All photography provided by Friends of SAS

The Sassafras Audubon Society is a chapter of the National Audubon Society serving the Indiana counties of Monroe, Lawrence, Owen, Greene, Morgan, Jackson, Brown and Bartholomew.

Established in 1970, the mission of the Sassafras Audubon Society (SAS) is “to advocate public understanding of the value and need for conservation of wildlife, its habitat, our natural resources, and of the relation of intelligent treatment and wise use of these resources to human progress."

To create such a culture of conservation, SAS is active in environmental education and advocacy, as well as conducting field projects and outings. In the fall of 2002, SAS started Indiana's first Northern Saw-whet Owl migratory banding station, an initial step to document the population of this nocturnal, secretive raptor. Sassafras organizes many local field outings to learn resident and migratory birds and butterflies, as well as in-season wildflowers. Annually, SAS sponsors Christmas Bird Counts in the region and the Great Backyard Bird Count at local schools.

Sassafras has also maintained close monitoring and involvement with important environmental issues such as the construction of I-69, management of the Hoosier National Forest, and oil drilling in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. More recently, SAS was asked to join the Bloomington Economic Development Corporation to lend a voice about local land management and development practices. Since 1970, we have contributed to the conservation efforts in South Central Indiana through education and outreach.

Statement on Diversity

The Sassafras Audubon Society believes in creating opportunities for all people to enjoy the outdoors, birdwatch, engage in conservation projects, and lead these efforts through participation on our board. We are committed to taking steps to encourage diversity in our organization, and we affirm the National Audubon Society’s efforts to do so throughout the country. Please visit https://www.audubon.org/about/edi for more information.

SAS also wishes to honor the Indigenous communities native to South Central Indiana, including the Miami, Delaware, Potawatomi, and Shawnee people. As we advocate for conservation of the land and its wildlife, we are indebted to the work of Native and Indigenous people and seek to amplify their voices.

What We've Achieved