Apalachee Audubon Society

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Events in the 2008/2009 season

All trips & programs are free (apart from nominal car fees for some parks) & open to the public. NOTE: All programs and field trips are subject to change. Check the latest AAS newsletter, the AAS website (http://www.apalachee.org), or call Program Chairman Melissa Forehand at (850) 510-4877 for current information

Apalachee Audubon Field Trips

Unless otherwise stated, field trips usually leave from the Wachovia Bank, 3400 S. Monroe St., opposite the fairgrounds.  Note the time of departure.  It varies with each trip depending on the trip destination. Also, if possible, bring binoculars and fieldguides. A limited number of spare binoculars are available for use during the trip ). Especially for the coastal regions, bug spray and/or protective clothing may come in very handy. 

Date Time Meeting Place Program Meetings / Field Trip / Projects
Sun
Sep 14
8:00 AM to 12 PM The park at Piney Z (950 Piney Z Plantation Rd.). Driving east on Park Ave., cross Capital Circle and continue east on Conner Blvd. for 1.5 miles. Then turn left unto Heritage Park Blvd., and pass through the traffic circle, staying on Heritage Blvd. This will dead end at the end of the park. Field Trip: Family-Friendly Birding Field Trip to Piney Z / Lake Lafayette With Melissa Forehand and Marvin Collins
This field trip will cater to beginning birders and kids over 5 but everyone is welcome. Expect to see great blue herons, kingfishers, green herons, red shoulder hawks, osprey, woodpeckers, and maybe some early migrants. 
Difficulty: walking on level, unpaved trails
Bring: binoculars, bug repellent, walking shoes, friends
For more information contact: 
Melissa Forehand,(850) 510-4877 or
Marvin Collins, (850) 224-9549
Sun
Oct 12
7:30 AM to 12 PM Meet at the first pool on the right past the visitors center Field Trip:  Harry Hooper, (850) 668-0498 leads not more than 7 canoes or kayaks to explore the East River Pool.  Expect many waders, some ducks and gators. (bring your own boat)
Thur
Oct 23
7:30 AM at Wachovia Bank for carpooling (encouraged) or 8 :00 AM at St. Marks  Visitors Center Wachovia Bank on S. Monroe at 7:30 AM for carpooling (encouraged) or at the St. Marks NWR Visitors Center at 8:00 AM Field Trip:  St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) with Simon Thompson, our October Program featured speaker. Migrating birds will convince you that autumn is on its way! Enjoy resident wading birds, Brown-headed Nuthatches, Great Horned Owls and more; look for migrant warblers and shorebirds in Lighthouse Road habitats. Our guide will share identification skills and interesting natural history tidbits.
Cost: $4/car admission to National Wildlife Refuge or refuge pass.
Level of Difficulty: Easy.  Finshed by about noon.
Sun
Nov 2
8:00 AM to 12 PM Wachovia Bank, S.Monroe Field Trip:  
Melissa Forehand, (850) 510-4877 and Marvin Collins, (850) 224-9549  
lead the trip to Bear Creek at Lake Talquin.
Florida Dept of Forestry at Lake Talquin
Sat
Dec 1
8:00 AM Wachovia Bank, S.Monroe Field Trip:  TBA
Sat
Jan 24
8:30 AM to 12:00 PM Wakulla Springs S.P. Lodge lobby or Wachovia Bank, S.Monroe at 7:30 AM Field Trip:  George Apthorp, Master Wildlife Conservationist, retired Park Service, and 16 year resident of Wakulla Springs will lead the trip.  We will visit the restricted area of the park known as the Sanctuary. A liesurely three hour walk will take us to six state champion trees and one runner-up. Birds encountered will include those common to upland hardwood forests.  Entry fee is $4.00 per vehicle.  Bring binoculars, water, insect repellent, and camera if desired.  
Contact:  George Apthorp, 926-5045

Wachovia Bank
3400 S Monroe St.
(SW corner of intersection of South Monroe and Paul Russell)
Tallahassee

Apalachee Audubon Programs

Note:  Monthly programs are free and open to the public.  All monthly programs will be held on Thursdays at the Amtrak Building-Community Room, 918 Railroad Ave, Tallahassee.   Meetings begin at 7:30 pm, with a social gathering preceding at 7:00 pm.  

