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May 2008 Apalachee Audubon Society Newsletter
May 2008 Apalachee Audubon Society Newsletter
May 2008 Apalachee Audubon Society Newsletter
You are encouraged to purchase the $10 dinner tickets ahead of time
Either at Native Nurseries or Wild Birds Unlimited.
Tickets are available at these locations thru Wednesday, May 14.
If you plan on buying tickets at the door, RSVP to Tim Smith, our Celebrity Chef, by the day before.
Call and speak to him or leave a message at 850/933-5979.
This will help to accurately estimate what quantities of food to purchase.
~
Tim is requesting that a few of us bring desserts; no RSVP is required to bring one.
~
Just in case we have leftovers, bring a container from home.
We don’t want to waste any food.
Osprey Diary: Wildlife & People of Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge
Presented by Bob Montanaro, Pelican Island Audubon Society, Vero Beach
Bob Montanaro uses a combination of still and video photography to tell the story of the 2007 Osprey nesting season
at Florida’s Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). He also introduces us to some of the staff and volunteers
who work at the Refuge; they describe from first hand knowledge some of the challenges now facing Pelican Island
NWR and America’s refuge system as a whole.
Highlights of the program include dramatic still and video footage of the Osprey young learning to fly, a very inquisitive
Great Horned Owl nestling, contentious Bald Eagle/Osprey encounters, heated Osprey sibling rivalry, and other wildlife
found elsewhere in the Refuge. Visit http://www.ospreywatch.org/ for a preview of compelling wildlife photography and
more fascinating Osprey information.
Pelican Island NWR occupies a unique place in American history as the country’s first wildlife refuge. President
Theodore Roosevelt granted this status on March 14, 1903. Knowing of Roosevelt’s strong conservation ethic, two
visionary Floridians appealed directly to the president urging him to create the refuge; this marked the first time that
the federal government set aside land for the sake of wildlife. Earlier the Audubon Society of Florida and the American
Ornithologists’ Union had led a successful statewide campaign to pass legislation for the protection of Florida’s non-
game birds (partly from the threat of plume hunters).
Bob Montanaro’s presentation is a perfect opportunity to learn more about how we can continue Florida’s rich tradition
of protecting our birds. Please join us for this special occasion and bring a friend or family member with you!
FIELD TRIP Saturday, May 17 Elinor Klapp-Phipps Park Dean and Sally Jue
Our local experts Sally and Dean will lead a leisurely walk along the trails at Phipps Park to search for butterflies. Eighty
species of butterflies have been recorded at the park during the last five years, although not all of these fly in May. We
hope to see American Lady, Gulf and Variegated Fritillary, Zebra Heliconian, and several species of hairstreaks. Sally
and Dean are both members of the North American Butterfly Association Hairstreak Chapter (Dean is Vice-President).
And Dean is coordinating a project to document rare butterflies on Florida’s conservation lands funded by a State
Wildlife Grant from the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Meet at: 9AM, Forest Meadows Athletic Center, off of Meridian Rd.
Expect to be done by: 1 PM
Cost: None
Level of difficulty: Easy
Be sure to bring: Binoculars, water, insect repellent, lunch, comfortable walking shoes!
Further information, contact: Dean or Sally Jue, dsjue@embarqmail.com or by phone at (850) 386-1393.
See Page 3 for May 10 &11 Kennesaw Mountain National Park, Semi Self–Guided GA Field Event
From Our President National Audubon and Toyota form
Dear Friends, TogetherGreen
As my second year as President ends, I want to thank all those
who have contributed in so many ways to a successful year TogetherGreen is a new National Audubon
in Audubon: the extraordinary board, presenters and field trip Society program with generous support from
leaders, hosts of the Backyard Wildlife Tour, helpers at festival Toyota. The goals of TogetherGreen are to build
displays, participants in Christmas and backyard bird counts, conservation leadership, engage millions of
Birdathoners, beach cleaners, and all those who have attended people in conservation action, and achie ve lasting
meetings and joined our field trips. Many of these people will conservation results. Over the next five years,
be recognized at our annual banquet, coming up on Thursday, TogetherGreen will implement a series of national
May 15th at the United Church. All of you have contributed to a
memorable and productive year with Apalachee Audubon. conservation initiatives that support these goals
and promote the idea that everyone has a critical
However, though we have a great deal of momentum going role to play in finding solutions to our most pressing
into the 2008-2009 season, and the nominating committee environmental challenges. For more information visit
has proposed a slate of experienced as well as new officers,
directors, and committee chairs, the President’s position www.TogetherGreen.org.
remains unfilled. Elsewhere in the newsletter is an item briefly
introducing the nominees. I hope each of you will consider ways National Audubon Society will make one-year grants
you can serve the organization, especially whether you are that range from $5,000 to $100,000 for projects that:
willing to be President, alone or with another person. The very
strong cadre of board members will provide excellent support to • Conserve or restore habitat and protect species,
whomever is chosen to preside. Elsewhere in the newsletter is improve water quality or quantity and reduce the
an article explaining an opportunity for AAS to apply for a grant threat of global warming;
from TogetherGreen (www.TogetherGreen.org) a new initiative • Engage new and diverse audiences in
formed by National Audubon in partnership with Toyota to conservation action;
promote a strong five-year conservation agenda. AAS will need • Inspire and use innovative approaches and
a President to get things moving on this fine opportunity. technologies to engage people and achieve
conservation results; and
Thank you all for participating this year! Let’s gear up for • Build the capacity of conservation professionals
another year of informative programs, inspirational field trips, within the Audubon network and beyond.
and activities that fulfill our Audubon mission: conserve and
restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, TogetherGreen Conservation Leadership
and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth’s Program invests in both proven and promising
biological diversity.” leaders who are committed to empowering others
Have a good summer! and to creating positive environmental change in
Elizabeth Platt, AAS President
their communities and organizations. In 2008, up
to 40 Fellows will be selected to participate in this
16-month-long program.
