The Limpkin Times

Apalachee Audubon Society Mission Statement:
Protection of the environment through education,
appreciation and conservation.


October 2017 

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Cooler temperatures not only bring migrating birds, but they make it easier than ever to get out and get involved with our field trips, programs, and volunteer opportunities!
AAS Needs You!

Want to make a difference in this troubled world we live in? Volunteer with Apalachee Audubon! We have many opportunities available and you can volunteer as little or as much time as you wish. Don’t have much time? Spend a couple hours working as a greeter for the AAS table at a local festival. You can chair our membership committee, send welcome letters to new chapter members, introduce birding to children at Pineview Elementary, or help organize our May 2018 Banquet. (See below for more details about the last two items.)

One immediate need is for our next tabling event, the Monarch Festival at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, Saturday, October 28. The event runs 10 AM — 4 PM, but you need only commit to a 2-hour shift. 

To learn more about our volunteer opportunities and sign up, visit our  AAS Volunteer webpage  or send an email to  apalacheeaudubon@gmail.com .
October Program
Natural Treasures of The Florida Panhandle: Importance of the Apalachicola Watershed with Dr. Bruce Means

Thursday, October 19, 2017
Social 7:00 PM, Program 7:30 PM
The King Life Sciences Building
319 Stadium Drive, Room 1024


Recently, the southeastern U.S. Coastal Plain—a vast natural area ranging from Martha’s Vineyard of Massachusetts to the Rio Grande River in Texas—has been recognized as one of the Earth’s top 35 biodiversity hotspots. Nestled in this 2,000-mile-long region lies a smaller area about 50 by 180 miles that supports the highest biodiversity in the larger region that is widely recognized as one of the top biodiversity hotspots in the U.S. and Canada. There live the most native frogs (29 species), most snakes (43 species), most turtles (18 species), a high salamander richness (30 species), a high number of birds (about 300 species), the forest type with the most tree species (up to 35), very high plant species richness (over 2500 species), and probably more carnivorous plants (30 species) than any similarly sized area in the world. 

Largely passed over until the middle of the 20th Century, this main ecosystem, the longleaf pine savannah—accounting for about 60% of the original landscape—has shrunk to less than 2% of its pre-Colonial extent and yet, the region still boasts of a large treasure trove of native ecosystems such as remnant patches of longleaf pine savannah, hardwood forests, swamps and springs, river bottomlands, flatwoods, carnivorous plant bogs, numerous first-magnitude springs, caves and much more. Based on his more than 50 years living in and studying this special region, Dr. Means displays its biodiversity treasures with captivating photographs of its many native ecosystems and unique animals and plants. Because this priceless region is under multiple threats, he discusses why we should care. 

Hint for residents of the Florida Panhandle: this fantastic place is somewhere near you!

Dr. Bruce Means is the President and Executive Director of the Coastal Plains Institute and Land Conservancy, a nonprofit organization he and others founded in 1984 that is dedicated to conserving the rich biodiversity--and elevating public awareness and appreciation--of the vast Coastal Plain of the southeastern United States. He is an Adjunct Professor of Biological Science at Florida State University and has authored numerous articles, technical reports, and books. Additionally, he has starred in several television specials about his international work in the field of herpetology.
FSU's WeDigFLPlants Digitization Blitz

6:00 PM (Immediately Before Our Program Meeting)
King Life Science Building
Room 1058

Create digital data about plant specimens collected in Florida over the past 200 years for the benefit of science, society, and our flora while playing games, learning about our biota, and interacting with others around the world. This is one of two evening events planned for the Tallahassee community during the 4-day Worldwide Engagement for Digitizing Biocollections (WeDigBio) event. Typing will be a valuable skill, so the event is best suited to those 10 and older. Free parking is available in the parking garage immediately south of the King Life Science Building after 4:30 p.m. To learn more about WeDigFLPlants, visit  https://biospex.org/project/wedigflplants . To learn more about WeDigBio, visit https://www.wedigbio.org/ .
Program Field Trip

Sunday, October 22
Spring Canyon in Gadsden County

Please join AAS on this follow-up field trip to Bruce's Thursday night program. Hike along steephead ravines and seepage streams that run through sandhill uplands on this privately owned land that is being restored ecologically by Tom and Helen Roth, our guides for the hike.