Date Time Meeting Place Program Meetings / Field Trip / Projects
Thur
Sep 25
6:00  PM Amtrak Building-Community Room Program:  At this, our first program meeting of the fall, take the opportunity to get re-acquainted with each other and welcome our speaker Terry Peacock, Refuge Manager, St. Marks NWR! Besides learning more about "Operation Migration" and the whooping cranes coming to St. Marks NWR, enjoy a potluck dinner with friends too. Come to our new meeting site at 6 PM. Plan to bring a covered dish of either: main course (meat or vegetarian), a salad, bread, tea or soft drinks, or a dessert. Alternatively, you may wish to pay $5.00 to cover other expenses and raise some needed funds for our activities.
So that we will be adequately prepared,
please call or email Elizabeth Platt, (850) 385-9043
with the following information by Tuesday, Sept. 23:
1. I will attend the meeting (yes/no) and bring ____ other folks
2. I will bring _______________ (cover dish) to share
3. I will pay$5.00. (yes/no)
I know there are many awesome cooks in AAS, so we are really looking forward to this event!
Thur
Oct 23
7:00  PM Amtrak Building-Community Room Program:  Travelling the World for Birds by Simon Thompson.  Slides showing the beauty and diversity of birds in many great birding destinations the world over.  Simon owns a birding tour company- Ventures Birding Tours, based in Asheville, NC.  He has lived in the US for past 17 years but grew up all over the world, including Kenya, Ghana, Lebanon etc- also was a member of the China Cranewatch expedition researching and monitoring cranes and birds of prey migrating down the east coast of China.
Thurs
Nov 20
7:00 PM Amtrak Building-Community Room Program: Speaker Raphael Abanja – In Pursuit of Biodiversity Conservation: Protecting the Honey Bee.
Join us to learn about the current status of honey bees. Find out about efforts to protect the stability of honey bee populations and their importance in maintaining biodiversity and healthy ecosystem dynamics.
Raphael holds a Bsc. degree in Zoology and Chemistry from Moi University and Maseno University College, Kenya and a Master’s Degree in Entomology from the University of Ghana. He is currently a PhD candidate in entomology at the University of Florida.
Thurs
Jan 22
7:00 PM Amtrak Building-Community Room Program: Chris Borg pesents the state of the environment and birding at Tall Timbers.
Thurs
Feb 26
7:00 PM Amtrak Building-Community Room Program: TBA presents his study of population control.
Thurs
Mar 26
7:00 PM Amtrak Building-Community Room Program:  Fritz Davis presents the status of the sea turtles.
Thurs
Apr 23
7:00 PM Amtrak Building-Community Room Program:  David Redfield, internationally renouned for his quests for rare species will tell us about his finding of the Laoation Rock Rat and other rarities.  David Redfield, a professor emeritus of FSU's science education faculty is a birdwatcher who, by 2004, had seen a member from every avian taxonomic family in existence, about 440 kinds of birds.  He has also cataloged representatives of 78 percent of all the mammal families on Earth. When he learned about the discovery of the Laotian rock rat -- and that no one had photographed a specimen -- he set out on a personal quest to accomplish the feat. The Laotian rock rat is so called for its only known habitat -- limestone outcroppings in Central Laos -- and the appearance of the animal's head and face, which sport long whiskers and beady eyes like those of a rat. Redfield's remarkable video and photos have been hailed as historic images documenting a true "living fossil," the Laotian rock rat.
Thurs
May 14
6:00 PM United Church Program: Annual Banquet and FSU Ornithologist, Emily Duval

Amtrak Building-Community Room
918 Railroad Ave, Tallahassee
Directions: South on Monroe. Turn right on Gaines St. Left on Railroad Ave.
                The Amtrack Building is on the right at the railroad tracks.

