February is the month associated with the love for one another, and to me it also covers the love of our wildlife and especially our local birds. We still have so many of our winter visitors here to enjoy and learn about.
Our guest speaker for our general meeting on February 4th, is just the person to show us the beauty of our local birds. Juanita N. Baker, PhD., will be our speaker and she is a renowned for her photographs and documentation of Florida birds. She is a prominent member of Pelican Island Audubon Society and will show us many of her photos ( and, I am told some of Hart Rufe’s photographs) that are in her book. She also holds classes on “Intensive Birding” for any interested members. This program will be a wonderful introduction to our local birds for those of you that are still learning about them.
We just received wonderful news that our request for an Audubon Collaborative Grant in the amount of $1,000, has been approved! We are now in the process of signing a Memo of Understanding with our partners in the project, St. Lucie County Environmental Resources Dept. We also have received permission from FPL to use the grant money in our treasury ($2,000) for this project. So, we now have up to $3,000 to use in order to provide needed equipment, materials, and supplies to support the efforts of St. Lucie ERD to band our local scrub jays on county lands in the hopes of better scientific data to support their conservation and protect their habitats. Our partnerships with the county and FPL have many benefits and I believe we are on the right track to make a difference in our community and county by working this way with others.
Doris Brookens, our Birding Adventure Chair, suggests we all watch our website for a possible birding adventure at McCarty Ranch Preserve as a driving tour. She is working out the details and it will be on our website as soon as she can get things arranged. Thanks Doris!
Dare I say, after the Inauguration Ceremony we just had, I am full of hope and promise of better days ahead. Let’s enjoy the moment and enjoy our feathered friends who are visiting us right now. Happy Birding!
—Ellen Lynch