St Lucie Audubon received a $2,500 ‘Plants for Birds’ grant from Audubon Florida funded by Florida Power & Light. We partnered with the St Lucie County Environmental Resource Department to find a good location.

Amanda Thompson from the ERD found a great place that needed planting after the invasive trees and other invasive plants were removed and that was Richard E Becker Preserve on Selvitz Road in Ft. Pierce. She determined which native plants would best suit the hydrology and geology of the site.

Diane Goldberg, St Lucie Audubon’s conservation chair, then searched nurseries for the best prices and plants, ordered the plants, arranged for delivery and picked up some plants that could not be delivered that were from Melbourne. She even donated some of her own plants. She contacted many environmental groups to get as many volunteers as possible.

Besides getting many from St Lucie Audubon, volunteers also came from Master Gardeners, Savannas Preserves, DEP, FPL, City of Ft. Pierce, Treasure Coast Surfriders and the Treasure Coast Solar Co-op. We had 33 volunteers on Sunday, January 12, and they planted over 150 native trees, shrubs and groundcover. The plants were all native to St Lucie County and all helpful to our birds and our own welfare. We want to thank all our volunteers. This couldn’t have been accomplished without them.

How are groundcovers helpful to birds? We planted Sunshine Mimosa. It is a host plant for 17 different caterpillars and birds love to eat caterpillars and feed them to their young. The trees and shrubs will also help to give us cleaner air and water. They will sequester carbon into the ground to help slow climate change too. A win-win for the environment, wildlife and us.

We hope you will all consider joining us for just a couple of hours in March to complete the work needed for the grant. This time at Citrus Hammock Preserve. Date to be determined later.