United Church in Tallahassee
1834 Mahan Drive
Tallahassee

AAS Projects

Date Time Meeting Place Program Meetings / Field Trip / Projects
Sat
Sep 20
8:00 AM Reach Bottoms Rd. from the US 98/ CR 319 split in Medart (Wakulla Co.), by driving 2.5 miles south towards Panacea on US 98. Just outside of Panacea, Bottoms Rd. is on left. Follow road to end at parking lot/ boat launch. Project: International Coastal Clean-Up and Awareness Day. Bottoms Road Beach Clean-Up Sponsored by Apalachee Audubon Society, Inc.. Bottoms Rd. runs through some of the most beautiful marshes of the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, ending on the Gulf of Mexico. Its marshes are home to Scott's Seaside Sparrows and Clapper Rails, trilling Marsh Wrens and nesting Wilson's Plovers as well as an unhealthy amount of human trash. Come spend the day with Apalachee Audubon, helping to restore this piece of scenic Florida to its natural beauty. You can join 40,000 other people worldwide in helping to make the Ocean Conservancy’s 23rd International Coastal Cleanup day a big success! You’ll be helping to make the world a little safer for us and for the world’s seabirds and mammals. There is a “weigh-in” of trash at the end and friendly competition to see which community group can pick up the most pounds of trash.too.
Level of difficulty: Tasks to accommodate all levels of ability.Walking on level, unpaved trails.
Be sure to bring: gloves, closed-toed shoes to get muddy, sunscreen, insect repellent, water, as well as your sense of humor & your friends! You just won’t believe the amazing array of trash that is out there waiting to be picked up!
For more information, contact:
Melissa Forehand,(850) 510-4877
There is a lot more information on this project at http://www.coastalcleanup.org.
Sat
Oct 25
10:00 AM to 4:00 PM in shifts St Marks NWR Project:  Volunteeers are also needed to staff an Audubon table at the Monarch Festival at St Marks on Saturday,  October 25 from 10-4.
For more information about the festival, go to
  St. Marks NWR Calendar of Events or contact St
Marks Refuge, (850) 925-6121
Fri & Sat
Oct 24 & 25
Open Link Plantation Golf Resort & Spa on the banks of the Crystal River on Florida’s Nature Coast. Project: Join us for the 2008 Audubon Assembly at the stately Plantation Golf Resort & Spa on the banks of the Crystal River on Florida's Nature Coast. The Audubon Assembly brings together Audubon leaders and members from all over Florida to socialize, enjoy nature, and set Florida's conservation agenda. The theme of this year’s Assembly is “Saving Birds in a Changing Environment,” and will feature thought-provoking workshops exploring the impact human activities are having on Florida's birds and their habitats.
Sat
Dec 20
Contact coordinatorSt. Marks NWR Contact coordinator
Jim Cox
at 942-2489
Project:  Citizen Science in Action – the 2008 Christmas Bird Count.
The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is probably the oldest organized ornithological event in North America. There are approximately 2000 count circles spread over the United States, Canada, and elsewhere. Each circle encompasses 177 square miles and is divided into sections; each is surveyed by one team. Teams include one or more experienced birders and most are open to a limited number of novices. The data extends back to Christmas Day 1900 and is readily available to researchers and the public over the Internet at: CBC Data
Four count circles in our area include Tallahassee, St. Marks, Apalachicola, and Port St. Joe. Others include Panama City and Cedar Key and Jackson County. Some coordinators will have space for a new birder to participate. Be sure and contact the coordinator well ahead of time if you are interested.  The count goes on rain or shine. Be prepared for adverse field conditions. 
Sat
Dec 27
Contact coordinatorPort St. Joe
Contact coordinator
Bob Henderson  at 576-6610
Project:  Citizen Science in Action – the 2008 Christmas Bird Count.
Refer to Jan 20 Project.
Sun
Dec 28
Contact coordinatorApalachicola
Contact coordinator
Alan Knothe
at 653-8063
Project:  Citizen Science in Action – the 2008 Christmas Bird Count.
Refer to Jan 20 Project.
Sat
Jan 3
Contact coordinatorTallahassee 
Contact coordinator Marvin Collins
at 224-9549
Project:  Citizen Science in Action – the 2008 Christmas Bird Count.
Refer to Jan 20 Project.
Sun
Jan 4
Contact coordinatorJackson County Contact coordinator
Andy Bankert 
(321) 258-2353
Project:  Citizen Science in Action – the 2008 Christmas Bird Count.
Refer to Jan 20 Project.
Thurs
Jan 29
6:30 to 8:30 PM TBA Project:  Join us for wine and hors d’oeurvres at a small gathering to welcome Scott Weidensaul to Tallahassee.  Scott is the author of more than two dozen books on natural history, including his widely acclaimed Living on the Wind: Across the Hemisphere with Migratory Birds (North Point 1999), which was one of three finalists for the Pulitzer Prize for general nonfiction.  Biographical information  
Attendance will be limited to 30 people at a location to be determined. The cost will be $50 per person which includes a ticket to his Friday night talk. To reserve a spot, email Pam Flynn or call (850) 383-1238. This event will be opened to the general public on December 1. All proceeds will go to Apalachee Audubon and to the Operation Migration Whooping Crane project at St. Marks NWR.  
Fri
Jan 30
7:00 PM Tallahassee Community College, Building 38 (Economics and Workforce Development at
SW end of campus).
Project:  Scott Weidensaul, author and dynamic speaker on environmental topics will present an illustrated program on the History of American Birding.
Tickets for this event are $10 each and may be purchased beginning December 1 at Wild Birds Unlimited or Native Nurseries. To purchase  tickets before January 1, and be entered into a drawing for one of three prizes, send a check made payable to Apalachee Audubon to Pam Flynn, 2801 Sterling Dr., Tallahassee, FL 32312.  Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Include an address, phone number, or e-mail address where you can be contacted with further event details as necessary.   Scott's recent presentation references
Fri thru Mon
Feb 13 ... 16
All DayYour neighborhoodProject:  2009 Breat Backyard Bird Count

