The Blue Ridge Audubon Chapter

The Blue Ridge Audubon Chapter (BRAC), formerly the Elisha Mitchell Audubon Society, is a chapter of the National Audubon Society that encompasses Buncombe, Henderson, and surrounding counties in the mountains of western North Carolina. BRAC offers bird walks, educational programs and special events to local birders and the general public. There is a BRAC website, bird sighting Listserv, and monthly newsletter to keep folks informed about chapter happenings.

Blue Ridge Audubon owns and maintains the Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary, a birding hotspot in Asheville, NC. The Sanctuary has an accessible boardwalk that passes through woods and wetlands and has two overlooks on Beaver Lake. The Sanctuary is free and open to the public from dawn to dusk 7 days a week.

BRAC program meetings are typically held at the Reuter Center on the UNCAsheville campus on the third Tuesday of the month in March, April, May, June, September, October, and November. Programs are free and open to the public. BRAC also presents their own programs on bird-related topics to groups by request.

Blue Ridge Audubon is governed by a Board of Directors composed of people with diverse interests and talents and a shared passion for the chapter's mission. Committee positions are open to anyone interested in helping with particular aspects of the chapter's activities. If you would like to get involved by serving on a committee or becoming a volunteer, please check out our volunteer webpage and contact us via our volunteer survey.

Interested in becoming a member of Blue Ridge Audubon? For $20/year you'll receive National Audubon Society's Audubon magazine and our chapter’s newsletter, The Raven’s Nest. Plus, you'll become part of a committed group of individuals in western North Carolina who support birds and the unique natural resources of our mountain region. ​You can join BRAC by filling out the online membership form on our website.

Website: https://www.blueridgeaudubon.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blueridgeaudubon
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blueridgeaudubon
Contact: [email protected]

Blue Ridge Audubon’s mission is to protect birds and the places they depend on. We believe that a world in which birds thrive is a world that benefits all living things. Our vision is a vibrant and just community where the protection of birds and our natural world is valued by everyone.