About us
Welcome to Wake Audubon Society – where our love for nature meets a commitment to inclusion and belonging and providing programs, outings and activities where all can safely access and celebrate nature.
As a chapter of Audubon NC and the National Audubon Society, our 1,900-strong community in Wake, Johnston, Franklin, and Nash counties, North Carolina, is proud to lead education, conservation, and advocacy efforts to grow our region responsibly and with concern for the birds, wildlife and places we all live.
There is no requirement to join Wake Audubon Society in order to be a member of this Meetup. There is no fee for this Meetup. We encourage you to join Wake Audubon, however, as we depend on member fees to support our environmental projects.
This group enjoys local (and regional) outings to experience wildlife in the Raleigh, Wake County area of North Carolina. We focus on birding, and we enjoy teaching anyone who is new to birding. We welcome visitors to the area who want to attend our outings.
Wake Audubon hosts free, public, in-person educational programs that are generally held on the second Tuesday of each month, 7:30 p.m. in the NC Museum of Natural Sciences Nature Research Center, 121 W Jones St. Raleigh, NC, 4th floor meeting room. Most of these programs can also be viewed virtually via Zoom. See the topic, and confirm the location and Zoom link for each program in our Meetup or calendar posts.
We also volunteer for various events, including river cleanups, invasive species removal, nestbox maintenance, helping with events at various parks and museums, and community science projects such the Christmas Bird Count and Great Backyard Bird Count.
Thanks for your interest in Wake Audubon. Come, join us!
Our mission statement: "To foster knowledge, appreciation, and enjoyment of nature; to encourage responsible environmental stewardship; to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats, for the benefit of humanity and the earth's biological diversity."
Upcoming events
11
Birding at Williamson Preserve 2026-0814 (Register Off Meetup)
Bailey and Sarah Williamson Preserve, 4409 Mail Plantation Road, Raleigh, NC, USFRIDAY, AUGUST 14, 2026: 8:00 TO 10:30 AM
Bailey and Sarah Williamson Preserve, 4429 Old Country Mial Rd, Raleigh, NC (new address due to road changes)
This is a free event, but REGISTRATION ON TLC's WEBSITE IS REQUIRED . There is limit of 15 birders for the event, and you will receive an email from Triangle Land Conservancy a day or two before the event.
Note: The dirt road portion of Mials Plantation Road is permanently closed, so stay on Smithfield Road and turn right on Mials Plantation, right at first road, near the end of the road turn in at the white building, just at the closed road signs. Watch out for a deep hole or two when you pull in and park.Join Wake Audubon and Triangle Land Conservancy (TLC) for a morning of birding and exploring the Bailey and Sarah Williamson Preserve near the Wake County / Johnston County line. Our experienced birder Marc Ribaudo will guide you through the meadow and Two Ponds Loop covering about 2 miles of mostly dirt trails. Join this wonderful morning stroll and see what birds you can find. Please wear good walking shoes and layers, bring a water bottle, and binoculars if you have them. We suggest that you leave your furry friends at home for this hike as dogs may scare away wildlife viewing opportunities.
Whether you're a seasoned birder or just starting out, this is a great chance to connect with nature and learn about the diverse bird species that call the grasslands, woodlands, and ponds home. Check out what we may find here: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L4669077
TLC maintains a waitlist, so be sure to join TLC's waitlist if the event is full. (Wake Audubon does not have access to the waitlist).
Joining by Meetup for this event will NOT register you for this event, so, I shut off the RSVP option.
VERY IMPORTANT: After a heavy rain, the preserve may be closed to prevent erosion, so TLC may have to cancel the outing. Otherwise, you will receive an email from TLC of where to park and the status of the walk (Wake Audubon Meetup will not know the walk's status). Note that even if the preserve is closed to others, TLC tries to hold this walk, using the volunteer parking area just after the main gate and the old church.
1 attendee
Hilltop-Needmore Park (North), 2026-0822
Hilltop Needmore Town Park & Preserve, 4621 Shady Greens Dr, Fuquay-Varina, NC, USBirding at Hilltop-Needmore Park (North)
Saturday, AUGUST 22, 2026
Time: 8:30 to 10:30 am
4621 Shady Greens Drive, Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526
Leaders: (Various leaders, including Larry Zoller, David Southwick and Matt Florez)
Free Bird Outing with Wake Audubon! Join us for a Wake Audubon bird outing at Hilltop-Needmore Park on the fourth Saturday of most months (check here for updates).
The walk is limited to 20 participants; the RSVP on Meetup opens August 1 at 7 am.We will meet at the lower end of the old Club House parking lot. Look for a "Bird Walk Here" sign. We will start promptly at 8:30 am regardless of the weather and should finish by 10:30 am.
Dress for the weather and be prepared to walk paved trails and occasionally on wet grassy fairways. There is some elevation change but we will not be moving quickly as we stop frequently for birds. No birding experience is necessary. Bring your binoculars and a bird guide if you have one. The walk is not recommended for children under 6. Please leave your pets at home.
Ebird hotspot site: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L16295752Let's Go Birding!
The Leader will make and share an ebird list and share it with your ebird account. Individual lists are discouraged because they duplicate the data, but you can edit your list once it's shared to you.10 attendees
Early Bird at Horseshoe Farm Nature Preserve 2026-0905
Horseshoe Farm Nature Preserve, 2900 Horse Shoe Farm Road, Wake Forest, NC, USEarly Bird at Horseshoe Farm Nature Preserve (registration required off Meetup)
Saturday, SEPTEMBER 5, 2026, 8 am - 9:30 am
Register Off-site only: Requires a login and password:
Login first at LoginThen register for this free event at: Register for Sep 5
Or Click on Search -- Activity Search and type in "EARLY BIRD"
Workshop code is 'HFNPEARLYBIRD"
Grab your binoculars and meet us at beautiful Horseshoe Farm Nature Preserve for a bird-watching hike led by Wake Audubon volunteer naturalist, LynnErla Beegle.Spend your morning watching and learning about birds that prefer meadows and forest edges on this approximately 1.5 mile hike. For beginning and advanced birders. Bring your binoculars, or borrow a pair of ours. Pre-registration is required. Limited to City of Raleigh residents.
Meet in the parking lot at Horseshoe Farm Nature Preserve 2900 Horseshoe Farm Rd, Wake Forest, NC, 27587 .1 attendee
Past events
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