The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are across the continent. Anyone can participate, from beginning bird watchers to experts. It takes as little as 15 minutes on one day, or you can count for as long as you like each day of the event. It’s free, fun, and easy—and it helps the birds. We'll be adding updated 2009 GBBC materials as they become available.

TBA 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Tallahassee Project:  Wildlife-Friendly Yards Tour. Interested in making your yard more attractive to birds and other wildlife? The Apalachee Audubon Society, Inc. invites you to take a self-guided tour of six local yards that are wildlife havens. Tickets are $10 per person and will be available for purchase beginning February 1st at Native Nurseries and WildBirds Unlimited. Ticket holders will receive addresses and maps to each location at the time of purchase. Each yard has unique features to attract a variety of birds and other wildlife such as wintering hummingbirds, orioles, tanagers, finches, and pine siskins as well as our year-round residents. You will be inspired to maintain your own yard or green space for wildlife, whether it is one birdfeeder, one nest box, one wildflower bed, one garden path, or one natural area. Make a difference for wildlife, one yard at a time! Join us in our second annual Wildlife-Friendly Yards Tour and fundraiser to benefit Apalachee Audubon Society, Inc.. For more information
contact: Fred Dietrich  (850) 386-2731.

Local Events

Date Time Meeting Place Program Meetings / Field Trip / Projects
Sat
Sep 13
10 - 11 AM Birdsong Nature Center Local Event: Learn about hummingbirds.
Visit Bird Song Nature Center for details on this and other Birdsong programs.
Wed
Sep 17
7:00 PM
Green Living Center
1020 N. Monroe St
Local Event:  Ever wanted to see a hawk up close? Jane Fleitman, founder of Operation Wildlife Survival, is a certified state and federal wildlife rehabilitator.  She will present information on birds of prey, such as hawks and owls.  Jane will bring and display some of her feathered friends!! Great program for young and mature alike.  $3 suggested donation.  Call 942-2557, ext. 229, to pre-register.
Fri & Sat
Oct 10 & 11
5:30 PM Fri. to 5 PM Sat. FSU Coastal and Marine Laboratory, St. Teresa Local Event: A short weekend of birding that includes:
• Low country boil; local seafood & produce
• A lecture on bird migration by Dr. Todd Engstrom, Assoc.  Director FSUCML
• Overnight stay in Lab dormitories
• Field trips (carpooled) led by T. Engstrom, Alan Knothe  (FDEP) and John Murphy
Cost: $75 per person (room plus 3 meals)
Reservations:
Sharon Thoman; (850) 697-4095;
limited spaces; DEADLINE Oct. 3rd
Sun
Oct 19
1:00 to 6:00 PM Tall Timbers Tall Timbers Open House features fun and educational activities that will inform visitors about the purpose of Tall Timbers. The event is free and open to the public.
Sat
Oct 25
10:00 AM to 4:00 PM St. Marks NWR Volunteeers are needed to staff an Audubon table at the Monarch
Festival at St Marks on Saturday,  October 25 from 10-4.
For more information about the festival, go to
St. Marks NWR Calendar of Events or contact St
Marks Refuge, (850) 925-6121
Sun
Oct 26
1:00 to 5:00 PM Birdsong Birdsong's Fall Festival Join us for Birdsong’s traditional annual celebration of nature and autumn! Bring a picnic, a blanket or chairs, and celebrate with your friends and family.
Fri & Sat
Nov 21 & 22

