Register via Mobilize. Limited to 16 participants.

Lake Elberta has reopened! September is part of fall migration and that means it's time to say goodbye to some of our summer residents, and hopefully find species on route to their wintering grounds. Lake Elberta is a productive location for migrant shorebirds and songbirds, and has historically been a good location for rarity searching.

What to Expect:  We will plan to walk up to a mile as we scan the water and meadows growing around the lake. The trail and parking lot are paved, but there is no bathroom on site. William will keep an eBird list that will be shared after the trip, but participants are also welcome to keep their own. Participants are also encouraged to bring a scope if they have one to scan the lake and mudflats, but there will be at least one present by AAS.

What to Bring: Water, sun protection (the path lacks shade), cameras, binoculars although AAS will have some available to borrow.

PARKING OPTIONS: Parking in the main lot off of Lake Bradford Rd. is very limited. Please consider entering the park from the Stearns St. entrance off of FAMU Way. Parallel parking is available on FAMU Way, close to Stearns St. There's also a 20-spot parking lot at a site identified as a St Marks Trail Trailhead on Google Maps, off of the roundabout at FAMU Way and Robert and Trudie Perkins Way (southwest of Stearns St.). It’s about a 3 minute walk from the parking lot to the Stearns St. entrance.

Bio: William Heinle is a lifelong outdoorsman and birder. A former outdoor adventure leader, he graduated with degrees in biology and geography from the University of Richmond in 2023, and now helps agencies, communities, and governments in Florida, Latin America, and the Caribbean make decisions about sustainability and conservation with environmental data analysis. He has also published research on his fascination with reptiles and amphibians, and has participated in numerous bird counts, hawk watches, rarity roundups, and big days with friends across Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, New York, and now, northern Florida. William can commonly be found at Lake Jackson before sunrise, out in Apalachicola, or working with his family restoring lands along the Suwannee River.