Seminole Audubon Society

Programs for 2009/2010

2009/2010 Programs

Sept. 13: St. Johns Riverkeeper
This presentation by Kelly Savage, Outreach Coordinator for St. Johns Riverkeeper will discuss the river's heritage and the challenges that lay ahead for the river.

Oct. 11: All About Birds Day and The BIG SIT! Lake Jesup Wilderness Areas Park.
7:30 am – 2:00 pm Join us for this special day of activities that will include guided hikes, bird ID lessons, door prizes plus The BIG SIT!

Nov. 8: Bio-Controls in Your Garden.
Only 1% of the millions of insects in the world are considered pests. The other 99% have potential benefit. Research at the UF/IFAS Research Center in Apopka is looking for alternatives to harmful chemicals in controlling pests.

Dec. 13: The Buzz on Bees.
Apiarist Jean Vasicek will discuss the life cycle of bees, importance to the foods we depend on, and threats that face their future existence. Demonstration hive with live bees.

Jan. 10, 2010: Amazing World of Ants
There are 218 known species of ants in Florida. Their diversity and life habits are fascinating and will leave you with a new respect for these tiny, and often overlooked, creatures.

Feb. 14: Wading Birds & Rails
This photographic presentation will include identification clues and behavioral traits of Florida’s Ciconiformes and Gruiformes.

Mar. 14: Kilowatt Ours
A Plan to Re-energize America. Learn simple, practical and affordable solutions that will save electricity, save money and make a difference for the planet.

Apr. 19: Pot-luck Lunch & Annual Meeting
Includes awards, election of officers & board members, updates on conservation, and a recap of the season’s memorable sightings and events.
 

Previous Programs

500-Mile Solo Paddle of St Johns River System
Michelle Thatcher shared the experiences and insights gained during her kayak trip on the St. Johns River.

Butterfly Gardening
Mike Rich, creator of Lukas Nursery Butterfly Encounter, presented the basic principles of butterfly gardening, design and plants.

Birds of Prey Fly the Sky.
Live birds of prey. Learn their biology, habitat, diet, and obstacles for survival.

MINWR - A Feathered Frenzy!
Tom Dunkerton introduced the wide array of birds who call Merritt Island NWR home, as well as those who are just passing through.

It’s a Jungle Out There. Invasive, Exotic Plants.
The problems they create for our native habitats and native wildlife. How to identify and properly remove.

Owl Diary
Faith Jones reviewed unique owl traits, then took us through the escapades of a pair of barred owls during their 2008 nesting season.

May All Your Blues Be Birds
Bluebird enthusiast and manager of bluebird trail in NE FL, Bill Pennewill enlightened us about one of America’s best-loved birds.

Status of Birds in Florida
Julie Wraithmell’s presented details of the current status of birds in each of Audubon of Florida’s regional conservation areas.

Anoles: Those Florida Yard Lizards
Anoles are in practically every yard in Florida, yet few people know much about them. Steve Isham’s program was full of fun facts.

Colt Creek State Park
Scott Spaulding, Park Manager, provided a preview of this newly opened 5067 acre park that adjoins the Green Swamp.

Bring 'em Back Alive
Fred Hitt shared his love of the St. Johns River with earlier inhabitants who occupied this land for ten thousand years, but who disappeared over two hundred years ago.

Hiking, Biking and Birding in Central Florida.
Robert Fulton, outdoor writer and trail enthusiast shared some of his favorite trails and birding spots in Central Florida.

Birds & Beasts of Africa
Award-winning photographer, writer and explorer Charlene Edwards took us on a visual journey to Africa.

Ospreys: An Exploration into the Life of the Fish Hawk
This program chronicled a pair of ospreys and includes their nesting attempts and encounters with other wildlife in the Pelican Island NWR.

Butterfly Gardening

Mike Rich, creator of Lukas Nursery Butterfly Encounter, will present the basic principles of butterfly gardening including garden design and plants. He will have sample plants, caterpillars, and butterflies.

 

Right Whales in Florida

Frank Gromling, author and publisher, will tell the fascinating story of how right whales became the most endangered large mammal in the oceans and why they come to the waters off Florida.

 

Green Swamp: Area of Critical State Concern

This presentation will be made by Peggy Cox, AOF Board Member and Green Swamp advocate. She will focus on the history, science, and politics surrounding Central Florida’s Green Swamp.

 

Seasonal changes in bird diversity at Emeralda Marsh Conservation Area

Dr. Peter May, professor of Biology at Stetson University, has conducted weekly wildlife surveys of Emeralda Marsh, one of Central Florida’s birding hot spots, since 2000. He will share some of his experiences, and photographic skills in this slide presentation.

 

Vultures & Their Scavenger Friends

Steve DeCresie, Florida naturalist, will have slides and hands-on displays to help us   learn more about these birds as we explore the cycle of life, and death, in this presentation devoted to the group known incorrectly as buzzards.

 

Florida Black Bears

Life history, status, and threats to the Florida Black Bears' long-term survival and expansion into historic ranges with be presented by Tom Shupe, Distict Biologist with FWC.

 

Threats to Birds in a Fossil Fuel Economy

This presentation will focus on changes that are occurring in bird and other wildlife populations due to the mining, drilling, extraction, transporting and burning of nature’s gifts.

 

Birds of the Sanford Riverwalk

This slide presentation will feature over 50 species of birds that frequent the downtown Sanford area, Lake Monroe and its shoreline.

 

Reptiles and Amphibians of Florida

James Peters, President of Central Florida Herpetological Society, will speak about our very own “herpes” and discuss their interdependence with other Florida wildlife.

 

Sunken Cities, Sacred Cenotes and Golden Sharks: Travels of a Water-Bound Adventurer

Bill Belleville, award-winning environmental writer and filmmaker, will take us on the journey that resulted in his anthology of essays and articles in which water- rivers and oceans, island and coasts-play a major role.

 

Birds of the Night

Physical characteristics, vocalizations, and habits of Florida’s owls, nightjars and other birds active after dark will be featured at this meeting.

 

Butterflies and Blooms – Serendipity

Buck & Linda Cooper will cover the relationships between butterflies and flowering plants from the panhandle to the Keys.

 

Wood Storks

Jim Rodgers, FWCC biologist, will present this program concerning Florida’s most endangered wading birds. Their past, current status, and outlook for the future will be discussed.

 

Birds and Burns: Fire Effects on Sensitive Species in Ponderosa Pine Forests

Roger Grimshaw will relate his experiences studying woodpeckers in the forests of Colorado. Program will include slides of western birds and mammals as well as stunning mountain scenery.

 

Pot-luck Lunch & Annual Meeting

Includes election of officers & board members, updates on conservation, and a recap of the season’s memorable sightings.