Fri, 
6 and 8 PM

Sat. 
5 and 7 PM

$7 general admission,
$5 TFS members,
$5 students with ID

All Saints Cinema at the Amtrak
Station
Local Event: Film; Lord God Bird: The Enduring Quest for the Ivory–Billed Woodpecker.  In April 2005 an announcement of the rediscovery of a supposedly extinct bird, the ivory-billed woodpecker, made front-page news. So spectacular that, according to legend, those who see it spontaneously cry out, “Lord God! What was that?” the ivory-bill was once common in the southeastern United States, but vanished as its habitat disappeared. Filmmaker George Butler’s new documentary The Lord God Bird tells a story of faith, doubt, despair, and hope regarding our relationship with nature.  For further information visit the TFS home page call 386-4404.

Other Events

Date Time Meeting Place Program Meetings / Field Trip / Projects
Tue
Oct 7
6:30 to 8:30 PM Wakulla Public Library,
4330 Crawfordville Highway
(US 319)
(about 4 miles south of the Wakulla County Courthouse)
Wakulla Candidates Forum:
Concerned Citizens of Wakulla County   http://www.cowakulla.org ,
Wakulla Watershed Coalition  http://www.wakullawatershed.com ,
The Big Bend Environmental Forum
 http://www.bbef.org ,
League of Women Voters
 http://www.tallahassee.fl.lwvnet.org  
have scheduled a Wakulla County Candidates' Forum featuring candidates for
Wakulla County Commission,Citizens and candidates. 
Open house starts at 6:30pm; the candidate forum runs from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:  Call Karla Brandt at 877-7661 or email contactccow@gmaill.com
Thur
Oct 16
6:30 to 9:00 PM Tallahassee City Hall,
300 S. Adams Street, City Commission
Chambers, 2nd Floor

On-street parking is free after 6 p.m. Parking is also available at nearby Kleman Plaza.

The Big Bend Environmental Forum (BBEF), the League of Women Voters, Sustainable Tallahassee and the Council of Neighborhood Associations (CONA), are hosting the 7th bi-annual local candidates' forum.
This is historically the best attended of the candidates' forums.  Citizens can suggest questions for the candidates including local environmental, energy and growth management issues.  
An open house just prior to the forum will include tables and displays by local candidates, and local environmental and civic organizations and will provide an opportunity for voters to meet the candidates in person.
Refreshments will be provided.
Candidates for state, federal and local offices who are
running in contested races that effect the Big Bend region will be on hand to present their views and answer questions.  Tom Flanagan, News Director of WFSU-FM, will serve as the moderator.

September 2008

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Learn about hummingbirds at Bird Song Nature Center


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Family-Friendly Birding


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Ever wanted to see a hawk up close?


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Bottoms Road Beach Clean-Up


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Pot_Luck and Whooping Cranes


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Wakulla Candidates Forum


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Weekend of birding with  Dr. Todd Engstrom at FSU Marine Lab


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Weekend of birding with  Dr. Todd Engstrom at FSU Marine Lab


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kayak St Marks East River Pool


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The Big Bend Environmental Forum


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Tall Timbers Open House
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St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) with Simon Thompson,
Birds around the world by Simon Thompson
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Monarch
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Birdsong's Fall Festival


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Bear Creek at Lake Talquin


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Raphael Abanja  In Pursuit of Biodiversity Conservation: Protecting the Honey Bee

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Film; Lord God Bird: The Enduring Quest for the Ivory–Billed Woodpecker


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Film; Lord God Bird: The Enduring Quest for the Ivory–Billed Woodpecker


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St. Marks CBC


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Port St. Joe CBC


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Apalachicola CBC


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January 2009