Meet at the entrance to the property at 9 a.m. (see directions). Or carpool from the DEP/Commonwealth Coppertop Building parking lot, leaving at 8:15 a.m. Helen Roth will go early to the property to greet people at the gate. Donna Legare will meet the carpoolers. The field trip is free, but please call Donna at (850) 386-1148 to sign up so we know how many to expect and how many plan to carpool. 

For more information about Spring Canyon and its owners, click here .

Contact:

The field trip is free, but please call Donna at (850) 386-1148 to sign up so we know how many to expect and how many plan to carpool. 
Other Upcoming Field Trips
Saturday, October 28
Eastern Lake Jackson Landings

A few months ago we explored the western landings of this large lake. This time we will tackle the Eastern landings. Meet at 8 a.m. at Rhoden Cove Landing,located off Meridian Road. We will be carpooling, so please indicate if you are a willing driver. Also, there will be minimal walking required.

Contact:

Please email Helen Jelks King at  thekingsom@gmail.com if you plan to attend or want more information.
Saturday, November 4
Lakes Clean-up Event

Killearn Homes Association will hold our second semi-annual Lakes Clean-up Event. We'll gather at Shannon Lakes North Park  at 10am . We'll break into small teams and mobilize around the lakes to clean up any litter we find. The city will provide bags and gloves. Killearn Homes Association will provide refreshments and snacks. Everyone who attends will get an  "I ♥ Killearn Chain of Lakes"  T-shirt.  
Visit the  Field Trips web page  for information about upcoming trips through October.
Documenting Birds...Underground?!

Apalachee Audubon vice-president, Peter Kleinhenz, loves birding and loves caving. It's rare that both hobbies can be combined, but such was the case a couple months ago in a nearby wildlife management area. Read more to see what surprising discovery he made underground.
Show Your Support For Florida Forever

Florida Forever, a state funded program for the acquisition of conservation lands, was supported by an overwhelming number of Floridians. However, not only is the money not being spent as promised on land acquisition, but the survival of the program itself was in jeopardy until recently.

Join us in showing support for the funds to be used as 75% of Floridians asked for them to be. Rob Williams, chair of our conservation committee, has provided names addresses for our local representatives. Click here to see these and to view tips on how to craft an effective letter to your elected officials.
Get Involved In Planning A Bird-friendly Community!

Two more public meetings will be held for Tallahassee's Comprehensive Plan revision. We are asking members to show up and let our policy-makers know that they would like bird-friendly communities to be a part of Tallahassee's growth. Apalachee Audubon is committed to helping birding be an accessible hobby to everyone in the community.

The next meeting dates are :

Oct 12: Dorothy Spence Community Center in Chaires / 4768 Chaires Cross Road, 6-8 pm
Oct 23: Bradfordville Community Center / 6808 Beech Ridge Trail, 6-8 pm
You Can Make A Direct Impact On The Next Generation of Birders

Apalachee Audubon is partnering with a school on the south side, Pineview Elementary, to offer lessons about birds and birding to 3rd to 5th-grade students during their after school program. Members, along with volunteers from FAMU and Volunteer Leon, will teach hands-on lessons, designed to get kids excited about birding, nature, and spending time outside.

Visits will take place from 4:30-5:30 at Pineview Elementary on the following Fridays:

10/20
11/3
11/17
12/1
12/15

We will have lessons and activities prepared. Once you're signed up as a school volunteer, all you have to do is show up!

Please email Peter Kleinhenz at pnkleinhenz@gmail.com if you are interested in being part of this effort and he will provide you with further details.
Help Us Plan Our Annual Banquet

Our annual banquet in May is a long way away, but it's not too early to plan. We are looking for someone to help us coordinate the planning of the banquet to ensure that it's a success. Please contact Sean McGlynn at mcglynnlabs@gmail.com if you are interested.
We want to hear from you! Send us your reports from the field, your photos, and birding/conservation related events in the community. 
Apalachee Audubon Society A North Florida Chapter of the National Audubon Society