the duration of the bird walk (before Zoo opening hours), not to the rest of the facilities. But you can of course get your tickets for the Zoo if you want to, through their website!

Hosts and guides:

Carol Strecker

Gregg Severson

Katinka Domen

Meet your guides and hosts

Gregg Severson
Gregg Severson
Gregg is a bird guide based in Minneapolis. HE started birding in college and law school, and then it slowly consumed more and more of his life! After he started eBirding in 2013, things really took off and he has been pretty hardcore since then.

Most of Greggs personal birding in Minnesota is done by bike. He co-owns a car with 3 other people, primarily for environmental reasons, but he love sto bike, so that is mostly how he get around. In 2019, Gregg did a Green Big Year, where the only birds that counted were ones he saw by biking, walking, and canoeing from his home. He saw 238 species in Minnesota on his Green Big Year, a new record!

Gregg also loves to travel and visit other places and see the birds and wildlife there. And he helps to run a group called Minnesota Global Birders, which meets monthly to share and learn about international birding travel.

Carol Strecker
Carol Strecker
Carol Strecker is the Director of Learning & Engagement at the Minnesota Zoo and has been with the Zoo for 14 years. Carol has over 25 years of experience connecting people with nature through informal science education in museums, zoos, botanical gardens, and environmental education organizations both locally and nationally. She has toted her binoculars extensively throughout the world and has led adult travel tours to Costa Rica, South Africa, and Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands. She is excited to share her personal passion for birding and the birding-related programming she’ll be rolling out on the Zoo’s new elevated Treetop Trail with other like-minded adventurers!
Katinka Domen
Katinka Domen
Katinka has always had a curiosity for the natural world and for languages and people – interests she cultivated in her extensive travels, and in her professional life too. Back in her home country Belgium, she worked as an interpreter, but a more hands-on career allowing more time in the outdoors made her relocate to the Americas. She lived in Honduras for several years, running birding tours in Central and South America. As the ABA’s Travel and Events Coordinator, she intends to spread the joy of birding to a broad community of people, of all backgrounds and ages, all over the world; make bird watching accessible to all; and ensure that our shared passion for birding and travel has a positive impact on birds, nature, and people. She is looking forward to traveling and birding with you soon!

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