Fall Birding for All at Grassy Creek Regional Park

The Bird Alliance of Central Indiana and Indy Parks are teaming up for Fall Birding for All, a morning of birdwatching at Grassy Creek Regional Park on Tuesday, October 20. It runs from 9 AM to 11 AM, and the whole thing is centered around the park's Environmental Community Center.

If you haven't been out to Grassy Creek yet, it's way over on the far east side of Indianapolis. The park is built around that new Environmental Community Center, with a playground and a patchwork of habitats—prairie, wetland, and young forest—all within walking distance. Each one brings its own set of birds, so you can see how the species change as you move from the open grass to the water and then into the trees.

The program is designed for birders of all abilities, and the format is pretty low-pressure: stations are set up around the park, and you can move between them at your own pace. At each stop, you'll find information about the birds that call that specific habitat home, so you can observe and learn without having to keep up with a fast-moving group. It's a good way to get a feel for the different environments in the park and the birds that live in them.

It's free to attend, and drop-ins are welcome, though preregistration is appreciated. If you don't have your own gear, there's a limited number of binoculars and spotting scopes available to borrow on the day. The event is at the Environmental Community Center, Grassy Creek Regional Park, 10510 East 30th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46229, from 9 AM to 11 AM.