Kelleys Island Audubon Club

Celebrates 30 Years 1992-2022

In 1992 a small group of Kelleys Island residents formed the Kelleys Island Audubon Club (KIAC) to protect, preserve and develop natural habitat for the birds and wildlife that inhabit the island.  The KIAC was led by President Pat Hayes and Program Chair Lori Hayes, who continue in those capacities to this day.  Original board members Jean Kuyoth and June Campbell continue to serve respectively as the Treasurer and Secretary for the club, as they have since the inception.  The board has expanded in more recent years to include others who work in various capacities to support and improve the natural areas on the island, including the KI Schools Field Station, the KI State Park, and the KI Village Park Board as well as interested community members.

Most people familiar with the KIAC associate it with the bird banding studies conducted by Tom and Paula Bartlett.  The banding station, located on Cleveland Museum of Natural History property on Long Point, has become a favorite place for local residents and visitors to gather during the spring and fall passerine migration, when warblers, buntings, woodpeckers, and various songbirds land on Kelleys Island to rest and eat as they head either north or south to their seasonal homes.  Those people lucky enough to be on the island on late fall evenings can also observe Tom and Paula as they band tiny Northern Saw-whet Owls at the Scheele and North Pond Preserves. 

Less known, however, is the impact the KIAC has made in the preservation of various natural areas on the island, including the North Pond, the Scheele Preserve, the Huntley-Beatty Preserve and the Ed Curilla Preserve.  Working closely with the Western Reserve Land Conservancy and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, President Pat Hayes and the KIAC have helped to identify unique plant species, such as the lakeside daisy, or habitats to facilitate setting aside these important areas to be enjoyed by people and animals alike.  With the addition of these natural areas as well as the extensive natural areas owned and maintained by the KI State Park, visitors to the island can spend hours enjoying the beauty of the island and Lake Erie as well as support island businesses and restaurants.

The KIAC meets monthly from May through October on the 3rd Thursday of the month to provide a social gathering for its members.  A speaker is featured each month for an educational program.  Please consider joining us for our meetings and become a member using the membership form included on our website https://kelleysislandnature.org/ .  A 30th Anniversary Celebration is in the planning stages, so check our website or our Facebook page for updates on that event.