850-386-8882
1661 Centerville Road
Tallahassee, FL 32308
www.nativenurseries.com
Jim Cox Earns Prestigious Tell a Legislator Thank You!
Audubon Advocate - Good News -
Scientific-Writing Award Everglades $ Restored - Florida Forever
from Top Ornithology Journal Renewed
Tall Timbers Research Station biologist Jim State efforts will continue to restore the nation’s most important
wetland system and to clean up the Lake from which much of its
Cox has won a top scientific-writing award water flows. Late Sunday night, after all agreements had been
for his article Cooperative breeding in the reached on the state budget, House and Senate leaders found
Brown-headed Nuthatch, published in The $50 million more for the Everglades and Lake Okeechobee. The
Wilson Journal of Ornithology, March 2007 money is now safely appropriated along with proviso language
issue. that allows funds to be used for state approved restoration
projects.
Cox and Gary Slater, a South Florida It is not too early to thank our Governor and legislative leaders
for extraordinary efforts to deliver the funds. A short note
biologist, were awarded the Edwards Prize thanking them individually will help ensure their continued
on April 19 in Mobile, Ala. The award is given support for the Everglades:
to the best paper published each year in Governor Charlie Crist, Senate President Ken Pruitt; Sen. Burt
the Wilson Journal of Ornithology, a leading Saunders; Sen. JD Alexander; Rep. Stan Mayfield; Rep. Adam
academic journal in the field. Hasner.
Florida Forever was extended by ten years and $2.3 Billion.
At Apalachee Audubon, we already know Jim the House passed SB 542 by Sen. Burt Saunders. The bill
maintains an annual commitment of $300 million per year for
as an Audubon supporter and expert local land acquisition and water resource programs, but changes
ornithologist. He graciously shares his time the spending formula to add new priorities. Working ranch and
and expertise with us here in Tallahassee. timber lands will benefit from $10 million annually that will be
He annually does a field trip for AAS, usually used for agricultural easements, first approved in the Rural and
at TTRS, and he gives free bird-watching Family Lands Protection Act several years ago. A new Working
Waterfronts program will attempt to preserve parts of some of
seminars at local places such as Native Florida’s historic fishing ports, which are under serious pressure
Nurseries. Jim always heads a Christmas from upscale development.
Bird Count team too. You may also hear Jim Thanks to the Audubon of Florida Conservation Network for their
playing music locally with the traditional Irish effective efforts in helping achieve this good news for Florida!
music band Barley Thar; his instruments Visit http://audubonaction.org/florida/
include flute, bagpipe, whistle! for more details. And be sure and sign up for the Conservation
Network e-mail updates if you haven’t already. It’s the easiest
Jim’s Brown-headed Nuthatch study was way to leverage your effectiveness on state and regional
carried out over five years at Tall Timbers environmental issues!
Research Station and at two sites in south
Florida, Big Cypress National Preserve The May/June issue of Birding magazine will feature
and Everglades National Park. Full text an article about prescribed fire and Bachman’s Sparrow
of the article is available free on line from conservation by Jim Cox and Clark Jones. The article is
AccessMyLibrary at: called Bachman’s Sparrow & the Order of the Phoenix.
Birding magazine is a publication of the American Birding
http://www.accessmylibrary.com/ Association.
Congratulations, Jim, on a well-deserved The article begins ... “Like many members of the family
Emberizidae, Bachman’s Sparrows seem keen on
award! guarding their vital secrets. The beautiful song of this
North American endemic commands attention as quickly
as a glossy ad from Madison Avenue, but fixing binoculars
on a singing male often seems like a search for Waldo,
and good looks in winter are rare enough to induce shouts
of amazement on Christmas Bird Counts.”
Visit www.talltimbers.org to read the article.
Officers
President: Elizabeth Platt 850-385-9043
ejplatt@embarqmail.com
Vice-President: Melissa Forehand 850-510-4877
birdingtreefrog@gmail.com
Treasurer: Harvey Goldman 850-385-5222
goldman@hep.fsu.edu
Secretary: Dawn Saucier 850-656-4045
dsaucier@flabar.org
AAS newsletter is published 8 times yearly (Sept.-May, except December) by the
Apalachee Audubon Society, Inc., P.O. Box 1237, Tallahassee, FL32303-1237.
Printed on partially recycled paper.
Your membership expiration date is shown at top right above your name. For problems with membership, call the National
Audubon Society Office at 1-800-274-4201. For problems with mailings, contact Pam Flynn at pflynn@us.ibm.com.